Use this list to help you figure out what gardening tasks you want to accomplish this month, then fill them into your calendar to help keep you on schedule.    

Planning
Seed catalogues will be arriving. Make your selections, and order seeds early, don't wait until late in the winter to order seed because many varieties sell out early.

Shop for evergreen shrubs such as azalea, camellia and early rhododendrons Order tubers of Jerusalem artichoke (Helinathus tuberosus)

Draw a map of your garden and make copies of it. Garden beds and raised beds stay in the same place year after year, but the crops rotate each year. To plan this year's garden, take a clean copy of the map and fill it in. Use the back of the plan to record notes. Keep each year's plan in a three-ring binder for easy cross-checking of varieties, rotations, etc. Also to note what did well and what did not.

Planting
Cool-season annuals are still available. Iceland poppy, pansy, snapdragon, viola, stock, candytuft, calendula, cineraria, primrose.

Plant bare-root vegetables such as artichokes, asparagus, horseradish, and rhubarb

Plant bare-root fruits including apples, apricots, blueberries, cane berries, grapes, pears, plums, and strawberries

Plant bare-root ornamentals such as roses, shade trees and vines.

Maintenance
Put down slow release fertilizer on the soil around the base of indoor plants that flower or fruit in the winter. Work into the top 1/2 inch (1.25 cm) of soil

Top-dress asparagus and rhubarb beds with well-composted manure for maximum production later in the spring

Care for gift plants. Keep tender plants like amaryllis and kalanchoe indoors in a well-lighted area; water regularly. Move hardier plants like azaleas, cinerarias, cyclamen and cymbidiums outdoors to a protected spot after finish flowering. Fertilize after bloom.

Move living Christmas trees back outside. Put them in partial shade at first to harden them off, then move them into full sun in a week or two, rinse off foliage & water

This is a good time to move dormant shrubs and trees

Start pruning dormant fruit trees, grapes and shrubs. Take out dead, diseased, crossing and closely parallel branches, then prune to shape

Prune roses and most other deciduous shrubs.

Wait to prune spring-flowering shrubs until after they have flowered, don’t do it now.

Do not prune citrus trees! They are evergreen, and rely on an abundance of permanent branches to develop new fruit and shade the trunk from sun scald.

Apply dormant spray to deciduous plants to control harmful overwintering insects. Spray peach trees with lime sulfur or fixed copper to control peach leaf curl.

Cover frost-tender outdoor plants. Do not let covering touch leaves, remove in the morning

Avoid heavy traffic on dormant lawns. Dry grass is easily broken and the crown of the plant may be severely damaged or killed.

If a few, consecutive, warm days have caused your bulbs to nose out from under protective mulch, plan to thicken the mulch layer as soon as cold weather returns to prevent freezing by exposure.

Check perennials to see if any have been pushed out of the ground by alternate freezing and thawing weather. If so, push them back into the soil; otherwise the exposed roots will dry out and die. Replace mulch if it has blown away.

Sterilize your tools, pots, and anything you use around your plants. Use one part household bleach to nine parts water.

Soak for about 15 minutes, rise, and let dry.

Now is a good time to take advantage of off-season specials on garden tillers or attachments.

This is a good time to clean salty clay pots, soak them in vinegar to help remove salt deposits. Soaking in a dilute solution of bleach (1 part bleach to 9 parts water) will kill micro-organisms. Never combine any household chemicals for cleaning purposes, so complete the cleaning in two steps. For heavily crusted pots, scrub with a steel wool pad after soaking for 12 hours.

If you have some time this winter, paint the handles of garden tools red or orange. This will preserve the wood and make the tools easier to locate next summer when you lay them down in the garden or on the lawn.

Your wheelbarrow can support its own load if you add two small wheels to the rear legs. Anchor a bar to each leg with a "U" screw and bolts. Attach the wheels to the ends of the bar with a bolt and washer on both the outside and inside of the wheel. Modifying a wheelbarrow like this cuts down on the strain of lifting heavy loads by letting you push the wheelbarrow.

Look at your landscape. Do you need evergreens to protect your privacy, reduce street noise, block the glare of street lights? Order plants in January and February for spring planting.

Try coating your snow shovel with a "no-stick" cooking spray; the snow slides right off. Recoat as needed.

Use calcium chloride instead of sodium chloride on your walks. It does less damage to plants. Or, better yet, use sand, which doesn't hurt your plants a bit.

Weed and Pest Control
Control slugs, snails by removing their hiding places; clean up leaf litter.

 

Use this list to help you figure out what gardening tasks you want to accomplish this month, then fill them into your calendar to help keep you on schedule.

Planning
Shop for early spring flowering shrubs and vines, such as Carolina Jessamine, daphne, azalea, camellia,and early rhododendrons

Order tubers of Jerusalem artichoke (Helinathus tuberosus)

Design a flower bed for a shady area to plant this spring and summer.

Plan to try impatiens, foxglove, begonia, and browallia. Order perennial plants and bulbs now for cut flowers this summer. Particularly good choices are phlox, daisy, dahlia, cosmos, aster, gladiolus, and lily.

Planting
Set out summer flowering bulbs like amaryllis, calla, canna, dahlia, gladiolus, lily, tuberose, tuberous begonia, and tiger flower

Plant bare-root vegetables such as artichoke, asparagus, horseradish, and rhubarb Plant spring flowering perennials. Choose from alstromeria, bleeding heart, coral bells, campanula, euryops, and perennial dianthus

Plant bare-root ornamentals such as roses, shade trees and vines.

Handle seed packets carefully. Rubbing the outside to determine how many seeds are inside can break the protective seed coats, thereby reducing germination.

Gardeners who want to have tuberous begonias for summer-long flowering in pots, beds, or hanging baskets outside should start the tubers indoors during late February or early March. Sprout the tubers by placing them, hollow side up, fairly close together in shallow, well-drained pans. Use a mix of equal parts perlite, sphagnum, peat moss, and vermiculite; or chopped sphagnum moss and perlite. This should be kept damp (not soggy) in a shady window where it is very cool in temperature, but not freezing. Transplant the tubers to pots or baskets when growth starts, normally within 3 weeks. Place outside only after all threat of frost has passed.

Ageratum, begonia, marigold, and petunia seeds can be started indoors now. Sprinkle the small seeds sparingly onto moist soil and gently press them in. Start herb seeds now in your own mini-greenhouse made from a plastic soda bottle or milk carton. Pot up a few clumps of crocuses from the garden as they emerge. In a sunny spot indoors, they will develop blooms before the ones outside.

Maintenance
Fertilize spring-blooming flowers and fall-planted annuals and perennials. Wait to feed azaleas, camellias and rhododendrons until after bloom; use an acid based fertilizer Finish pruning cane berries, deciduous fruit trees, grapes, roses, and wisteria by midmonth Repot cymbidums that are bulging out of their pots. Do this between mid-February and July

Fertilize deciduous fruit trees two to three weeks before they flower. Feed other mature trees and shrubs as new growth starts Wait to prune spring-flowering deciduous ornamentals like forsythia and quince, and spring-flowering shrubs until after they flower

Prune roses and most other deciduous shrubs. Continue covering frost-sensitive outdoor plants. Don't let the covering touch the leaves, and remove it in the morning. If the soil dries out against a house 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. Watch for signs of growth in early spring bulbs. When foliage is 1 inch (2.5 cm) high, gradually start removing mulch. Cloudy days are best for the initial exposure of the leaves to strong sunlight which can burn tender foliage. Check stored bulbs, tubers, and corms. Discard any that are soft or diseased.

Repair and paint window boxes, lawn furniture, and other items in preparation for outdoor gardening and recreational use.

