Redwood Barn Nursery
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    Monthly Calendar of Activities
    in your garden and landscape

    January

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

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

    dot Trees: Prune deciduous ornamental or fruit trees.

    dot Shrubs: Lightly prune deciduous shrubs.

    dot Flowers: Plant primroses and Cyclamen for quick winter color.

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

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

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

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    February


    Narcissus 'Stint'
    (photo c/o bulb.com)
    dot Lawn: Apply preemergent herbicide to prevent weeds.

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

    dot 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.

    dot Shrubs: Evergreens can be pruned late in the month.

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

    dot Perennials: Apply preemergent to prevent summer weeds.

    dot Vegetables: Plant peas. Plant tomato seeds indoors.

    dot Weather notes: Frost danger usually ends late this month.

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

    dot Pests and diseases: Snails and slugs are coming out.

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

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    March

    Tulips
    (photo c/o bulb.com)
    dot Lawn: Fertilize with any good lawn fertilizer (e.g., GreenAll Lawn

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

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

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

    dot 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.

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

    dot Perennials: Feed your borders with a multipurpose fertilizer.

    dot Vegetables: Plant beans, potatoes.

    dot Weather notes: Shelter young plants from strong North winds.

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

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

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

    (See also Special Projects for Spring)

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    April


    Oriental lily
    (photo c/o bulb.com)

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

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

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

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

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

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

    dot 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.

    dot Watering systems: Begin deep soakings of trees and shrubs.

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

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

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    May

    o        Lawn: Fertilize with a regular lawn fertilizer. Watch for brown areas developing—usually signs of drought. Check your sprinkler system for adequate coverage, and make sure you are watering deeply enough.

    o        Roses: Fertilize. Watch for raspberry horntail borer (sudden wilt of certain shoots) and trim those out. Deadhead (remove spent blossoms) after the first big flush of bloom to encourage repeat blooming. Prune once-a-year bloomers after they bloom (e.g., Lady Banks rose).

    o        Trees: Thin fruit on stone fruits.  Water deeply.

    o        Shrubs: Avoid severe pruning in hot weather. This is a good time to prune for size control by making careful thinning cuts.

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

    o        Perennials: Deadhead (remove spent blossoms) as flowers fade. Plant new types of perennials each season to get year-‘round bloom.

    o        Vegetables: It's finally warm enough to plant tomatoes, peppers, eggplants, squash, melons, cucumbers, pumpkins. Do successive plantings of corn, beans every 2 – 4 weeks to get a full summer’s harvest.

    o        Weather notes: We may hit 100F sometime this month! Average high: 80°; average low: 50F. Highest temperature ever recorded in May: 105F

    o        Watering systems: 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.

    o        Pests and diseases: Aphids, thrips, cutworm, lace bugs, grasshoppers and katydids. Earwigs are at their peak.

    o        Shop now for: Subtropicals, Citrus, heat-loving plants.

     

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    June

    dot Lawn: Brown patches start to become visible. See May.

    dot Roses: Continue regular feeding; keep evenly moist. Watch for rust.

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

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

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

    dot Perennials: Groom and stake as needed.

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

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

    dot Watering systems: Check frequently for plugging and overlap.

    dot Pests and diseases: Thrips.

    dot Shop now for: Crape myrtles, oleanders, subtropicals.


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    Go on to July!

    © 2004 Don Shor, Redwood Barn Nursery, Inc., 1607 Fifth Street, Davis, Ca 95616
    www.redwoodbarn.com
    Feel free to copy and distribute this article with attribution to this author.
    See also: other articles by Don Shor.

    Created 12-1999 -- page URL: http://www.redwoodbarn.com/calendar.html