Lawn: Fertilize with a winter-type fertilizer (e.g., GreenAll Winterfeed).

Roses: Prune. Ask for advice from a Certified Nursery Professional.

Trees: Prune deciduous ornamental or fruit trees.

Shrubs: Lightly prune deciduous shrubs.

Flowers: Plant primroses and Cyclamen for quick winter color.

Vegetables: Plant seeds of tomatoes, peppers and eggplants indoors.

Pests and diseases: Dormant oil sprays will help prevent infestations by overwintering insects.

Shop now for: Economical bare-root fruit and nut trees and berries.

top of page

Lawn: Apply preemergent herbicide to prevent weeds.

Roses: Get your pruning done by Valentine's Day!

Trees: Apply your last dormant spray (fixed copper sulfate and oil) before buds show any color—usually mid to late February. Spray for brown rot on almonds, apricots, and others when trees bloom.

Shrubs: Evergreens can be pruned late in the month.

Annuals: Plant spring annuals: pansies, snapdragons, sweet peas, & more.

Perennials: Apply preemergent to prevent summer weeds.

Vegetables: Plant peas. Plant tomato seeds indoors.

Weather notes: Frost danger usually ends late this month.

Watering systems: Check sprinkler heads and flush out drip systems.

Pests and diseases: Snails and slugs are coming out.

Shop now for: Camellia japonica varieties, Azaleas, roses, and more.

Lawn: Fertilize with any good lawn fertilizer (e.g., GreenAll Lawn

Food 25-6-4). Renovate your lawn—dethatch, aerate, and overseed.

Roses: Start fertilizing. Aphids should show up this month—ask your nursery professional for control strategies.

Trees: Shop for Citrus trees this month. Fertilize other trees.

Shrubs: Fertilize with an all-purpose fertilizer. Begin monthly feedings for acid-loving plants (Camellias, Azaleas, Japanese maples, etc.). Prune deciduous flowering shrubs (e.g., Forsythia) and vines (Wisteria) after they finish blooming.

Annuals: Do first plantings of spring and summer blooming flowers—marigolds, petunias, and more.

Perennials: Feed your borders with a multipurpose fertilizer.

Vegetables: Plant beans, potatoes.

Weather notes: Shelter young plants from strong North winds.

Watering systems: Begin irrigating at about half the summer frequency.

Pests and diseases: Aphids, snails, slugs, and earwigs; mildew.

Shop now for: Azaleas in bloom; summer-flowering bulbs.

See also Special Projects for Spring

top of page

Lawn: Increase watering to one inch of water, 2 times a week.

Roses: The first big flush of bloom will be this month. Feed steadily and keep evenly moist. Watch for early signs of mildew.

Trees: Start thinning fruit on stone fruits. Begin deep soakings. Fertilize Citrus trees and apply iron.

Shrubs: Don't prune severely if hot weather threatens. Start fertilizing subtropical plants.

Annuals: Plant the real heat lovers at the end of the month. Continue planting summer flowers and summer flowering bulbs.

Perennials: Lots to choose from in bloom in containers at nurseries.

Vegetables: Plant out tomatoes, peppers, eggplants mid to late month. Plant seeds of beans and corn. Plant seeds of squashes and melons late in the month.

Watering systems: Begin deep soakings of trees and shrubs.

Pests and diseases: Aphids, snails, slugs, and earwigs; leafcutter bees; mildew. Learn to recognize beneficial insects as they move in to eat your aphids.

Shop now for: Roses in bloom and flowers of all kinds.

top of page

Lawn: Fertilize with a regular lawn fertilizer. Watch for brown areas developing—signs of drought, Fusarium blight, sod webworm, or lawn grubs. Treat now for Fusarium blight if you had it last year.

Roses: Continue monthly fertilizing. Watch for raspberry horntail borer. Deadhead after the first big flush of bloom to encourage repeat blooming. Prune once-a-year bloomers after they bloom (e.g., Lady Banks rose).

Trees: Thin fruit on stone fruits. Continue deep soakings.

Shrubs: Avoid severe pruning in hot weather.

Annuals: Plant the real heat lovers: Cosmos, vinca, Portulaca. Continue planting summer flowers to prolong bloom into the late summer.

Perennials: Deadhead as flowers fade.

Vegetables: It's not too late to plant tomatoes, peppers, eggplants, squash, melons, cucumbers, pumpkins. Do successive plantings of corn, beans.

Weather notes: We should hit 100^o sometime this month.

Watering systems: Double check the coverage of sprinkler heads. Measure the output on your lawns: 1" of water 2 times per week; 3 times a week during heat waves. Set timers to full summer schedule now.

Pests and diseases: See lawns. Also, thrips, cutworm, lace bugs, grasshoppers and katydids. Earwigs are at their peak.

Shop now for: Subtropicals, Citrus, crape myrtles.

top of page

Lawn: Brown patches start to become visible. Check your watering! Fungus and insect pests may also be causes.

Roses: Continue regular feeding; keep evenly moist. Wash off the foliage every few days to reduce dust and mildew.

Trees: Fertilize Citrus and apply iron. Protect stone fruits from birds.

Shrubs: Fertilize subtropical plants. Apply F.S.T. or sulfur to plants that show yellowing leaves.

Annuals: Spot in bright summer heat-lovers—vinca, Impatiens, etc.

Perennials: Groom and stake as needed.

Vegetables: Continue successive plantings of corn and beans. Still time to plant tomatoes, peppers, eggplant, melons, squash, pumpkins, sunflowers. Remove berry canes that have fruited.

Weather notes: 100^o plus heat spells are often followed by periods with cooler delta breezes—do your planting and yardwork then.

Watering systems: Check frequently for plugging and overlap.

Pests and diseases: Thrips.

Shop now for: Crape myrtles, oleanders, subtropicals.

Go on to July!

Top of Page