Late February is a good time to air-layer such house plants as dracaena, dieffenbachia, fatsia, and rubber plant, especially if they have grown too tall and leggy. Avoid walking on grass or ground covers while they are frozen. The frozen leaves are brittle and easily damaged.

Weed and Pest Control
Apply dormant oil or spray neem oil on deciduous plants whose buds are still closed Horticultural oil kills over-wintering insects; lime sulfur or fixed copper spray controls many diseases.

Continue slug and snail control by removing their hiding places; clean up leaf litter.

As weeds germinate, hand-pull, hoe or apply a pre-emergence or weed killer. For weed control in bulb or seedling beds apply a 2-inch (5 cm) layer of mulch

For Fun
Try forcing branches of some of the following shrubs during the cold days of late winter and early spring.

Buds of native trees such as dogwood, spicebrush, serviceberry, and redbud will flower indoors, as will azalea, rhododendron, and mountain laurel. 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 three weeks. For something unique to force for winter flower arrangements, consider red maple, buckeye, birch, hickory, larch, or oak branches. They will soon unfurl either flowers, foliage, catkins, or red leaves that change gradually to green. If your yard has none of these, try a few branches of similar trees.

A welcome touch on a bleak, winter day is the lush vine of a common sweet potato growing in a jar of water. Suspend tops in the water by sticking some toothpicks into them if necessary. Kiln-dried potatoes are not so suitable for this purpose, and those that have been sulphured are useless. So get them direct from a gardening neighbour, if possible. As a mid-winter project, grow plants from fruit seeds. Oranges, grapefruits, lemons, tangerines, and pomegranates may have viable seed. Try germinating them in a light, potting-soil mixture containing half peat moss. Keep seeds well watered and in a warm location. If seedlings fail to appear in six weeks, try again with new seeds. Citrus plants grown from seeds generally will not produce flowers or fruit, but they do have attractive shiny -leaved foliage. If you enjoy growing annual herbs, but are frustrated by the number of extra seeds in each packet, make the extras into a thoughtful gift for a friend or co-worker.

On a card, draw a design for a small, herb garden, then divide the seeds from the packet into small envelopes like stamp collectors use. Tape the seed packets to the garden plan and offer a few cultural hints.

 

Use this list to help you figure out what gardening tasks you want to accomplish this month, then fill them into your calendar to help keep you on schedule. Planning
If you are buying bare-root trees, look for ones with a large root system in relation to the top growth. It is not necessary to purchase a very, large tree to get a quality plant.

Planting
Dig, divide, and replant crowded summer and fall flowering perennials like agapanthus, garden phlox astilbe, aster, bleeding heart, coral bells, daylilies, and shasta daisies. Perennials perform best in welldrained soil with plenty of humus. Astilbe, hosta and bleeding heart will bloom in the shade.

Plant spring flowering annuals like forget-me-nots, dianthus, English daisy sweet William, and viola Set out nursery plants of warm-season edibles Wait until end of month to set out frost tender plants If you want flowers on your cactus, plant it in a small pot. Most cacti bloom sooner if rootbound.

Repot houseplants that have grown too large for their containers.

Cut back leggy plants to encourage compact growth. Root the cuttings in moist media to increase your supply of plants. Bluebells are superb for naturalizing in the same manner as daffodils but prefer a shadier location and will bloom even where they get no direct sun at all.

Accurate information on the longevity of flower seeds is hard to find. Based on limited observations, the following should be considered as short-life (one year) seeds: aster, candytuft, columbine, ornamentalonion, honesty, kochia, phlox, salvia, strawflower and vinca. Some common, flower seeds viable for more than one year if stored properly are alyssum, calendula, centaurea, coreopsis, cosmos, marigold, nasturtium, nigella, petunia, salpiglossis, scabiosa, schizanthus, sweet pea, verbena, viola and zinnia.

Maintenance
Fertilize plants that are starting to grow actively like annual flowers, berries, citrus, roses, and established trees and shrubs with a balanced fertilizer like: 15-15-15, or a 5-5-5.

Early spring is the right time for two special turf treatments, if needed: vertical cutting or thinning to remove thatch and aerification or coring to reduce soil compaction.

Special equipment is available for each operation. Consult a lawn-care specialist, or rent the equipment and do-it-yourself.

Wait until later in the month to fertilize lawns.

Apply a pre-emergent herbicide before lawn weeds get started. These work by preventing the seed from germinating. Therefore, it is important that they are applied in early spring, before growth of the weed seedlings.

Prepare beds for planting by mixing in amendments and fertilizer Set out flowering perennials like columbines and delphiniums

Start fertilizing houseplants now for good growth. Reposition stepping stones that have heaved or sunk below grass level. Lift them up, spread sand in the low areas, and replace the rocks. A bed of sand under the stones will aid drainage and decrease heaving next year.

Protect yourself and the blade of your pruning saw during storage. Make a cover for it using a piece of old garden hose the same length as the blade. Cut the hose lengthwise on one side, and place it over the saw blade.

If your tiller turns over sluggishly in spring, before trying to start it, move it to a sunny location and cover it with a black plastic garbage bag for half an hour.

A few minutes of solar heating will warm up the fluids and make starting easier.

For more compact pyracanthas without the risk of losing berries, pinch back new growth now.

Prune evergreen shrubs before growth starts.

Prune spring-flowering shrubs after flowering is completed.

Propagate deciduous shrubs, such as forsythia and winter jasmine, now by ground layering.

Weed and Pest Control
Control oak moth larvae on small trees by spraying with Bacillus thuringiensis. Keep and eye out for aphids and get them before they take over your plants Use either a strong stream of water or use safer soap products With the rain, come the slugs and snails! Control them by eliminating their hiding places clean up leaf litter, and use bait. .

For Fun
A good, salt substitute for anyone who wants to restrict sodium intake is a blend of equal parts dried basil, dill, lemon balm, marjoram, mint, parsley, rosemary, thyme and a few dashes of Hungarian paprika. The mixture will keep indefinitely in a dark glass or ceramic container. In your flower arrangements, avoid mixing cut daffodils with tulips.

Daffodils produce a chemical "slime" that injures tulip blooms. If you want to use these two flowers in an arrangement, place the daffodils in another container for a day after cutting, then rinse off the stems and add to the vase of tulips. Adding 6 drops of bleach to each quart of water also helps.

After frigid weather, most people are especially anxious for signs of spring. Crocus are considered by many to be the first spring flowers, but many minor bulbs bloom even earlier. These plants are usually short and small, but if planted in mass, they can be most effective in the landscape. Here are a few harbingers of spring to look for in gardens this spring or consider planting in your gaden this autumn:
Glory-of-the-snow (Chionodoxa luciliae)
Winter aconite (Eranthis hyemalis)
Common snowdrop (Galanthus nivalis) Netted iris (Iris reticulata) Spring snowflake (Leucojum vernum)

Use this list to help you figure out what gardening tasks you want to accomplish this month, then fill them into your calendar to help keep you on schedule.

Planning
When purchasing bedding annuals this spring, choose properly grown plants with good colour. Buy plants with well-developed root systems that are vigorous, but not too large for their pots, and lots if unopened buds. Plants that bloom in the pack are often root bound and can be set back for several weeks after being transplanted. Plants not yet in bloom will actually bloom sooner, be better established and grow faster.   For hot-weather colour, select one of the following: Gloriosa Daisy, Madagascar Periwinkle, Ornamental Peppers, Mexican Zinnia or Amaranthus 'Joseph's Coat.' Plant only after all danger of frost is past and plan for color until winter arrives.

Make a plot layout of your flower borders. This is an essential, but often neglected task. With an accurate plot plan, you will know where to locate the spring flowering bulbs you plant next fall. Also, it will make your spring and summer gardening easier. You will be able to correctly identify the plants in your border and plan for continuous blooming by setting young annuals between bulbs and early flowering perennials after their blooms have faded.

