• Now is the time to plant peonies. Be sure to bury the crowns one and a half to two inches below the ground level. Planting them too deep can prevent them from blooming.
• Before the first frost happens, dig up caladiums. Allow them to dry and store in a dry place for the winter.
• Allow your plants to finish the summer growth cycle in a normal manner. Never rush the growth by over fertilizing or excessive pruning.
• Fall is a good time for improving your garden soil. Add manure, compost and leaves to increase the organic matter.

• Warm season grass will begin to turn brown once the soil temperatures fall below 60 degrees Fahrenheit, but you can enjoy a green lawn during the winter months by overseeding with perennial ryegrass seed.
• Make sure you grow your lawn longer for two weeks prior to overseeding.
• It is important to remember not to fertilize for 4-6 weeks after overseeding.
• Select accent plants for your landscape that will provide autumn colours such as trees or shrubs.
• Water newly planted trees and shrubs and add a three inch layer of organic mulch around the base to retain soil moisture and help manage temperature.

• Be sure to rake up leaves, twigs and fruit from crabapple trees and dispose of them in the trash to help control apple scab disease.
• Do not wait for frost warnings to move your plants indoors. Temperatures lower than 45 degrees Fahrenheit can damage many plants.

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• Stop fertilizing as often on established roses to encourage plants to slow down for the hot summer.
• Water deeply as temperatures climb; a garden needs one inch of rain or water each week. The best time to water is early morning. Evening watering is less desirable because plant leaves that remain wet through the night are more susceptible to fungus diseases. By mulching plants it will reduce water losses and improve yields.
• Hose off your plants in the early morning to increase humidity and control spider mites.
• Cut off dying blooms to help regrowth.
• Stake your tall flowers to protect them from the wind. Use stakes which are large enough to support the entire plant. Use soft twine or twist ties to secure.
• Cover fruit trees and vines with plastic netting to protect ripening fruit from the birds.
• The best time to harvest most herbs is just before the flower when the leaves contain the maximum essential oils. Cut herbs early in the morning on a sunny day.

• Apply mulch to the ground around heat sensitive plants keep the roots cooler and prevent evaporation.
• A brown or grayish cast over a lawn can be caused by dull or improperly adjusted mower blades that shred grass rather than cut it.
• Control mosquitoes by eliminating all sources of stagnant water.
• Clean up dead brush and debris to reduce fuel volume in fire-prone areas.

• Store pesticides in a safe place in their original containers, away from children and pets. Use pesticides carefully in your garden. Read the labels and follow the directions. The warnings and precautions are for your protection.
• Feed houseplants once a month or apply fertilizer diluted to quarter strength every time you water.
• Protect sun sensitive houseplants from direct sunlight by moving them to a cooler location or covering your windows with a translucent curtain.
• June is the perfect time to clean out the greenhouse. Discard dead or diseased plants and old potting soil. Good sanitation is necessary to control greenhouse pests.

• Cutting flowers is best done with sharp shears or a knife which will help avoid injury to the growing plant. A slanting cut will expose a larger absorbing surface to water and will prevent the base of the stem from resting on the bottom of the vase. It is best to carry a bucket of water to the garden for collecting flowers, rather than a cutting basket.
• Hanging baskets exposed to sun should be checked daily and watered if needed. They should also be sheltered from high winds.

Have any other tips? Share it with us in the comments below!

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• If you’re still receiving snow, be sure to shovel and brush off the snow from any raised bed covers.
• Onto warmer thoughts… Prep any new garden beds as the weather permits.
• If the soil is workable, add compost and any other soil amendments as needed.
• Make sure to fertilize plants that are starting to grow actively.
• Be sure not to plow your garden while the soil is wet, as it will form clumps that are difficult to break up. This will interfere with the cultivation during the summer months.
• If there are weeds in your bulb beds, be sure remove them by hand so the bulbs and roots will not be disturbed.
• Spring is a great time to renew and add more variety to your landscape… Buy some new perennials for your flower border.

• When buying bare-root trees, look for the ones with the largest root system in relation to top growth. It is not necessary to purchase a larger tree to get a quality plant.
• Dig, divide and replant crowded summer and fall flowering perennials.
• Plant your spring flowering annuals.
• Prune your shrubs and ornamental trees before the growing starts (except for the spring flowering shrubs – prune those as soon as they finish flowering.
• Early spring is the perfect time for these turf treatments – if needed. Special equipment is available for each operation… Consult a lawn-care specialist or rent the equipment and do it yourself!
  • Vertical cutting or thinning to remove thatch and aerification
  • Or coring to reduce soil compaction.
• As the nice spring weather approaches, it is a perfect time for repositioning stepping stones that have heaved or snuck below grass level. Do this by lifting them, spreading sand in the low areas and replacing the rocks. A bed of sand under the stones will allow for better drainage and decrease the sinking for next year.
• If you built and birdhouse in the winter, now is the time to put them out. The birds will begin looking for nesting sites very soon.

