Week of March 8th

Plant your tomato seeds inside this week so that they are mature enough to plant outside by May 1st. See Starting a Vegetable Garden for details. 

Week of March 15th

Make sure you have your radish, lettuce, pea, onion sets, and spinach seeds ordered and ready for planting April 10th.

Week of March 22nd

Spray shrubs and trees for over-wintering insects and disease with Dormant Oil Spray before foliage comes out.

Week of March 29th

Cut back grasses and prune the dead out of your shrubs and trees. Also cut off any sucker shoots.

Week of April 5th

Fertilize your lawn. Apply Crabgrass Control, if needed, before the end of April. Unless you are seeing bare spots, Crabgrass Control prevents germination.

Week of April 12th

1. Roses should be breaking bud about now so it is a good time to prune out any dead branches and debris using clean, sharp tools.
2. Trim the dead out of your plants.

Week of April 19th

1. Apply a pre-emergent bed weed control, such as Preen, to your beds.
2. Time to apply grub control to your lawn if needed.

Week of April 26th

1. Tent Caterpillars are out. Spray them with Sevin or pull them off but don't burn the nests on the tree!
2. Continue to monitor frost warnings and cover plants as needed with burlap.
3. Top dress your beds with mulch.

Week of May 3rd

1. Check for residual tent caterpillars.
2. Apply fertilizer with weed control to your lawns.

Week of May 10th

Watch out for Gypsy Moths. Now is the time to spray for these. Spray with Sevin.

Week of May 17th

1. When potting up your pots, containers, and window boxes, make sure to include a slow-release fertilizer in with the potting soil.
2. Vary the heights of the plants in your containers and include trailing vines like Potato Vine or Vinca vine.
3. The rabbits and deer are beginning to munch, so now is the time to apply Liquid Fence to your perennials and flowering shrubs. Apply weekly or biweekly to new growth.
4. Dead-head any spent blooms.

Week of May 24th

1. Prune flowering shrubs that have already flowered.
2. When planting Impatiens, try to place them in an area where they will receive part shade.
3. Plant your vegetables and flowering annuals now - threat of frost should be gone.

Week of May 31st

1. Prune off the spent and dead flowers from your roses so they don't develop rose hips. Make sure to prune back to a 5 leaf stem. This will encourage more flowers.

2. Watch for Saw Flies on your Mugo pines - treat with insecticide.

Week of June 7th

Dead-head your flowers or flower clusters after the blooms are spent, faded, or drooping. This process will encourage the plant to produce more flowers instead of seed.

Week of June 14th

1. Start mowing your grass at a height of  3½ - 4" to prevent it from burning out so quickly in the summer.
2. Liquid feed your annuals with a quick-release fertilizer such as Miracle Gro.

Week of June 21st

1. Now is the time for Japanese Beetles. Use traps or spray with Seven.
2. Stop pinching back your Chrysanthemums by July 4th.

Week of June 28th

1. Dead-head all perennials for continuous bloom throughout the summer.

2. Spray Liquid Fence around the perimeter of fruits and vegetables and directly on ornamental plants and perennials.

3. Continue to watch for Japanese Beetles, spray with Seven.

Week of July 5th

Liquid feed planters and boxes with Miracle Gro or comparable fertilizer every 2 weeks.

Week of July 12th

Barberry, Euonymus, Hydrangea, & Holly are good woody ornamentals for dry summer conditions.

Week of August 9th

Make sure your lawn and shrubs have adequate water as we head into fall.

Week of September 6th

1. Plant your spring bulbs.

2. Over-seed your lawn to fill in and make sure to keep it watered.

3. Apply a fall/winter fertilizer to your lawn now to build root growth.

4. Enjoy the fruits of all your labors with the fall foliage now coming on.

Week of September 13th

Spray liquid fence to protect shrubs as deer are starting to browse now. Secrets to a Deer Resistant Garden

Month of October

• Apply a complete fall fertilizer to your existing shrubs and trees in late autumn. This will make your shrubs and trees much healthier.
• Use a quick-release, pelletized Lime to your lawn.
• Make sure your plants receive adequate moisture going into winter.
• Plant fall bulbs for spring bloom.
• Hydrangeas flower on old wood (wood formed the previous year), therefore, any pruning in fall or winter will result in reduced flower production.