Planting
Begin to plant seedlings of warm-season vegetables such as tomatoes, peppers, and eggplants. You can also start your pumpkin seeds now

Sow beets, beans, cucumbers, carrots, lettuce, sweet corn and radishes

Plant herbs such as thyme, sage, parsley, chives and basil

Sod or sow new lawns, and overseed damaged older lawns

Start planting out warm season annuals such as impatiens, marigolds, petunias, sunflowers, zinnia, lobelia, allysum

Finish planting summer-flowering bulbs like tuberose, gladiolus, dahlias, and callas

Plant chervil, coriander, dill, rosemary, and summer savoury outside after the last spring frost date for your area. Your Extension agent should be able to give you the date.

The cool weather of April is perfect for pansies. Brighten up your front door with pots of transplanted pansies or place them in outdoor beds as soon as the soil can be worked. Purchase large plants that will give a good show before hot weather arrives.

Plant dahlia tubers as soon as the danger of frost is passed. Stake at the time of planting to avoid injury to tubers. ground cover to shade roots and keep them cool. Plant in rich, well-drained loam.

Hydrangea is one gift plant that transplants well into the garden after its flowers fade. When the weather warms, plant in well-drained soil in full sun to partial shade. Don't be surprised if the next year's flowers are a different colour than the first year. Blue or pink hydrangea colour is dependent on the pH of the soil.

Alkaline soil produces pink flowers; acidic soil produces blue flowers. White hydrangeas are not affected by soil pH.

Maintenance
Frost tender plants such as citrus, fuchsia, geranium, hibiscus, mandevilla, and bougainvillea can go outdoors when all chance of frost is gone

Start feeding potted plants every two to three weeks with half-strength liquid fertilizer If plants like citrus, camellias, gardenias, and grapes are chlorotic (have yellowing between green leaf veins), spray leaves with a foliar fertilizer containing chelated iron

Mulch soil to save water, smother weeds, keep soil cooler. Spread 1-3 inches (2.5-7cm) of bark chips, compost, wood shavings, or other organic material under shrubs trees, annuals and vegetables

Thin vegetables that were sown too thickly, like basil, carrots, green onions, or lettuce   Prune spring-flowering shrubs and trees after bloom is over

Fertilize everything right now, but do not feed spring-flowering shrubs like azaleas, camellias, and rhododendrons until after they have finished flowering. Use an acid based fertilizer. They also should be pruned after blooming

Now is also the time to divide mint, chive, tarragon, and creeping thyme.

Control lawn weeds now through late May before they get large.

The lawn mower blade should always be sharp so as not to tear the grass. If you sharpen the blade at home, be sure to balance it, too. Place the center hole of the blade on a screwdriver handle held upright in the vice. Check to see if it balances. If not, sharpen the heavier side some more until the blade balances on the handle

Lawn grasses do best if mowed at the correct height: To determine if soil is ready to work, squeeze a handful into a tight ball, then, break the ball apart with your fingers. If the ball of soil readily crumbles in your fingers, the soil is ready to be worked. If the soil stays balled, however, it is still too wet to work. Use this test in another week to determine if the soil is ready to be worked.

Lift, divide, and replant chrysanthemums as soon as new shoots appear. Each rooted shoot or clump will develop into a fine plant for late summer bloom. Pinch out the top when the plants are about 4 inches (10cm) high to thicken the plant.

Don't throw out the little gladiolus cormlets you dug out with the larger corms last fall. Plant them in a row in the garden this spring, and in two years, they will reach blooming size. When iris leaves appear thin and limp, check for borers. These grub-like insects can ruin an entire planting if not detected and eradicated early.

April is a good time to clean up plants and flower beds. Pick out dead leaves and twigs and prune dead limbs.

Label the clumps of daffodils that are too crowded, as overcrowding inhibits blooming. Dig up and separate in July.

Cut flower stalks back to the ground on daffodils, hyacinths and other spring flowering bulbs as the flowers fade. Do not cut the foliage until it dies naturally. The leaves are necessary to produce strong bulbs capable of reflowering.

Buy a hose-end shut-off valve; these are available separately or as part of a watering wand. This allows you to turn off the hose as you move around the yard. Also, when you are through watering, you can shut off the water immediately, rather than let the hose run while you hurry to turn off the main spigot.

Once new growth begins on trees and shrubs, cut back to green wood any twigs affected by winter kill.

Weed and Pest Control
Keep and eye out for aphids and get them before they take over your plants Use either a strong stream of water or use safer soap products Keep after the slugs and snails!

Use this list to help you figure out what gardening tasks you want to accomplish this month, then fill them into your calendar to help keep you on schedule.

Planting
Plant seed or seedlings of warm-season crops like tomatoes, peas, beans, sweet corn, cucumbers, eggplants, melons, peppers, pumpkins, and summer squash

Sow beets, carrots, lettuce, and radishes

Plant herbs such as thyme, sage, parsley, chives and basil

Plant spring flowering shrubs like rhododendrons, azaleas, and camellias

Plant or sow summer annuals such as geraniums, marigolds, lobelia, impatiens, sunflowers, zinnias, cosmos, alyssum, and phlox

Transplants become less stressed when they are set out on a cloudy, calm day.

Unfortunately, gardeners may need to transplant when they have the time, regardless of the weather. Strong sun and wind are hard on new transplants, so set out plants in the late afternoon when the wind comes down and the plants have overnight to acclimate. Provide shade and wind protection with berry baskets, small crates, or screens. Mulching helps since it lowers the rate at which water evaporates from the soil and controls the soil temperature

Maintenance
Feed roses after their first bloom, then repeat feeding every four to six weeks. Try a complete fertilizer like a 10-10-10 granular or liquid soluble

Fertilize everything right now. Annuals, fruit trees, fuchsias, perennials, shrubs, etc. Use a higher phosphorous fertilizer like a 10-60-10 for better flower, fruit, and vegetable set Feed spring-flowering shrubs like azaleas, camellias, and rhododendrons with an acid based fertilizer as soon as they have finished flowering

Later in the month, thin fruit on heavily bearing trees. With triples and doubles, prune to singles

To revitalize and encourage branching remove spent flowers from camellias, roses, azaleas, fuchsias, geraniums , rhododendrons, impatiens, and all annuals. This will lengthen the flowering time for each plant and keep it shaped and compact

Newly planted trees and shrubs should be watered deeply every week or two until fall rains begin

Water established trees and shrubs deeply and infrequently to help with-stand summer heat

Mulch soil to save water, smother weeds, keep soil cooler. Spread 1-3 inches (2.5-7cm) of bark chips, compost, wood shavings, or other organic material under shrubs trees, annuals and vegetables

Prune spring-flowering shrubs and vines after bloom

Prune rhododendrons immediately after flowering. Old clusters should be snapped off when partly dry, but remove with care in order not to decrease or prevent bloom next year
. Divide indoor plants when new growth starts in spring. Root cuttings during spring and summer when the plant is actively growing.

Letting a young lawn grow too tall and then cutting it back to the recommended height is detrimental.

Such extreme leaf removal stops the flow of food to the roots, weakens the plants, and opens the lawn to diseases. Never let it grow so tall that you have to cut off more than one third of the grass blade.

To keep garden plants growing at a steady rate, fertilize them with manure tea or diluted fish emulsion every six weeks.

Lightly side dress perennials, including spring bulbs, with a 5-10-10 or 10-10-10 fertilizer, being careful to avoid the center or crown of the plant.

Caladiums need generous amounts of water and fertilizer to encourage continuous production of new leaves during the summer. Apply a light, side dressing of 5-10-5 fertilizer every two weeks, and water thoroughly to encourage bright-coloured foliage. Pinch back annuals when 4 to 6 inches (10 to 15 cm) high to promote bushy growth. Some that require pinching are zinnias, petunias, and salvia.