• Start more seeds growing inside.
• Keep an eye on your indoor transplants and make sure they’re happy and healthy!
• Repot any houseplants that have grown too large for their containers. Cut back leggy plants to encourage compact growth. To increase your supply of plants, root the cuttings in moist soil.
• Protect yourself and the blade of your pruning saw during storage by making a cover using a piece of old garden hose the same length of the blade. Cut the hose lengthwise on one side and place over the saw blade.
• If you haven’t already, check your stored tools and outdoor furniture for signs of rust. Remove any surface rust with steel wool and pain with rust inhibitive paint.

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• Shop for early spring flowering shrubs and vines, such as Carolina Jessamine, daphne, azalea, camellia, and early rhododendrons.
• Order perennial plants and bulbs now for cut flowers this summer. Some of our favourite choices are phlox, daisy, dahlia, cosmos, aster, gladiolus, and lily.
• Plant your bare-root vegetables such as artichoke, asparagus, horseradish,and rhubarb.
• Plant your spring flowering perennials. Choose from alstromeria, bleeding heart, coral bells, campanula, euryops, and perennial dianthus.
• Fertilize your spring -blooming flowers and fall-planted annuals and perennials. Wait to feed azaleas, camellias, and rhododendrons until after bloom; use an acid based fertilizer.
• Be careful not to remove mulch from perennials too early. A warm day may make you think spring is almost here but there may be more cold weather yet to come.

• If the soil against your house dries out under the eaves where rain rarely reaches, water well during a thaw to prevent loss of plants. Remember that plants require water during the winter to replace water lost due to wind desiccation and lack of rain or snow.
• Late winter is the time to prune many deciduous trees. Look over your plants now and remove dead, dying, or unsightly parts of the tree, sprouts growing at or near the base of the tree trunk and crossed branches.
• If bird feeding has been a favorite activity this winter, order trees and shrubs which provide cover and small fruits for your feathered friends. Consider species such as crabapple and hawthorn which can help lure hungry birds from cultivated fruits, if planted on the opposite side of the yard.
• Finish pruning cane berries, deciduous fruit trees, grapes, roses, and wisteria by midmonth.
• Wait to prune spring -flowering deciduous ornamentals like forsythia and quince, and spring – flowering shrubs until after they flower.

• If you’re antsy to start gardening, you can grow micro greens and sprouts inside to reduce gardening restlessness.
• Branches of forsythia, pussy willow, quince, spirea, and dogwood can also be forced for indoor bloom. Make long, slanted cuts when collecting the branches and place the stems in a vase of water. Change the water every four days. They should bloom in about 3 weeks.
• Finalize garden design plans for the 100th time.
• Remember to handle seed packets carefully. Rubbing the outside to determine how many seeds are inside can break the protective seed coats, thereby reducing germination.
• Check your stored bulbs, tubers, and corms. Discard any that are soft or diseased.
• Repair and paint window boxes, lawn furniture, and other items that might need it, in preparation for outdoor gardening and recreational use.

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Here are some tips and to dos to take care of your landscapes and gardens.

1. Browse through the many different seed catalogues, compare varieties and try not to get carried away.
2. Figure out what your family eats the most from the store, make lists of your most purchased produce and use this to help figure out what to grow.
3. Plan and design your garden. Make sure that your crops are adequately rotated from the previous growing season.
4. Start your onions, celery, celeriac, leeks and slow-growing herbs like rosemary and sage at the end of the month.
5. Start a frozen compost pile. For tips on how to do this, see our article: Five Tips for Winter Composting. http://www.yardproduct.com/blog/5-tips-for-winter-composting/

1. Be careful when spreading salt to melt the ice on walks and driveways to avoid damaging nearby shrubs. Consider using sand or sawdust instead.

2. Brush the snow from evergreens as soon as you can after a storm. When using a broom, brush in an upward sweeping motion. Serious damage may be caused by heavy snow or ice accumulating on the branches.

3. When pruning large limbs, always undercut first. To do this, cut from the bottom up, one-third of the way through the limb, then finish by cutting from the top. The undercut keeps the limb from splitting and breaking off, which could damage the trunk and become an entryway for insects and diseases. Make sure to not cut flush to the trunk, the collar or the enlarged base of a branch as it produces hormones that help heal wounds.

4. To create easier lawn maintenance, eliminate the hard to mow spaces. To do this, you need to eliminate acute angles in beads and borders. Combine single trees or shrubs into a large group that is connected with ground cover. Put the bird bath in your flowerbed or surround it with ground cover.

