Gardening Calendar

The following is a list of gardening activities to consider by month:

January

Prune trees and shrubs for shape
Water on days over 40 degrees, as needed
Dream! Go through seed/plant catalogs and plan what you will grow in your vegetable garden or add to your landscaping in spring
Clean and sharpen hand tools, if needed

February

March

Service lawn mower as needed; sharpen or replace blades
Water on days over 40 degrees, as needed
Apply pre-emergent to control weeds
Remove dead vegetation from beds
Order or purchase supplies for hardscape plans
Order summer blooming bulbs (cannas, day lilies)
Apply dormant oil to fruit trees
Plant potatoes and onions and cool weather seedlings towards the end of the month
If needed, schedule aeration for next month

April

Water on days over 40 degrees, as needed
Plant cold tolerant flowers
Complete hardscape projects while the weather is cool
Remove tree-wrap by Easter
Fertilize shrubs and perennials, as needed
Control weeds in beds and lawn
Core aerate lawn, if not done last fall
Fertilize grass
Calendar local plant sales (PuebloSHED, HAS, CoNPS) to buy plants suited to our region
Turn under cover crops in vegetable beds
Begin weed control measures – get them while they are small!

Throughout the Warm Season (May through September)

Control weeds in beds and grass
Mow lawns to a height of 2.5 to 3.5 inches; mulch clippings to return nutrients to soil
Water lawns as needed; lawns may need 2.5 inches of water or more per week.
Overseed lawn bare spots throughout the summer
Water container plants daily or as needed
Water plants in beds at ground level every 10 – 14 days, as needed
Look for insects on vegetables and herbs; hand pick and/or spray to reduce damage
Harvest and preserve vegetables, fruits and herbs
Dead head flowering plants to promote re-flowering

May – After Last Frost (traditionally Mother’s Day)

June

July

August

Plant cool season vegetables
Remove seed heads from plants you don’t want to self-seed
Evaluate the vegetable garden; note varieties that did or didn’t do well and what to add to next years’ garden
Buy perennials on sale to fill in or expand planting beds

September

Fertilize lawns for the last time
Plant cool weather vegetables early in the month
Prune and shape summer blooming shrubs
Thin out or remove warm season annuals that are fading; plant fall blooming annuals (mums, pansies, ornamental kale) for color
Plant trees and shrubs now, so root systems can grow before the ground freezes
Divide and transplant perennials if needed (iris, lily, hostas, bleeding hearts)
Cover tender plants with row cover if temperatures dip below freezing
Move tender plants inside to overwinter
Order spring blooming bulbs
Collect seeds from plants you want to propagate next year or donate to All Pueblo Grows Seed Lending Library

October

Clean out vegetable beds; mulch or plant cover crops to improve soil structure and reduce weeds (annual rye, clover, alfalfa, vetch)
Blow out and turn off sprinkler system; cover outside hose bibs or faucets to protect from freezing
Wrap trunks of trees under 2 years old to protect from freeze damage
Mulch or rake leaves; use to cover planting beds 1.5 to 2 inches to maintain soil moisture and moderate soil temperature changes
Core aerate the lawn to reduce soil compaction and enhance soil uptake of moisture and nutrients
Buy and plant spring flowering bulbs for spring color
Divide and transplant perennials
Leave seedheads on ornamental grasses for winter interest

November

Water on days over 40 degrees, as needed
Clean, sharpen and store hand tools
Plant seeds needing cold stratification (milkweed, larkspur)
Walk the yard to determine if planting beds need to be reduced or expanded & if large shrubs and trees need to be planted or removed
Start bulbs indoors for winter color (paperwhites, hyacinths, amaryllis)

December