Weed and Pest Control
Keep and eye out for aphids and earwigs and get them before they take over your plants.

Where earwigs are a problem, try trapping them with rolled up newspapers
moistened with water. The insects will hide in the papers by day. Gather up the traps and dispose of them frequently.

Continue weeding, either by hand, hoeing, or by using a pre-emergent

For Fun
Introducing your children to gardening can be a rewarding experience for the entire family. Give them a small plot of their own with full sun, good soil, and drainage. Geraniums and begonias from pots are easy for little hands to handle, and marigolds, radishes, and favourite vegetables can be added. It's a pleasant and productive way to spend time together.

Use this list to help you figure out what gardening tasks you want to accomplish this month, then fill them into your calendar to help keep you on schedule.

Planting
Plant basil, rosemary, thyme, sage, savoury, mint, coriander, parsley, or chives. You can plant seedlings or most herbs start well by seed

It's not too late to start warm-season crops: corn, beans tomatoes, squash, peppers, eggplant

Plant or sow summer annuals such as salvi a, nasturtiums, vinca, verbena, geraniums, phlox, marigolds, lobelia, impatiens, cosmos, sunflowers, zinnias, and alyssum

Maintenance
Patch, re-seed, or plant heat-loving lawns such as hybrid Bermuda or Fescue.

Fertilize Bermuda, St. Augustine, and Zoysia lawns.

Feed houseplants once a month, or apply fertilizer diluted to quarter strength every time you water

Protect sun sensitive house-plants from direct sunlight, so either move them to a cooler location, or cover your windows with a translucent curtain

Feed annual color and remove spent flowers to promote another round of flowers

Use a controlled-release fertilizer or hydrolyzed fish with sea-kelp to feed summer flowers and vegetables throughout the growing season

Feed citrus with a citrus-avocado food and water thoroughly

Feed roses after each bloom cycle, water regularly, and remove spent flowers

Water established trees and shrubs deeply and infrequently to help them get through the summer heat

Stake tall, floppy flowers: foxglove, yarrow, bachelor’s buttons, carnations, and delphiniums

Cut back perennials like Shasta daisy, black-eyed Susan, cone flower, and lavender after first bloom to encourage a second round of flowers in the fall
  Cut back fuchsia, geranium, and margarite to encourage branching

Cover fruit trees and vines with plastic netting to protect ripening fruit from the birds

Clean up dead brush and debris to reduce fuel volume in fire-prone areas

Most herbs need no fertilizer and little water, so water only during prolonged dry spells.

Avoid mulching herbs as mulch keeps the soil too moist. If fungus develops on your herbs during wet weather, cut them back to encourage healthy new growth.

The best time to harvest most herbs is just before flowering, when the leaves contain the maximum essential oils. Cut herbs early in the morning on a sunny day.

Hanging baskets exposed to sun should be checked daily and watered if needed. Also, outdoor hanging containers should be sheltered from high winds.

Leftover vegetable and flower seeds may be stored in a cool, dry location for planting next year. One method is to place seed packets in a jar or plastic bag and store the containers in the refrigerator

Divide spring and early summer flowering perennials after the blooms fade. Instead of severing the clump in half, try jiggling the roots apart with two sharp, spading forks. This takes more time, but damages fewer roots than cutting the clump apart.

Remove crusted mineral salts from clay pots by soaking pots in water for several hours. Start with hot water and renew the hot bath several times. Scrub off heavy salt build-up with steel wool and dish detergent. Sterilize pots before reuse by soaking them for ten minutes in a solution of 9 parts water to 1 part household bleach. To reduce salt build-up on clay pots, wipe them weekly with a cloth soaked in white vinegar.

June is a great time to clean out the greenhouse. Discard dead or diseased plants and old potting soil.

Good sanitation is necessary to control greenhouse pests.

Take stem cuttings of woody shrubs, trees and perennials now.

Collect seed of firepinks, poppy, wild indigo, and bleeding hearts.

Autumn bloomers that get too tall, such as chrysanthemum, can be cut back by about one half now to reduce their fall height.

Spring-flowering shrubs, such as deutzia, weigela, viburnum and forsythia, should be pruned as soon as they complete bloom.

Additional pruning may be required this month on fast-growing plants, such as juniper, privet and yew, to maintain a desirable shape during the growing season.

Mulch promotes faster growth of trees and shrubs than grass or groundcovers. In three experiments across the country, researchers have shown that a number of different trees and shrubs including dogwood, forsythia, Burford holly, Japanese black pine and cottonwood had growth reduced significantly by both groundcovers and grasses growing up to the trunk.

Weed and Pest Control
Spray roses with insecticidal soap to eliminate aphids, mites and thrips

Control chewing worms like cabbageworm, corn earworm, and petunia budworm by spraying Bacillus thuringiensis

To prevent slugs and similar pests from entering the drainage holes of potted plants that have been set into the ground during summer, slip the pot into the toe of an old nylon stocking. This allows water to get through, but keeps out pests.

Birds will generally not be scared away by scarecrows. Instead, try tying pieces of glass, colored cloth or tin to loose strings so the wind can blow them and clash them together. Random motion is the key to alarming the birds away from the garden.

To protect bees that pollinate many of our crop plants, spray pesticides in the evening after bees have returned to their hives.

Identify garden pests before you attempt to control them. Read any label carefully to be sure the treatment is compatible with the plant. Make sure you apply the proper amount at the proper time.

Watch for and control black spot and powdery mildew on rose foliage

For Fun
Petunias and marigolds are more useful as cut flowers than most folks appreciate. The flowers will last for several days and are very attractive in mixed bouquets.

Use this list to help you figure out what gardening tasks you want to accomplish this month, then fill them into your calendar to help keep you on schedule.

Planting
To have colour from late summer to autumn, plant begonias, impatiens, salvia, marigolds, verbena, and zinnias

For permanent plantings, try perennials such as bearded iris, lavender, coreopsis, statice, gazanias, and gloriosa daisy

For a late harvest of beans, beets, carrots, corn, cucumbers, and summer squash, sow seeds or plant seedlings

Plant full sun annuals like sweet alyssum , cosmos, ageratum, celosia, petunias, marigolds, portulaca, salvia, verbena, vinca, and zinnias

Plant shade annuals like begonias, coleus, and impatiens

Plant trees at least 6 feet (2 m) away from sidewalks and concrete pools, so growing roots do not crack the concrete.

Maintenance
Check sprinklers and drip systems to make sure that all outlets are working correctly

Dig and divide crowded spring-flowering bulbs and tubers, including bearded iris when the foliage dies off Divide and transplant bearded iris using the vigorous ends of the rhizomes. Discard the old center portion.

Cut the leaves back to about 8 inches (20 cm).

Feed roses after each bloom cycle, water regularly, and remove spent flowers

Fertilize cymbidiums to encourage flower formation for next winter's bloom; feed them with quarter strength liquid fertilizer every time you water them

Feed blooming annuals at least monthly to keep them producing flowers

After harvesting June-bearing cane berries, cut spent canes back to the ground. Leave new green canes; tie them up when they are tall enough. On everbearing raspberries, cut out only the upper half of each cane that bore fruit this year.

To encourage more flowers, cut off developing seed heads of coreopsis cosmos, dahlias, marigolds, rudbeckia, and zinnias

Feed potted plants twice a month with half-strength liquid fertilizer like 20-20-20 or less often with a controlled-release pelleted fertilizer

Fertilize Bermuda, St. Augustine, and zoysia lawns monthly through October

Cut the first flowers of lavender to encourage a second crop.

Don't chill tropical house plants by watering them with cold tap water. Let the water stand until it reaches room temperature so delicate root hairs aren't harmed, or even killed, by low temperatures.

