Year Round Maintenance

January

• Spread winter mulch in beds- use leaves, branches from Christmas trees, woodchips or mulch to prevent heaving
• Go through your garden and inspect for winter damage
• Prune damaged branches and dead wood on woody shrubs and trees (test for dead branches by scratching bark and looking for green)
• Do some Formative Pruning on summer or fall flowering woody shrubs (butterfly bush, itea, spirea..)
• Fertilize acid-loving shrubs, if not already done in fall
• Water evergreen and broad-leaf evergreen shrubs during warm spells
• Protect shrubs planted under the roofline from snow, remove heavy snow from shrubs to prevent damage
• Use sand, gravel, urea or kitty litter instead of salt on driveway or paths near gardens

February

• Plant seeds indoors that need 10-12 weeks before transplanting
• Continue looking for plant damage and pruning dead wood
• LIGHTLY prune the ends of spring-flowering shrubs to "force" them
• Prune deciduous trees, EXCEPT river birch, flowering cherries, maples and lindens
• Continue removing heavy snow from shrubs
• Formative Pruning on barberry, summer-flowering shrubs; Regenerative Pruning on shrubs with colorful branches, such as red or yellow twig dogwood
• Apply Weed Premergent

March

• *Know the last spring frost date for your area*
• Beware of frosts after thaw; make sure any unprotected plants are mulched
• Plant seeds indoors that need 8-10 weeks before transplant
• Continue pruning deciduous trees, Regenerative prune shrubs and vines that flower on new wood/ have colorful branches
• DON'T prune spring-flowering shrubs except to correct problems (this will be done after they've bloomed)
• Transplant un-established shrubs before they bud out
• Cut back ornamental grasses
• Fertilize early-flowering bulbs
• Apply Weed Premergent if not done already in February

April

• When ground has thawed out, start digging/prepping new beds
• Remove all winter mulches and composts
• Start weeding, where necessary
• Water all new plantings frequently (2-3x/week) and thoroughly (30+ min)
• Plant trees, shrubs and perennials, containers or ball and burlap
• Replant shrubs, trees and perennials that have "heaved" out of the soil
• Finish all transplants (must be done before buds have pushed out)
• Finish cutting back ornamental grasses
• Formative Prune all summer and fall blooming shrubs
• Cut dead wood out of hydrangeas, cut all live branches back to 2 buds
• Transplant and divide summer and fall blooming perennials
• Re-mulch all beds
• Add compost to perennial beds
• Plant annual seeds
• Repair lawn patches that need seed/sod
• Deadhead spring flowers, prune when done flowering

May

• Weed all beds thoroughly
• All winter mulch/compost/branches should be removed by now
• Beds should be re-mulched
• Keep watering new and transplanted shrubs (2-3x/week)
• Prune back spring-flowering shrubs after they've finished blooming (forsythia, lilac, azalea) and any dead wood
• Continuously prune clematis to cut out dead/weak growth
• In flowering trees, remove dead wood only
• Prune/hedge evergreens
• Plant potted roses, fertilize
• Finish dividing spring and fall blooming perennials
• Stake peonies, delphiniums, and garden phlox early
• Repair lawn patches, seed/sod
• Plant annual seeds
• Start planting annuals outside AFTER last frost

June

• Heavily and thoroughly water new plants and transplants, preferably early in the morning, and make sure they are well mulched (to retain water during heat/dry spells)
• Water all plants heavily and infrequently when not in extreme heat or drought conditions, to build drought resistance
• Weed as necessary- for a plant to be truly healthy, it must be weed-free!
• Throw healthy grass clippings into compost pile
• Prune spring-flowering shrubs, deadhead mountain laurel, rhododendron, azalea, lilacs (when done flowering) and shrub roses (to encourage continued blooms)
• Spray roses to prevent fungus; fertilize
• Continue planting shrubs, trees and perennials (especially containers)
• Prune evergreens
• Plant annual seeds
• Pinch back mums when they've grown 4-6"

July

• Turn compost pile
• Continue weeding
• Water during extreme heat/drought
• Continue deadheading roses and flowering perennials to encourage new blooms
• Deadhead spring blooms, if not already done
• Prune woody vines after blooming
• Prune birch, flowering cherries, lindens and maples
• Finish transplanting annuals into garden (finish EARLY July)
• Pinch back mums, asters, dahlias, cosmos and zinneas
• Cut back spring perennials and/or damaged and spent ones
• Begin to dig and divide spring-blooming perennials (iris, some early flowering daylilies)

August

• Continue weeding, watering during dry spells
• Stop pruning trees and shrubs
• Don't fertilize after mid-August
• Continue dead-heading flowers to prolong bloom time
• Cut hollyhocks down to ground after blooming
• Add fall perennials to garden
• Seed new lawns after August 15th. Best time of year to seed is generally from August 15th through October 15th.

September

• Water during dry spells
• Plant roses, trees, shrubs and perennials- water heavily once a week
• Mow lawn frequently, fertilize, plant grass seed until soil cools
• De-thatch and aerate lawn
• Cut back spent perennials
• Divide perennials and peonies
• Plant tulips
• Uproot annuals, throw them into compost pile
• This is the best time of year to seed new lawns, warm days and cool nights facilitate rapid weed free turf establishment

October

• Have soil pH tested, make necessary amendments
• Add leaves to compost pile
• Transplant established trees and shrubs after defoliated
• Best time of year to seed new lawns, warm days and cool nights facilitate rapid weed free turf establishment.
• Seed until frost; discontinue after frost
• Avoid planting flats of evergreen groundcover (pachysandra, ivy, myrtle) after frost
• Plant all trees, shrubs, perennials
• Clean up perennials beds after frosts (cut back, clean up what has died down)
• Plant hardy spring-flowering bulbs
• Dig and store summer-flowering bulbs and tubers

November

• Adjust soil pH
• Rake leaves off lawn before snow
• Spray broad-leaf evergreens with Wilt-Pruf, water on warm days
• Fertilize trees and shrubs (that have been planted for at least a year) when dormant
• Finish cutting back perennials; mulch perennial garden after ground has frozen
• Plant daffodil bulbs until ground freezes
• Transplant established trees and shrubs after defoliated
• Water broadleaf evergreens on warm days

December

• Apply winter mulches after ground freezes
• Bring in clay and cement pots and statues
• Use sand or kitty litter on ice instead of salt
• Water evergreens, especially newly planted ones, when ground is not frozen or during warm spells
• Protect shrubs under roofline from snow damage
• Make sure all broad-leaf evergreens have been sprayed (Wilt-Pruf)
• Plan your garden for next year