Garden Tips

JANUARY: THE MONTH TO PLAN A GARDEN
Study catalogs for seeds and unusual plants.
Force branches of early flowering shrubs in a sunny window.
Continue to fertilize Pansies and feed the birds. (Pansy fertilizer should be liquid with a high middle number.) Keep snow off of shrubbery. Also check where snow melts first in your yard to help you determine your microclimates.
You may still plant perennials, trees, and shrubs. Plant Sweet Peas (Lathyrus odoratus); they need cold temperatures to germinate - about 55°F. Nick the seeds or soak in water overnight. Seeds also need darkness to germinate.
Plants should flower between April and May.
Cover Camellias and Gardenias at night if temperatures drop below 20°F.
Feed boxwoods with cottonwood meal.
Sow Bachelor's Button, Larkspur, and Poppy seeds. Apply manure, compost, and lime to vegetables beds. Plants in bloom are Lenten Roses, Camellias, Daphne, Sweetbox, and Winter Jasmine.
Average temperature is 317 to 50°F.
Bird Tip: If you have the space, use your Christmas tree (real ones) as a thicket for the birds. Put it in your yard upright or lay it down. Birds will hide in it or nest in it.

FEBRUARY: THE MONTH TO PRUNE
Cut back ornamental grasses and liriope.
Begin dormant pruning of trees and shrubs.
Remove fallen Camellia blooms to prevent disease.
Prune Roses, except for early bloomers like Lady Banks or ramblers.
Prune plants that bloom on new wood (Butterfly bushes), Annabelle or Peegee Hydrangeas, and Crepe Myrtle.
Plant a tree for Arbor Day.
Fertilize fruit trees with 15-15-15.
Fertilize Iris Valentine's Day and Halloween.
Fertilize Peonies with wood ashes and/or copper sulfate.
Plant Asparagus, English Peas, and Garlic.
Plants in bloom are Crocus, Daffodils, Spirea, Forsythia, Winter Honeysuckle, and Quince.
Average temperature is 34°F to 55°F.
Bird Tip: Ground covers, such as Ajuga and Pachysandra, offer protection from predators year round.

SPRING
MARCH: THE MONTH TO DIG
If you plan to move a shrub or tree in the fall, root prune it now.
Divide perennials as they turn green.
Prepare your vegetable and flowerbeds by tilling and adding compost.
Plant beets, carrots, celery, collards, lettuce, mustards, and turnips.
Severely prune Rose of Sharon - Althea (Hibiscus syriacus) - for better blooms. Cut back Autumn Fern.
Late in the month, prune plants that bloomed in January, February, or early March, such as Forsythia, Quince, and Winter Honeysuckle.
When bulbs are spent, cut off flowers (not leaves) and fertilize with bone meal.
Fertilize Roses, Crepe Myrtles, Lilacs, Azaleas, and Camellias after blooming.
Scalp and aerate warm season lawns.
Plants in bloom are Azaleas, Loropetalums, Redbuds, Tulips, and Hyacinths.
Average temperature is 43°F to 64°F.
Bird Tip: A good food source for the springs is Mayhaws and Hawthorns. They bear fruit in spring. Birds love them.

APRIL: THE MONTH TO SOW & FERTILIZE
Plant annuals and vegetables after the 15th of April.
Prune and fertilize Azaleas after they bloom.
Divide overgrown perennials as they emerge.
Please don't braid your Daffodils. After flowering, deadhead spring bulbs and apply fertilizer while allowing leaves to yellow naturally.
Fertilize Crepe Myrtles with 1/2 cup of 10-10-10.
Begin planting Cannas, Caladiums, Elephant Ears, Dahlias, and other tender bulbs when high temperatures are above 55°F.
Move houseplants out gradually.
Look for aphids on your plants, and try blasting them with water, rather than spraying them with insecticides.
Mark early flowering perennials that will go dormant in summer with golf tees, so you can plant late perennials or annuals alongside to have flowers for another season.
Fertilize Zoysia, Bermuda, and Centipede lawns with 10-10o 10.
Plants in bloom are Dogwoods, Cherries, Azaleas, Kerria.
Average temperature is 51°F to 73°F.
Bird Tip:Put in a birdbath. Remember to change the water frequently.