Be sure house plants are kept away from cold drafts caused by air conditioning vents.

During hot, July weather, be sure to mow your lawn to the appropriate height. This reduces water loss and helps lower soil temperatures.

Mushrooms or toadstools usually grow in decomposing organic matter, such as a buried root, stump, or board. These fungi are beneficial because they help to break down woody debris and add humus to the soil. But mushrooms in the lawn can be a nuisance, and the decayed organic material can result in depressions in the yard. There are no chemical controls for toadstools since the fungus often grows so deep that chemicals do not penetrate entirely.

Organic mulch materials decompose rapidly in hot, moist weather. Add additional mulch where needed.

Pull and compost spent crops. Turn the compost pile and wet it down to hasten decomposition. Leave the pile with a depression in the center to catch rainwater.

Train and trim plants on arbors. Take care to ensure ties do not girdle branches. July is a good time to begin looking for native and cultivated plants from which you can collect seed pods to use for decorating this fall and winter. Be on the lookout for such material as thistles, cattails, dried corn tassels, and seed pods from locust, redbud, and chaste tree.   Check the soil moisture of container-grown vegetables and flowers daily. As the temperature rises, some plants may need watered twice daily.

If you have been pinching back your mums this summer, mid-July is the time to stop so they will be able to develop flower buds for the fall.

To produce the largest flowers, the main stems of dahlias should be kept free of side shoots, allowing only the terminal bud to develop. In larger varieties, a single stalk is the best. Adequate support must be provided to prevent wind damage. Water well.

Cut back and fertilize delphinium and phlox to encourage a second show of bloom.
Many plants are easily increased by layering. Verbenas, euonymus, pachysandra, ivy, daphne, and climbing roses are some of plants that will root if stems are fastened down on soft earth with a wire and covered with some soil.

Weed and Pest Control
Control tomato hornworms: look for chewed leaves and black droppings; look for them among the foliage.

Handpick the worms off or spray Bacillus thuringiensis.

If budworms are eating the flower buds of petunias or geraniums (look for holes in buds and little black droppings), spray plants every 7 - 10 days with Bacillus thuringiensis

Red or yellow lights attract fewer night-flying insects than white or blue bulbs. Use them on your deck or patio.

Hot, dry weather brings out red spiders mites. Inspect roses, evergreens, and marigolds in particular for pale-green coloration. Hold a white sheet of paper underneath a leaf and briskly tap it. Tiny, crawling mites will drop onto the paper if they are present on the leaf. If infestation is light, discourage mites with a forceful, direct spray of water from the hose. Severely infested annual plants should be removed and destroyed. Mild infestations can be controlled with organic pesticides.

Water your plants several hours before applying pesticides, especially during dry weather. Drought stressed plants have less water in their plant tissues; the chemicals that enter the leaves will consequently be more concentrated and may burn the leaves.

A piece of corrugated cardboard, such as the side from a box, forms an effective and portable barrier to use when spraying a non-selective herbicide next to desired plants. By changing the angle of the cardboard, it's easy to spray weeds growing right up to the base of a desirable plant while shielding the stems, branches, and leaves. Since some herbicide will get on the shield, the same side should always face the sprayer when moved from one location to another.

For Fun
Ouch! Thorny rose stems are a problem when arranging cut flowers, but leave the thorns on to get maximum life from cut blooms. Research in the Netherlands revealed that removing leaves and thorns from the bottom six to eight inches of rose stems decreased their vase life as compared to deleafed, but not dethorned blooms.

Do you know how many ways you can use an old (or new) plastic laundry basket?
Use your basket to carry your hand tools, gloves, seeds, and fertilizer, and when you're finished gardening, haul all those weeds and clippings to the trash can or compost pile in your handy basket. When harvesting root crops such as beets, turnips, or carrots,

Use this list to help you figure out what gardening tasks you want to accomplish this month, then fill them into your calendar to help keep you on schedule.

Planning
If you plan to do some landscape planting this autumn, now is a good time to decide on the plants to use and how to arrange them.

Start selecting your favorite bulb varieties now by searching out bulb catalogs. It is time to order so bulbs can be planted this fall.

Order your spring-flowering bulbs now. A good guideline to use is 'biggest is best' in regard to bulb size.

Be careful about so- called "bargain" bulbs as they may be small or of inferior quality. Plan changes in your perennial plantings now. Autumn is usually the best time for moving and dividing perennials since the gardening pace has slowed considerably. Add new bulbs to your design at the same time. Peonies, bleeding heart, and oriental poppies grow better if left undisturbed, so plan to work around them.

By the time the seed catalogues arrive in January, you may have only a vague idea of what this year's garden was like. Make notes now so you can have a better garden next year.

Order peony roots now for planting in September. Plant about a month before the average first frost date in your area. Planting should be completed before the first killing frost occurs.

Planting
Sow seeds of cool weather crops such as carrots, parsley, radishes, Swiss chard, lettuce, and beets

Sow perennial seeds: Shasta daisy, coreopsis, columbines and black-eyed Susan Autumn vegetables can be planted now. You can also start to plant seedlings of cabbage, cauliflower, broccoli, Brussels sprouts

Late-blooming perennials, such as Helianthus, Helenium, Heliopsis, and Rudbeckia, make great color displays in the autumn landscape.

Plant autumn-flowering crocus, sternbergia, colchicum, and other autumn-flowering bulbs as soon as they become available at garden centers. Crocus and sternbergia need full sun; colchicum can be planted in areas receiving light shade.

Maintenance
Feed summer annuals and container plants with a complete fertilizer like 20-20-20 or 5-5-5
Shear tops off ragged-looking petunias, feed again and water regularly. They will flower again within four weeks

Pick up fallen and decaying fruit that could harbor insects and diseases. If fruit looks infested toss in the rubbish, you don't want to add diseases or insects to your compost pile

Give spring-flowering shrubs their final feeding of the year

Harvest fruit and vegetables regularly

Now is a good time to sow fall - winter flower seeds. Calendulas, Iceland poppies, primrose (English, fairy, or Obconica), pansies, violas, snapdragons, stock or forget -me-nots

Keep feeding chrysanthemums until their buds swell and begin to open

Add a new layer of mulch or organic matter such as ground bark, compost, grass clippings, or leaves to keep down weeds and help hold in moisture.

Prepare fall planter beds by cultivating the soil at least 12 inches (30 cm) deep, then work in a 2-3-inch (5-7.5 cm) layer of organic matter or compost, with a small amount balanced fertilizer

Feed rose bushes with a complete fertilizer for final fall fl owering and make sure they get plenty of water during the hot weather

Dig, divide and replant bearded iris rhizomes and Oriental poppies

To maintain a healthy lawn and reduce the potential for water contamination, it is important to fertilize at the right time. Fertilize cool-season lawns (Kentucky bluegrass, fescue, ryegrass) in the Autumn.

Fertilize warm-season grasses (bermudagrass, zoysiagrass, centipedegrass) in the summer.

When watering lawns during hot weather, do it early in the morning. Otherwise, much of the water will evaporate from the grass before the plants get to use it. To further avoid excess evaporation, use a sprinkler that produces large drops of water instead of a fine mist.

Remove old or faded rose flowers and hips

Comfrey makes a great addition to the compost pile. Its succulent, green leaves are rich in nitrogen that aids in the break down of dry material in the compost pile.

Herbs can still be harvested and used for a multitude of purposes.

To keep your gardens attractive, continue to dead-head (trim off) spent flowers and weed as necessary.

Check hose connections, pipes, and valves for water leaks. Even a small dribble can waste hundreds of gallons of water in a day.

If you do not have a coldframe, now is a good time to build one.

Keep newly planted trees and shrubs well watered.

Clean up fallen rose and peony leaves. They can harbor disease and insect pests over the winter if allowed to remain on the ground.

