|
Month by Month Gardening Guide
by AGC & Ontario Ministry of Agriculture & Food
January:
Inspect houseplants for spider mites and aphids
Use urea (46-0-0) to melt ice near outdoor plants
Plan garden layout
Order flower and vegetable seeds
Enrol in home garden studies
Pay Agincourt Garden Club yearly dues
Try forcing a flowering bulb (amaryllis etc.)
February:
Propagate indoor plants (geraniums etc.) by stem cuttings
Place mail orders for shrubs and hedges
Order seed flats and containers
Check newspapers for dates of annual garden shows
Conduct seed exchange with friends & neighbours
March:
Plant flowers and vegetables indoors
Prune fruit trees and grape vines
Start tuberous begonias in pots
Press garden perennials back into place if frost has heaved them
Spray fruit trees with dormant oil
Prune back overgrown shade trees & hedges
Repair rodent-damaged trees & shrubs with tree dressing
Treat houseplants with water-soluble fertilizer (e.g. 20-20-20). Follow label rates
Prune summer flowering shrubs
April:
Rake & fertilize lawns
Remove mulch from roses, a little at a time
Plant shrubs, trees & hedges
Prune roses
Apply pre-emergence weed killer to control crabgrass
Transplant biennials (violas, pansies, foxglove, etc.)
Repair lawn damage with topsoil & seed
Plant early vegetables (peas, radishes, onions)
Spray for birch leaf miner
Check newspaper for dates of annual garden shows
May:
Construct lattice for vines
Transfer bedding annuals to outdoor cold frame
Check trees for tent caterpillars & other insects
Plant frost-sensitive flowers (petunias, etc.)
Remove faded flower heads of tulips & daffodils
Prune shrubs & trees after flowering
Spray lawn weeds with herbicides
Fertilize lawns
Plant vegetable garden, strawberries & raspberries
Harvest asparagus
June:
Prune evergreens & hedges
Use grass clippings & compost on garden to conserve moisture & control weeds
Irrigate lawns & vegetables as required
Thin annuals & vegetables
Treat annual flowers with fertilizer (e.g. Compost Tea). See Resources, Organic Gardening, for information.
Stake tall growing perennials
Pinch back garden chrysanthemums
Remove faded rose blooms
Weed vegetable garden & flowerbeds
July:
Cut grass no shorter than 5 centimetres (2 inches)
Fertilize annuals and vegetables (e.g. water soluble 20-20-20)
Shallow hoe gardens regularly
Pinch back annuals, if getting straggly
Water garden thoroughly during dry spells
Harvest berries
After strawberry harvest, mow tops down to 5 centimetres (2 inches) and narrow row to 24 centimetres (12 inches)
August:
Prune climbing roses
Order flowering bulbs
Cut out old raspberry canes and narrow row to 40 centimetres (18 inches)
Spray shrubs for powdery mildew control
Harvest vegetables, blanch & freeze
September:
Prepare & seed new lawns
Divide perennials
Plant evergreens
Last fertilizing of lawns for the year
Air-dry onions for storage
Remove perennial borders
Harvest grapes after first frost
Soak soil around evergreens & transplants
October:
Plant bulbs in garden (e.g. tulip, daffodil)
Transplant shrubs & trees
Dig & store dahlias, gladiolus, & tuberous begonias
Plant amaryllis for Christmas blooms
Gather leaves & add to compost pile
Winterize lawn mower
Plough vegetable gardens
November:
Soak soil around evergreens if ground is dry
Hill up roses
Check supports for newly planted trees
Protect trees & shrubs from mice & rabbits
Mulch tender plants
Plant hyacinth & other bulbs for winter forcing indoors
Clean garden storage area & tools
December:
Loosely wrap pyramidal evergreens with burlap or plastic netting
Remove snow from shrubs & spreading evergreens
Reduce watering of indoor plants
Set up indoor lighting unit
Consider gardening Christmas gifts for friends, e.g. homemade jams & preserves.
(2009-06-26) |