MAY: THE MONTH TO DEADHEAD
Sow Euphorbia marginate seeds early in the month.
Pull out Pansies, and compost the plants.
Deadhead plants as they bloom.
Stake Lilies before they get tall. The longer you wait, the more likely it is that you will damage the plants.
Divide perennials that bloom in the spring.
Prune shrubs that have finished blooming like the Mock Orange, Rhododendron, and Vibernum.
Shop nurseries and other stores after Mother's Day for great deals on Hydrangeas that are flowering or not. Plant them in your garden.
To help in keeping the heavy blooms of Annabelle hydrangea upright, try self-staking: cutting the outer ring of stems in half now.
Mulch now to reduce water loss and control weeds.
At the end of the month, biennial Foxgloves have usually finished blooming. Pull them up and scatter the seeds. (If you have PERENNIAL Foxgloves, do not pull them out.) Foxgloves are poisonous, so be careful in handling them.
Plants in bloom are Peonies, Roses, Irises, Climbing Hydrangeas, Daylilies, Foxgloves.
Average temperature is 59°F to 80°F.
Bird Tip: Watch for plants around birdfeeders. Sunflower hulls are allelopathic (poisonous to other plants). Black walnut is also allelopathic. Boxwoods are not usually affected by them.

SUMMER
JUNE: THE MONTH TO DETECT INSECTS & DISEASES
Fertilize flowers with a fertilizer that has a high middle number (phosphorous) just before it rains.
Prune climbing Roses that have finished blooming. You can use an electric hedge clipper. Often, the pruning gives you another bloom.
Pull spent Poppies and Larkspur out. Save seeds for next December or January.
Discard spent perennials and scatter seeds.
Continue deadheading and pinching back annuals.
Pinch Chrysanthemums to keep them from getting leggy. Stop pinching them when buds begin to form.
Pull a few weeds every day. Young weeds are easier to pull.
Raise mower height to encourage a thicker, better rooted grass.
Plants in bloom are Hydrangeas, Phlox, Daylilies, Daisies.
Average temperature is 67°F to 86°F.
Bird Tip: Provide nesting materials for birds. Building materials include twigs, leaves, and plant fibers.

JULY: THE MONTH TO WATER
Water trees. Water all the way to the drip line, or where the branches stop. Remember shrubs and flowers can be replaced but it takes a lifetime to grow a tree.
Prune Gardenias and Hydrangeas after blooming if necessary.
Keep deadheading and pinching back annuals.
Prune back Asters, Helianthus, Heliopsis, and other fall blooming plants 1/3 to 1/2. This will result in fuller plants and ones that don't flop.
Take cuttings of Azaleas and Forsythia. The young green tips will root easily and you will have free plants.
Watch plants closely for pests and treat as needed.
Replenish areas of mulch that are thinning.
Prune back long sprouts on Blueberry Bushes after harvesting.
Fertilize Butterfly Bushes, Hydrangeas, and Crepe Myrtles with any 10-10-10. One tablespoon per foot of height.
Plants in bloom are Roses, Clethra, Daylilies, Coneflowers, Hosta.
Average temperature is 70°F to 89°F.
Bird Tips: If your birdbath is in the sun move it to the shade. That will reduce evaporation and avoid heating the water. We don't want to cook our birdies!Try not to use pesticides. If you must, use them in small quantities. Try not to use pesticides. If you must, use them in small quantities.

AUGUST: THE MONTH TO SWEAT
It is too hot to do much in the garden, but you should start to plan for the fall. You should also keep deadheading your flowers.
The best time to work in the garden is in the early morning or early evening because it will be cooler.
Collect Hydrangeas to dry.
Fertilize fall blooming perennials.
You can perk up containers by buying a few new annuals and pulling out old, ugly ones.
Note the pretty white, tiny flowers on mailboxes and along the sides of the road. It is called Sweet Autumn Clematis. Plant some this fall. Like all Clematis they like their heads in the sun and their feet in the shade. Remove seed clusters from Crepe Myrtles. Keep fertilizing and watering them. More blooms should appear.
Water deeply whenever possible.
Never leave a plant in a black pot out in the sun. The summer sun will literally cook the roots. To avoid this, either put it in a new pot or put it in the shade.
Check Gardenias for white flies.
Remember your hat and sunscreen while working in the garden. Brown spots on plants are rust; you can get rid of them by spraying. Liver spots are forever!
Plants in bloom are Liriope, Rudbeckia, Butterfly Bush, and Sweet Autumn Clematis.
Average temperature is 69 degrees to 88 degrees.
Bird Tip: The water supply for birds is critical this month. The perfect birdbath should be 2-3 feet in diameter and it should have sloping sides.

