Monthly To Do Calendar

When do you do what with the lawn? When is the best time to plant tomatoes? Find out what to do each month on our Monthly To Do Calendars for all things horticulture.

January:  Review your garden catalogs and order seeds & plants early for best selection.

February: Order bare-root fruit trees, shade trees and shrubs.   March and early April are the ideal time for planting bare-root materials.

March: Start some sweet potato slips, and other vegetables for transplanting.  Start on garden cleanup while the snow melts away!

April:  Make your lawn & landscape pre-emergent herbicide application toward the end of the month and control early season leaf spot diseases on shade & fruit trees.  This is a busy month getting your garden & lawn ready for summer.

May:  Start mowing that grass and finish planting the vegetable garden.  Spring is well underway and summer is almost here!

June:  Check vegetable gardens for the beginning of disease problems.  Watch for development of black spot on roses.

July:  Enjoy the first sweet corn and watermelon of the summer!  Watch out for turf diseases.  Re-apply pre-emergent to lawn & landscape areas.

August:  Harvest pears before they are completely ripe and finish ripening them in the house. Order bulbs for fall planting. 

September: Fall is a great time for planting trees & shrubs!  Divide spring-blooming perennials, and plant bulbs for spring color.  Control winter annual weeds, such as henbit.

October: Harvest pumpkins before the first hard freeze.  This is the best time of year to control perennial weeds, including dandelion, ground ivy and violets.

November: Prepare your mower for winter storage.  Protect young trees & shrubs from rabbit, vole and deer damage.

December:  Enjoy a family visit to your local Christmas tree farm and cut down your own holiday tree this year.  Enjoy the preserved fruits and vegetables harvested from your garden this summer and make plans for next year's growing season.  It will be here before you know it!