Weed and Pest Control
If budworms are eating the flower buds of petunias or geraniums spray plants every 7 - 10 days with Bacillus thuringiensis.

Control tomato hornworms, hand- pick the worms off or spray Bacillus thuringiensis.

Water your plants several hours before applying pesticides, especially during dry weather.

Drought stressed plants have less water in their plant tissues, and the chemicals that enter the leaves consequently will be more concentrated and may burn the leaves.

Use this list to help you figure out what gardening tasks you want to accomplish this month, then fill them into your calendar to help keep you on schedule.

Planning It's time to start thinking about spring flowering bulbs. Crocus, hyacinth, and tulip bulbs.

For best flowering, store them in a paper bag in the crisper section of your refrigerator (away from apples) for at least six weeks before planting

As you select your flowering bulbs to plant this fall, keep in mind that larger caliber bulbs give big, showy displays, but cost more. Smaller caliber bulbs usually are less expensive, with a smaller show, but are great for brightening nooks and crannies in your yard.

As you plant your spring bulbs, remember that a mass planting of one flower type or color will produce a better effect than a mixture of many colours. Flowers of bulbs stand out more vividly if displayed against a contrasting background. For example, white hyacinths among English ivy, yellow daffodils against a 'Burford' holly hedge, or red tulips towering over a carpet of yellow pansies.

Make a long-range plan to gradually convert your current landscape to the one you desire. Don't pull out any ornamental plantings until you have the time and resources to replace them.

Planting
Two weeks before planting, amend, rototill and fertilize beds you plan to use for or cool- season vegetables

Other spring flowering blubs: set out daffodils, Dutch iris, freesia, anemone, oxalis, ranunculus, watsonia, and hyacinth to name only a few

Vegetables that like cool weather: beets, cauliflower, brussels sprouts, cabbage, broccali, kale, kohlrabi, chives, collards, celery, onions, parsely, parsnips, peas, radish, spinach, lettuce, turnips, and Swiss chard

Pot up chives, parsley, and other herbs, and bring into the house to extend the growing season.

Autumn is usually cool and moist and a good time to plant trees and shrubs. Research has shown that roots will continue to grow until the soil freezes. This is true for both evergreens and deciduous plants.

Start taking cuttings of your annual plants to bring indoors and carry through the winter. Geranium, coleus, fuschia, and other plants do best when stem cuttings are rooted and kept in pots indoors through the winter. Be sure to place pots where they receive plenty of light

If you are not sure which end of the bulb is the top, plant it on its side. The stem will always grow upright.

Plant peonies now, but make sure the crowns are buried only 1 1/2 to 2 inches (3 to 5 cm) below ground level. Deeper planting keeps the plants from blooming.

Select some accent plants for your landscape that will provide autumn colour. Trees that turn red include dogwood, red maple, black gum, sweet gum, and red or scarlet oak. Shrubs with red fall foliage include viburnum, winged euonymus, and barberry.

Maintenance
Rejuvenate cool-season lawns by plugging, reseeding and fertilizing.

Annuals that like cool weather are: pansy, viola, snap-dragon, stock, calendula, Iceland poppies, California poppies

Dig, divide and re-plant over-crowded perennials that have finished flowering like agapanthus, daylily, penstemon, and coreopsis to name a few

Autumn is a great time to plant and divide perennials and shrubs for next year's garden. By planting in the Autumn, your plants do not endure the stressful summer heat during establishment and have time to form sufficient root systems before the onset of winter dormancy.

Prevent citrus from drying out and splitting as they mature by giving trees deep soakings during warm autumn weather

Pick up fallen, decomposing fruit that could harbor insects and diseases. If fruits looks infested, toss them in the rubbish, you don't want to add diseases or pests to your compost pile

If your tuberous begonias are beginning to mildew, stop watering and let them dry off, then dig them up and allow them to dry out, and store them for the winter in a cool, dark place As the nights become cool, caladiums and other warm summer bulbs will begin to lose leaves. Dig them up, allow them to dry, and store them in a warm, dry place

Garlic is harvested when the tops die down. To prepare garlic for long term storage, cure the bulbs for
four to six weeks in a warm, dry, shady location where there is good air circulation. Pile bulbs no more than two to three deep. After curing, store in a cool, dry, well-ventilated spot
Do not use softened water on houseplants because the sodium accumulates in the soil and can kill the plants.

It is time to maintain your lawn for winter annual or perennial weeds that germinate or form rosettes in turf during the Autumn

Don't retire the lawn mower when the growth of your lawn slows down this fall. As long as the grass continues to grow, it should be mowed.

Don't allow leaves to accumulate on the lawn. Rake them up regularly, and store in a pile for use as mulch in your garden next summer. If leaves accumulate on your lawn and become matted down by rain, they may kill the grass.

You can help leaves break down more easily by running a lawn mover back and forth over the pile.

Put the shredded leaves directly onto the garden or compost pile.

Dig new garden beds for next spring. Incorporate plenty of organic matter, such as leaves, and leave the soil rough to allow good water penetration. Freezing and thawing will break up heavy clay soils.

Plant a cover crop, also called a green manure, to increase the soil's organic matter content.

Autumn is a good time for improving your garden soil. Add manure, compost, and leaves to increase the organic matter content. Before adding lime to your soil, have your soil tested to determine if your soil is acidic and needs lime.

Have on hand some heavy material or cardboard boxes to cover tender garden plants on the first nights of frost. Often if tender plants can be protected from early frosts, they will bloom for several more weeks.

When using a cold frame to extend your harvest season, be sure to close the top on frosty nights to protect the plants from the cold. When the sun comes out the next morning and the air warms, open the cold frame again

Rake up leaves, twigs, and fruit from apple trees, and dispose of them in the trash to help control scab.

Weed and Pest Control
Control spider mites with insecticidal soap or spray light horticultural oil on infested plants in early morning or early evening.

Powdery mildew becomes more abundant following periods of cool weather. Infected plants are covered with a white, powdery growth

To keep from spreading diseases and insect pests, sterilize old flower pots by soaking for a few hours in a solution of one part bleach to nine parts water.

Use this list to help you figure out what gardening tasks you want to accomplish this month, then fill them into your calendar to help keep you on schedule.

Planning
During autumn, demand for garden supplies is low, so keep an eye open for special prices on hand tools and power equipment to be given as gifts or used next year.

Make a note of plants displaying outstanding autumn colours as you drive along city streets and the surrounding countryside. You may wish to incorporate some of them into your own landscape.

Planting
Time to plant Ranunculus. Set tubers “feet first” about 2 inches (5 cm) deep into the soil and 6 to 8 inches (15-20 cm) apart. Water in deeply. Don’t water again, unless it gets hot and dry, until green growth starts to show in one to two weeks

Plant garlic scar end down in rich well drained soil. If you plant regular garlic, cover with 2 inches (5 cm) of soil, use 4 to 6 inches (10-15 cm) of soil if planting elephant garlic

Continue to set out spring flowering bulbs: daffodils, Dutch iris, freesia, anemone, oxalis, ranunculus, watsonia, hyacinth, crocus and tulips

Continue planting cool season annuals: pansy, viola, snapdragon, stock, calendula, Iceland poppies and California poppies

If you live in a cool, temperate climate try, cineraria, nemesia, and schizanthus

Continue planting cool-season vegetables: beets, cauliflower, kale, cabbage, Brussels sprouts, broccoli, kohlrabi, chives, collards, celery, onions, parsley, parsnips, peas, radish, spinach, lettuce, turnips, and Swiss chard

Use cold frames to over winter cuttings of trees and shrubs and perennial seedlings started in mid- to late summer. Bulbs prepared for forcing also can be stored in cold frames until time to take them indoors.