SEPTEMBER: THE MONTH FOR LAWNS
Lightly aerate and overseed Fescue lawns. If soil test indicates, you may add lime. Fertilize with 16-4-8.
Treat your lawn for Japanese Beetles. You can kill grubs now that turn into Beetles in the spring. Treat them with Milky Spore, Merit, or Grub-X.
Any houseplants outside that you will bring inside, need to be checked for bugs.
Dry the herbs that will die in winter in your attic. Tie and hang them upside down. They will dry very quickly.
Order shrubs, perennials, bulbs, and trees to plant next month.
Have your: soil tested, so you can make the proper adjustments for the spring.
If you have Peonies that never bloom, you should try an old wives' tale. Pull them up and replant them this month. Keep red eyes at ground level.
Plant at least two Nandinas in your gardens. The birds will be happy.
Continue to deadhead Roses and other perennials; some will bloom until the first frost.
Plants in bloom are Ginger Lilies, Joe Pye Weed, Anemone, and Aster.
Average temperature is 64°F to 82°F.
Bird Tip:Plant Virginia Creeper (Parthenocissus quinquefolia). It is a native vine with berries in winter. Birds like sparrows, robins, and bluebirds love it.

AUTUMN
OCTOBER: MONTH TO DIVIDE & MOVE PERENNIALS
Plant Pansies. Add slow release fertilizer. Remember to use a fertilizer with a high middle number.
Dig and store Dahlia bulbs.
Continue to cut back Roses; they love the weather.
To compost leaves, run over them with a lawn mower in your driveway or put them in garbage can with a weed-wacker. Your local extension office has a free brochure if you have further questions.
Avoid heavy pruning of woody shrubs. If they are in your way, you may cut them back.
Cut back perennials and clean up flowerbeds.
Plant spring flowering bulbs late in the month.
Do not cut anything back that has a hollow stem until February or March (i.e.: Lantana and Bubbleia).
Fertilize Irises on Halloween and Valentine's Day.
Plants in bloom are Toad Lilies, Tea Olives, and Sasanqua Camellias.
Average temperature is 53°F to 73°F.
Bird Tip: Now is the time to plant shrubs that will attract birds. Plant bushes with berries like, Nandina, Vibemum, Pyracantha, and Holly.

NOVEMBER: THE MONTH TO PLANT
Cut back the last of the perennials.
Plant Nigellia or Love in the Mist seeds.
Top dress your flowerbeds for improved flowering next spring and summer. After cleaning beds sprinkle Tri-super-phosphate lime and finish with 1-2 inches of manure. You will notice a difference next spring.
Prepare garden soil and directly sow seeds of Larkspur, Johnny Jump-Ups, Forgot-Me-Nots, Bachelor Buttons, Poppies, and Dill.
Continue transplanting trees, shrubs, and perennials.
Drain your irrigation system.
Cut back Cannas and discard foliage, which will cut down on the population of leaf rollers.
Keep leaves off of lawns especially newly seeded ones.
Put some evergreens in flower boxes then add white lights for the holidays.
Plants in bloom until a hard frost are Sasanqua, Camellias, and Roses.
Average temperature is 42°F to 63 ºF.
Bird Tip: Food is getting hard to find. Let your children decorate pinecones with peanut butter and birdseed.

WINTER
DECEMBER: THE MONTH TO ENJOY THE HOLIDAYS
Make dried arrangements with the fruit of the native Sumac. You can find it along roads. It is a small tree. Cut the fruit from the top and use it in arrangements.
Plant Hollies in your landscape. Not only can you use the berries for decoration, but it is good food and protection for the birds in the winter.
Observe your yard. It is easier to see what needs improving when your yard is dormant.
Check sales at nurseries on the last of the bulbs. You can buy them and layer in pots or put them in the garden.
Shrubs and trees can still be planted.
Put up hoses and cut off water before a hard freeze.
When your Christmas Cactus starts blooming, put it in bright light and reduce water to keep it blooming longer.
To keep pansies blooming continue to deadhead and fertilize with a liquid fertilizer.
If we have warm spells this month, bulbs will start to sprout so cover the leaves with pinestraw.
Water new plantings when dry. Do not forget Camellias and Daphnes, they need the extra water to bloom.
Plants in bloom are Lenten Roses, Camellias, Iris unguicularis, Crocus imperatii (De Jager) and the end of the month until spring Primus mume - Japanese Flowering Apricot.
Average temperature is 67º to 54°F.
Bird Tip: Remember the birds by keeping your birdfeeder cleaned out and then restock it with fresh food.
Native Sumac: The time to make the identification is in the fall, when the berries have ripened to maturity. The poison sumac tree has white berries in autumn, and the berries hang down. Non-poisonous sumac trees bear red berries in the autumn, and their berries grow upright.
(Horticultural and bird tips are provided by member Kathy Kennedy.)