1. Check your indoor plants closely for insect infestations. If you receive any plants as gifts, quarantine them until you are positive they are not harboring any pests.
2. Your house plants and holiday plants should not be placed on top of your television (especially if you have a flat screen)! This location is too warm and in most houses, it is too far away from your windows to provide adequate light.
3. During the winter, most houses are too dry for house plants. You can increase your humidity by placing plants on trays that are lined with pebbles and filled with water. If you heat your house with wood, keep a pot of water on the stove. The added moisture will make your home healthier for both you and your plants!
4. If you have some extra down time this winter, paint the handles of your garden tools red or orange. This will help preserve the wood and make the tools easier to locate next summer when you lay them down in the garden or on the lawn.

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Other plants die back after the first frost; the foliage becomes brown & messy. Trim back any stems or leaves and add them to your compost pile.

If any plants were diseased or had a lot of insect pests, cut the stems/foliage back to a few inches above the ground and dispose of the plant material in the trash, not the compose pile. This will help prevent a recurrence the following year.

If you have any invasive weeds such as Japanese Knotweed, Oriental Bittersweet or others, you can begin the removal process. Dig them up and/or use a herbicide. Be sure to follow the directions on the label of the herbicide, this will prevent overuse of and exposure to the chemicals. Remove smaller weeds or tree seedlings by hand to prevent them getting established next spring.

Finally add a layer of mulch of bark or leaves to the soil, a two inch layer is sufficient. The mulch conserves moisture and prevents ‘frost-heave’ where the freeze-thaw process forces plant roots to surface of the soil.

These steps will ensure a healthy flower bed for the following year.

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Fruit & Vegetable Gardens

• Plant your fruit and vegetables that love warm weather (ie. corn, peppers, zucchini and squash, and basil).
• By planting your bush beans, summer lettuce and corn in intervals will spread out the harvest over several weeks.
• Harvest your beets, carrots, lettuce and chard.
• Keep your tomatoes staked, pruning the lower branches as needed to keep air flowing and discourage blights. You can also stake other needed plants including peppers and brussels sprouts.
• Hill up potatoes two – three times before letting them mature.
• Sow your seeds for your fall garden (ie. Brussels sprouts, long-maturing cabbage, rutabagas and turnips).
• Watch your fruit trees for any insects or diseases, and treat as needed.
• Thin your apples, pears and peaches when the fruit is the size of a nickel.
• Train your grapevines as needed and prune as needed.
• Harvest your strawberries and other berries as they ripen.
• Keep your garden beds weed free.

Flower Gardens

• Fertilize your roses and dahlias.
• Stake tall flowers as needed before they get too big and fall over.
• Divide you early blooming perennials as needed. If you do it this month, make sure to water it well until they’re established.
• Trim and remove any dying foliage from your spring bulbs. Now would be the time to move any that you would like.
• Remove seed pods from your rhododendrons and azaleas and prune your other spring blooming shrubs.
• Watch for signs of mildew, black spots or rust and treat if necessary.

Other Chores

• Fertilize your lawn for a second time if needed. Keep watering and mowing as well.
• Put out bait for slugs and snails if that is a potential issue.
• Trim your hedges mid-month.
• Start your watering cycle, soaking beds with soakers or drip systems every five days. Raised beds every four to five days in warm, dry weather.

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• Cover the garden beds that will be used for vegetables with black plastic to kill weeds and warm the soil for the weeks leading up to the time of planting. This method is also needed when you are also using the no-till method.
• Sow more rows of lettuce, carrots and beets. Here’s a hint – sow smaller amounts every month to spread out the supply overtime rather than all at once.
• Plant a set of cabbage seedlings to mature after your March and April plants mature for a steady harvest.
• Plant your Brussels sprouts, kale and tomatoes at the beginning of the month and wait until the end to plant the pepper plants. Plant the seeds of warm weather vegetables now – that’s your beans, melons, cucumbers, squash and pumpkins. Your Corn should be planted at the end of the month or left to the beginning of June.
• Control your insect problem by hand-picking and covering your row covers or by using less harmful insecticides.
• Don’t forget to plant your herb seedlings!

For your Flower Beds:

• Do not forget to continue laying down newspaper and mulching your garden beds as you clear them of weeds. This task must be done every month!
• Plant your tender plants like geraniums, fuchsias, begonias and impatiens. Plant your dahlias and gladiolus tubers mid-month.
• Prune the shrubs that need it after bloom.
• Fertilize your roses and flowering shrubs that need it! If you compost, you should have enough for most flowering plants, but a few like hydrangeas and rhododendrons may benefit from additional feeding.

Other Tasks:

• You can still plant a new lawn this month, but after this you should wait for fall. For those with existing lawns, mow, mow and mow!
• Spot weed lawns and fertilize early if you didn’t do it in April.
• Lightly sheer evergreens and hedges to your preferred shape.
• Test your watering systems. Replace any hoses and sprinklers that need it.
• If you started your seeds indoors such as peppers, tomatoes, basil and other warm weather crops, you’ll need to harden-off gradually over a period of a week to allow the plants more and more hours outside until they are able to stay out overnight.

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