Maintenance
Dig, divide, re-plant overcrowded perennials that have finished flowering. Daylily, agapanthus,penstemon, yarrow, coreopsis, alstromeria, Shasta daisy, lamb's ears

Start or repair cool-season lawns. Overseed warm season lawns with cool season grass. Feed cool season lawns to support their growth in the autumn

Feed new flower and vegetable plants with liquid fertilizer two weeks after planting them

Continue to pick up fallen, decomposing fruit that could harbor insects and pests

Cacti and other succulents, such as jade plants and sedums, do best in a sunny south or west window during the winter. They can tolerate cool temperatures, but you may want to move more-tender foliage plants away from cold windows.

House plant growth slows as the days get shorter and light intensity is reduced. This means that they will need less frequent watering and fertilizing until next spring. Too much of either in the winter months can cause weak growth.

Don't allow leaves to accumulate on the lawn. Rake them up regularly, and store in a pile for use as mulch in your garden next summer. If leaves accumulate on your lawn and become matted down by rain, they may kill the grass.

You can help leaves break down more easily by running a lawn mover back and forth over the pile. Put the shredded leaves directly onto the garden or compost pile.

Autumn is a good time for improving your garden soil. Add manure, compost, and leaves to increase the organic matter content. Before adding lime to your soil, have your soil tested to determine if your soil is acidic and needs lime.

Late-autumn tilling can help control insects, such as corn borer, corn earworm, cucumber beetle, squash bug, and vine borer, because it exposes overwintering insects to winter conditions. It also makes spring soil preparation easier.

Mulches applied too early can do more harm than good. A mulch is used to keep soil temperatures constant and prevent frost heaving, not keep it warm. Therefore, it is best not to mulch until the soil temperature has reached the freezing point.

Cut down stems and foliage of herbaceous perennials when the leaves begin to brown. Bring in cannas, dahlias, and gladioli, if not hardy in your area, after the tops are browned by frost.

Allow to dry, clean off soil, and store in peat moss or vermiculite in a cool location free from frost.

Garden tools add up to a large financial investment. Take care of tools so they need not be replaced.

Bring all your gardening tools inside. Clean them off. With proper care, quality tools can last you a lifetime.

Fall is a good time for moving plants. Transplant deciduous trees and shrubs when they are dormant.

Evergreen trees or shrubs, however, may be transplanted earlier in the autumn, before they go dormant.

Water evergreens thoroughly before the ground freezes. Evergreens continue to lose water by transpiring during the winter, but when the ground is frozen they cannot replenish the water.

Weed and Pest Control
Control slugs, snails by removing their hiding places; clean up leaf litter.

For Fun
Plant fresh grapefruit or orange seeds in a well-drained, sandy soil, and you will soon produce attractive, green-leaved plants.

Start a family tradition by planting a tree or shrub in honour of a holiday, birthday, or anniversary.

Use this list to help you figure out what gardening tasks you want to accomplish this month, then fill them into your calendar to help keep you on schedule.
Planning
Order seed catalogues now for garden planning in January. For variety, consider companies that specialize in old and rare varieties or wildflowers.

Planting
Take Root cuttings of woody shrubs and evergreens, such as azaleas, holly, and hydrangea, at this time of year.

Start to think about spring wildflowers. Sow seeds now. Try to choose a mix that is best suited to your climate and area. Or you can buy individual varieties to mix your own blend.

Scatter the seeds and lightly top dress with soil to keep moist and away from birds

Spring flowering bulbs are still available: daffodils, Dutch iris, freesia, anemone, oxalis, ranunculus, watsonia, hyacinth, crocus, and tulips

Evergreens: Now is a good time to plant and transplant trees, shrubs and ground covers

Now is a good time to choose deciduous trees. You can buy them for fall color while they still have leaves. Popular choices are: Chinese pistache, liquidambar, maple, persimmon, redbud, sour gum, and crape myrtle to name just a few

Plant paper-white narcissus in stones in a bulb pan in early November to have blooms for Christmas time.

Bulb forcing can be continued through late winter. Garden centers are sure to have the price reduced on any remaining bulbs.

Maintenance
Feed new flower and vegetable plants with liquid fertilizer two weeks after planting them In low rain areas, water newly planted lawns, landscape plants, vegetables to keep them moist.

Continue deep watering of evergreens until freezing weather occurs.

Throw leaves, weeds, and spent annuals and vegetables into the compost pile

Cut asparagus to the ground after the tops turn brown

After several killing frosts have occurred this fall, cut back dormant perennials to about 3 inches (7.5 cm) above ground. After the ground is frozen, plants can be mulched to guard against displacement due to soil heaving. These steps ensure a successful show of plant foliage and color next season.

After chrysanthemums are killed by frost, cut them down in preparation for winter. Apply a 2- to 3-inch (5 to 7.5 cm) layer of loose mulch, such as leaves, after the ground has frozen.

Dig up tuberous begonias, trim dried leaves and stalks, brush off the soil, and store the tubers in a cool dry place until spring and warmer weather

Dig, divide and re-plant overcrowded perennials that have finished flowering

Start or repair cool-season lawns. Overseed warm season lawns with cool season grass.

A November application of fertilizer is very beneficial to a lawn of cool-season grasses. It promotes root development without excessive top growth. With a strong root system, your lawn will be better able to withstand drought conditions next summer.

Overwinter your geraniums.

Soil pulled away from the pot rim of houseplants means inadequate watering and resulting root problems. It will be difficult to add sufficient water overhead to rewet the soil. Soak the pot in a sink full of water, then drain it thoroughly.

A different way of starting an avocado plant is to remove the pit from the fruit and wrap it in a moist paper towel, then place it in a plastic bag and close the bag. Place this package in a warm place, checking on it every few days to see if the towel needs to be moistened. When roots appear, pot it up.

Most houseplants should not be watered until the soil feels dry. Water thoroughly, let the water soak in, then water again until water drains into the saucer. Empty the saucer within an hour

Check house gutters for fallen leaves, needles, and twigs. Heavy, fall rains will quickly overflow clogged gutters, possibly damaging foundation plants below them.

Keep the compost heap moist to aid in the decay process. Turn the pile to mix in all late, fall additions.

Add fertilizer residues from nearly empty bags onto the pile and mix.

Earthworms must remain below frost line to survive. Mulch piled on top of soil raises the frost line. If you want earthworms to help break down organic matter in the upper soil layers, mulch deeply. If you need the subsoil aerated, leave the surface mulch thin; the worms will burrow downward to stay warm.

Some plants are very sensitive to de-icing salts. Use sand or sawdust on walkways near plantings to prevent falls.

Have on hand some heavy material or cardboard boxes to cover tender garden plants on the first nights of frost. Often if tender plants can be protected from early frosts, they will bloom for several more weeks.

To winterize your mower, first disconnect the spark plug wire. Drain out all the gasoline and oil, and replace the old oil with fresh oil. (Take the old oil to a recycling center.) Clean out grass from underneath the mower. Spray paint under the clean deck to prevent rust in the future. Remove and clean the air filter or replace paper filters. Inspect wheels, and replace excessively worn wheels to ensure a level cut next spring. Remove blades, and sharpen them before storing

Keep your shears and loppers in good working order. Wipe them with a rag dipped in paint thinner to remove sticky resins. Sharpen and oil thoroughly.

Weed and Pest Control
Control slugs, snails by removing their hiding places; clean up leaf litter.

Discourage winter weeds by putting down a pre-emergent, cultivating, or mulching around
bedding plants, shrubs and trees.

Spray Bacillus thuringiensis on cole crops like cabbage, broccoli, and cauliflower that are being damaged by cabbage worms.

