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January​:

• Prune fruit trees.

• Prune grape vines, berries, etc.

 

February:

• Plant trees, shrubs, and ground cover.

• Continue pruning fruit trees.

• Continue pruning grape vines, berries, etc.

• Prune deciduous trees.

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March:

• Fertilize established trees and shrubs.

• Apply pelletized lime to lawn about every three years or according to soil.

• Continue planting trees, shrubs, and groundcovers.

• Finish pruning fruit trees early in the month.

• Finish pruning grape vines, berries, etc. early in the month.

• Continue pruning deciduous trees.

 

April:

• Begin mowing lawns.

• First lawn fertilizer application.

• Prune roses (early in the month).

• Apply a horticultural spray oil to fruit trees.

• Watch for aphids, spider mites, and other unsavory chewing insects.

• Begin fertilizing flowering plants monthly with bone meal.

• Continue planting shrubs through April.

 

May:

• Prune flowering shrubs after blooming

• Continue fertilizing flowering shrubs with bone meal

• As a preventative, spray shrubs with a horticultural spray oil

• Fertilize and dust roses for black spot, powdery mildew, and insects

• If ants or other lawn insects become a problem, apply diatomaceous earth

• Mulch flower beds, shrubs, and trees

• Begin setting out annuals and perennials after threat of frost passes (about May 4 in our area).

 

June:

• Hand weed beds to avoid using chemicals.

• Prune evergreen shrubs (hollies, boxwood, camellia, leucothoe, junipers).

• Continue fertilizing roses.

• Remove dead roses.

• If Japanese beetles emerge, use  beetle traps or an organic repellant.  Apply more than once as needed.

• If chlorosis appears, (leaves turning yellow between veins) on boxwoods, azaleas, camellias, and other plants, apply liquid iron.

• Apply bone meal around Azaleas and Rhododendron to stimulate spring blooming.

 

July:

• If evergreens red spider mites or other insects, spray with a horticultural spray oil.

 

August:

• Prune shrubs again, as necessary.

 

September:

• Plant trees and shrubs- through December.

• Seed, reseed, and fertilize your lawns with a slow-release lawn food.

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October:

• Plant spring flowering bulbs in late October .

• Divide and transplant perennials, peonies, ground covers, and bulbs.

• Cut back perennials.

 

November:

• Mulch trees and shrubs.

• Continue planting trees and shrubs.

 

December:

• Last chance to plant bulbs!

• Remove leaves from grass and around shrubs. Decaying leaves will  choke plants.