Prune and trim Remove dead, damaged, or diseased branches to improve the appearance of your garden and prevent disease from spreading.
Inspect house plants Check for white flies, spider mites, and aphids, and apply insecticidal soap and spray with water.
Start seeds indoors Sow seeds indoors for early crops, such as lettuces, summer brassicas, spinach, salad onions, and turnips.
Stock up on supplies January and February are good times to start stocking up on gardening supplies.
February
Amaryllis – Cut off spent flower stems & place in a sunny window, watering only when the soil is nearly dry. Fertilize 1x month with water-soluble organic houseplant food.
Planting Dates – Use the 'Johnny Select Seed' seed-starting date calculator to determine when to start your seeds. Enter your frost free date as May 24th, 2025.
Dahlia, calla, canna etc. – Check stored bulbs for rot or signs of disease. Spray lightly if bulbs are dry or shriveled.
Blueberries – Late February/early March, prune out dead, damaged, diseased wood to an open shape to increase air circulation.
Bird feeders– Keep bird feeders topped up for our winter residents.
March
Prepare the soil Loosen the soil, add organic matter, and test the pH level. The ideal pH level for most plants is between 6.0 and 7.0.
Plan your garden Consider the climate, sun exposure, and soil types when planning your garden layout and planting schedule.
Start seeds indoors Start seeds for peppers and onions indoors in early March. For tomatoes and cruciferous vegetables, start seeds in late March to early April.
Plant outdoors After the last spring frost, you can start direct sowing seeds or transplanting. A good rule of thumb is to wait until the May 24th weekend before planting seedlings outdoors.
Harden off seedlings Before transplanting seedlings outdoors, gradually harden them off to help them adjust to the outdoors.
Water consistently Water seedlings daily, and then water consistently as the top of the soil dries out.
Use mulch Mulch helps retain moisture, reduce weeding, and encourage earthworms.
Rotate crops Rotate crops to keep the soil fertile and protect your vegetables from pests and disease.
Add compost Add well-rotted compost to improve the soil in new or expanded beds.
April
Plan: Consider the sun exposure, climate, and soil types when planning your garden layout and planting schedule.
Prepare the soil: Loosen the soil, add organic matter, and test the pH level. The ideal pH level for most plants is between 6.0 and 7.0.
Weed: Weeds are easier to pull out when they are young and the soil is moist.
Mulch: Mulch open soil areas to minimize weed spread. You can use compost, shredded leaves, fine bark chips, or straw.
Plant: You can plant cool-season vegetables and annual flowers as soon as the soil is workable. You can also start warm-season vegetables like tomatoes, peppers, cucumbers, squash, and eggplants from seedlings.
Prune: Use sharp cutters to prune dead branches first, and cut on an angle.
Support tall perennials: Provide supports for tall perennials that tend to flop, such as asters and delphiniums.
Divide perennials: Divide overcrowded perennial plants to promote healthy growth.
Start plants indoors: Start plants indoors weeks before your garden is ready, then transplant them into your garden when they're a few inches big.
Pinch seedlings: Pinch out the growing tips of seedlings to give you bushy plants that will produce masses of flowers.
Deadhead: Deadhead spring bulbs like daffodils and tulips once the flowers have faded.
May
Plant spring annuals: The weekend before Victoria Day is a good time to plant spring annuals, summer bulbs, and transfer baby seed starters into the garden.
Plant cool-weather vegetables: You can direct seed salad greens like lettuce, spinach, and kale, along with root veggies like carrots and edible bulbs such as onions and shallots.
Plant tomatoes: Wait until the end of the month to plant tomatoes outdoors, and remember to harden them off first.
Divide perennials: Late May is a suitable time to divide perennials.
Water: Water plants in the early mornings or the evenings, constantly watering the earth, not the foliage.
Weed: Keep on top of weeds, especially in the vegetable garden.
Mulch: Mulch your beds to help hold moisture in place during the summer and suppress weeds.
Plan: Plan your garden layout and planting schedule, keeping in mind sun exposure, climate, and soil types.
Test pH level: Aim for a pH level between 6.0 and 7.0, which is ideal for most plants.
Add compost: Wherever you put seeds in the ground or transplant small plants, always add compost to those locations
June
Plant warm-season vegetables In early June, you can directly seed warm-season vegetables like beans, corn, and cucumbers.
Plant transplants You can transplant seedlings into your garden in June, including eggplants, peppers, tomatoes, and sweet potatoes.
Plant leafy greens You can plant leafy greens like spinach, swiss chard, and peas into late July for an autumn harvest.
Plant carrots You can plant certain types of carrots in well-fertilized sandy soil.
Plant potatoes You can start a potato heap or tower with potatoes that have eyes developing.
Plant bulbs You can plant gladiolus bulbs in full sunlight, even though it's still cool.
Mulch Mulch helps retain moisture, reduce weeding, and encourage earthworms.