Keep an eye out for spider mites on your houseplants; they thrive in dry air. At the first sign of any insect infestation, isolate your plant

For Fun
Make a pretty wreath out of corn husks. Start with a foam wreath base. Cut strips of corn husks three inches wide and eight inches long. Fold them in half crosswise, and wire the ends together. Fasten them to the foam base with thumbtacks, overlapping the folded part of one husk and the wire of the next and hiding the wires and tacks. If the base is narrow, one row of husks will do. Use two or more rows for wider bases. Add a colourful bow and trimmings of nuts, pine cones, or bittersweet to complete the wreath.

Use this list to help you figure out what gardening tasks you want to accomplish this month, then fill them into your calendar to help keep you on schedule.

Planning
During autumn, demand for garden supplies is low, so keep an eye open for special prices on hand tools and power equipment to be given as gifts or used next year.

Make a note of plants displaying outstanding autumn colours as you drive along city streets and the surrounding countryside. You may wish to incorporate some of them into your own landscape.

Planting
Time to plant Ranunculus. Set tubers “feet first” about 2 inches (5 cm) deep into the soil and 6 to 8 inches (15-20 cm) apart. Water in deeply. Don’t water again, unless it gets hot and dry, until green growth starts to show in one to two weeks

Plant garlic scar end down in rich well drained soil. If you plant regular garlic, cover with 2 inches (5 cm) of soil, use 4 to 6 inches (10-15 cm) of soil if planting elephant garlic

Continue to set out spring flowering bulbs: daffodils, Dutch iris, freesia, anemone, oxalis, ranunculus, watsonia, hyacinth, crocus and tulips

Continue planting cool season annuals: pansy, viola, snapdragon, stock, calendula, Iceland poppies and California poppies

If you live in a cool, temperate climate try, cineraria, nemesia, and schizanthus

Continue planting cool-season vegetables: beets, cauliflower, kale, cabbage, Brussels sprouts, broccoli, kohlrabi, chives, collards, celery, onions, parsley, parsnips, peas, radish, spinach, lettuce, turnips, and Swiss chard

Use cold frames to over winter cuttings of trees and shrubs and perennial seedlings started in mid- to late summer. Bulbs prepared for forcing also can be stored in cold frames until time to take them indoors.

Maintenance
Dig, divide, re-plant overcrowded perennials that have finished flowering. Daylily, agapanthus,penstemon, yarrow, coreopsis, alstromeria, Shasta daisy, lamb's ears

Start or repair cool-season lawns. Overseed warm season lawns with cool season grass. Feed cool season lawns to support their growth in the autumn

Feed new flower and vegetable plants with liquid fertilizer two weeks after planting them

Continue to pick up fallen, decomposing fruit that could harbor insects and pests

Cacti and other succulents, such as jade plants and sedums, do best in a sunny south or west window during the winter. They can tolerate cool temperatures, but you may want to move more-tender foliage plants away from cold windows.

House plant growth slows as the days get shorter and light intensity is reduced. This means that they will need less frequent watering and fertilizing until next spring. Too much of either in the winter months can cause weak growth.

Don't allow leaves to accumulate on the lawn. Rake them up regularly, and store in a pile for use as mulch in your garden next summer. If leaves accumulate on your lawn and become matted down by rain, they may kill the grass.

You can help leaves break down more easily by running a lawn mover back and forth over the pile. Put the shredded leaves directly onto the garden or compost pile.

Autumn is a good time for improving your garden soil. Add manure, compost, and leaves to increase the organic matter content. Before adding lime to your soil, have your soil tested to determine if your soil is acidic and needs lime.

Late-autumn tilling can help control insects, such as corn borer, corn earworm, cucumber beetle, squash bug, and vine borer, because it exposes overwintering insects to winter conditions. It also makes spring soil preparation easier.

Mulches applied too early can do more harm than good. A mulch is used to keep soil temperatures constant and prevent frost heaving, not keep it warm. Therefore, it is best not to mulch until the soil temperature has reached the freezing point.

Cut down stems and foliage of herbaceous perennials when the leaves begin to brown. Bring in cannas, dahlias, and gladioli, if not hardy in your area, after the tops are browned by frost.

Allow to dry, clean off soil, and store in peat moss or vermiculite in a cool location free from frost.

Garden tools add up to a large financial investment. Take care of tools so they need not be replaced.

Bring all your gardening tools inside. Clean them off. With proper care, quality tools can last you a lifetime.

Fall is a good time for moving plants. Transplant deciduous trees and shrubs when they are dormant.

Evergreen trees or shrubs, however, may be transplanted earlier in the autumn, before they go dormant.

Water evergreens thoroughly before the ground freezes. Evergreens continue to lose water by transpiring during the winter, but when the ground is frozen they cannot replenish the water.

Weed and Pest Control
Control slugs, snails by removing their hiding places; clean up leaf litter.

For Fun
Plant fresh grapefruit or orange seeds in a well-drained, sandy soil, and you will soon produce attractive, green-leaved plants.

Start a family tradition by planting a tree or shrub in honour of a holiday, birthday, or anniversary.

Use this list to help you figure out what gardening tasks you want to accomplish this month, then fill them into your calendar to help keep you on schedule. Planning
You’re doing great, it’s almost the end of the year! Now is a good time to buy early-flowering camellias Sasanqua and japonica varieties

Planting
Take Root cuttings of woody shrubs and evergreens, such as azaleas, holly, and hydrangea, at this time of year.

Bare-root season begins late this month. Look for cane berries, grapes, and roots of perennials such as artichokes, asparagus, rhubarb, astilbe, and peonies

Take hardwood cuttings from deciduous trees and shrubs. Dip cut stems in rooting hormone powder, and plant in equal parts sand and vermiculite. Keep moist.

Maintenance
Have on hand some heavy material or cardboard boxes to cover tender garden plants on the first nights of frost. Often if tender plants can be protected from early frosts, they will bloom for several more weeks.

Continue autumn cleanup begun last month. Cut back chrysanthemums to about 6 inches (15 cm), remove dead leaves and stems from dormant perennials. Keep after weeds and keep lawns free of debris

Start pruning dormant fruit trees and shrubs

The potted plants you receive during the holiday season are not meant to be kept as permanent house plants. They were raised in a greenhouse and do not adapt well to the conditions in your home. Treat them like long-lasting cut flowers -- enjoy them as long as possible, but discard when they becomeunattractive.

To prolong the life of a flowering poinsettia, keep it evenly moist and protect it from being chilled or subjected to drafts. Keep it in full sunlight in a cool area.

If the buds drop and the stems shrivel on your Christmas cactus, look for root injury caused by dry soil.

Both live and cut Christmas trees need water while they are inside. Keep live trees indoors for a minimum of time to keep them healthy.

If stored bulbs begin to shrivel, they are too dry. Place them in a container with potting medium, peat moss, or sawdust to stop the loss of water.

Try coating your snow shovel with a "no-stick" cooking spray; the snow slides right off.

Recoat as needed.

Thoroughly mulch azaleas, rhododendrons, camellias, and laurel after the ground freezes.

They prefer acidic materials, such as oak leaves and pine needles, but any mixed, dry leaves will do if oak and pine are not available.

Weed and Pest Control
Discourage winter weeds by putting down a pre-emergent, cultivating, or mulching around
bedding plants, shrubs and trees

Control slugs, snails by removing their hiding places; clean up leaf litter

If you haven't already sprayed your nectarines and peaches for peach leaf curl, now's the time to do it.

Repeat spraying in January and February.

Apply dormant oil or spray or neem oil to deciduous plants whose buds are still closed.

Horticultural oil kills over-wintering insects; lime sulfur or fixed copper spray.

For Fun
You still have time to make herb vinegars from chives, shallots, garlic, or any herbs on your windowsill for the holidays. Use approximately four ounces of fresh herbs to one quart (1 l)of wine vinegar. Allow the herbs to infuse for at least two weeks.
Relax!