Water Water seedlings daily, and then water consistently when the soil surface becomes dry.
Rotate crops Keep plants from the same family in separate beds one year, and relocate them to new beds the following year. This helps keep the soil fertile.
July
Apply all-purpose fertilizer to long-blooming perennials.
Lift garlic and shallots as soon as most of the tops have died down.
After harvesting crops of vegetables, second and third plantings can be made, use late varieties of leafy greens, cabbage, cauliflower and broccoli.
Stake larger growing perennials to prevent rain and wind damage.
Cut back delphiniums and other tall perennials as they finish blooming.
Prune flowering shrubs as the flowers finish blooming.
Prune annual herbs to promote a second harvest
Harvest berries before the birds and the squirrels get to them!
August
Keep fertilizing annuals for continuous blooms.
Monitor your gardens for pests and disease and jot those areas down in your garden journal so you can avoid planting the same plant varieties in those locations next year.
Think about collecting seeds for next year’s gardens! Purchase some seed collecting envelopes, labels, and seed storage containers so you can harvest seeds from your best-performing plants.
It’s time to start scouring the pages of seed catalogs for bulbs to plant in the fall that will flower come spring. Place your orders early for the best selection.
Don’t forget about the pollinators in your fall garden. There will be fewer flowering plants in the garden as the season changes. Consider planting another round of marigolds, cosmos, calendula, sunflowers, zinnias, and other fall-blooming annuals to encourage beneficial pollinators to the garden.
Take some snapshots of your gardens and stick them in your garden journal so you can have a visual catalog of your garden’s progress.
Deadhead flowering annuals and perennials, collecting seeds from the best plants.
Trim back herbs or pinch off flowering tips to prevent the plant from going to seed and to prolong your harvest.
Continue to prune tomato suckers, peppers, and eggplant to encourage new growth.
September
Divide perennials: Divide spring and summer blooming perennial plants.
Fertilize: Fertilize your lawn.
Mulch Add a layer of mulch around plants to help them retain water. You can also use groundcovers to keep the roots cool and prevent weeds.
Divide perennials After perennials have finished flowering, you can dig them up and divide them into smaller plants to move or spread out.
Collect seeds You can collect and store seeds to grow new plants in your garden for free.
Improve soil After removing dead plants and flowers, you can spread a layer of compost or rotted manure over the soil. Then, spade or rototill it into the top few inches of soil.
Reduce watering for houseplants If you're over-wintering perennials in pots, you should reduce watering and stop fertilizing in early September.
Water wisely Water deeply at the base of the plant to encourage deep root growth. This will help plants withstand dry periods.
Plant evergreens September is a good time to plant evergreens like Euonymus and Camellia. They'll have time to establish their roots before the summer heat.
October
Plant trees and shrubs The soil is still warm from summer, making it a good time to plant trees and shrubs. Fall is also a good time to plant trees because the sun isn't as hot and the soil is cooler, which makes the transition less stressful for the tree. You can also plant shrubs and trees that bloom in winter or early spring, like witch hazel.
Plant bulbs You can plant daffodils, crocuses, and other spring bulbs in October. You can also plant tulip bulbs in fall, but wait until the end of October or early November to reduce the risk of disease.
Harvest vegetables You can harvest the last of your French and runner beans. You can also ripen green tomatoes indoors by putting them in a paper bag with an apple or banana.
Prune You can prune summer-fruiting raspberries by cutting back the old fruit-bearing canes.
Remove debris You can remove dead and dying plant matter to keep your garden looking tidy and prevent mold and rot. Or leave it for native insects to overwinter in.
Mulch You can apply a layer of mulch over new plantings to protect them from the cold and keep moisture in.
Prepare for winter You can store pots for winter by cleaning them, adding the plant debris to compost, and dumping the potting mix in your garden. You can also look for and remove diseased materials from the garden.
Attract birds You can attract birds to your garden with nest boxes and feeding trays. Birds can help you get rid of slugs and caterpillars.
November
Mulch: Add an extra layer of mulch around plants to insulate their roots from the cold. This can help plants grow better in early spring. However, keep mulch away from the trunks and thick stems of plants to prevent insect infestations and diseases.
Burlap: Wrap shrubs and trees in burlap to protect them from heavy snow, cold winds, and salt damage.
Cover crops: Plant cover crops like rye grass or crimson clover to suppress weeds, prevent erosion, and condition the soil.
Turn off water: Turn off outside water connections and drain garden hoses.
Protect fruit trees: Wrap screening around fruit tree trunks to protect them from small animals.
Clean gutters: Clean fallen leaves out of downspouts and gutters.
Improve soil: Add raw organic matter, like shredded leaves, to improve your soil.
Harvest and store vegetables: Some gardeners may still be harvesting and gardening in November, while others may be putting their gardens to bed for the winter.
Thank you to our generous local individuals, organizations and businesses. You help us to continue our efforts in beautifying our community.