Here's a gardener’s to-do list for September, 2025, tailored for each region of the United States.

 

September is a transitional month, a sweet blend of waning summer heat and the cool promise of autumn. It's a time of preparation, planting, and tidying. Let’s get our hands dirty:

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Northeast

• 🌿 Plant: Spring-flowering bulbs like daffodils, tulips, crocus; cool-season vegetables (spinach, kale, lettuce).

• 🍂 Clean up: Remove spent annuals; divide and transplant perennials.

• 🍁 Lawn: Overseed bare spots; fertilize with a slow-release formula.

• 🌾 Harvest: Apples, pears, late tomatoes, squash.

• 🧤 Prep: Start planning garden protection for frost (row covers, cloches).

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Midwest

• 🌱 Sow: Lettuce, radishes, turnips, spinach for fall crops.

• 🌷 Plant: Spring bulbs before the ground freezes.

• 🪓 Cut back: Deadhead perennials and remove diseased foliage.

• 🍎 Pick: Apples, pumpkins, late peppers, and beans.

• 💧 Water: New plantings deeply before frost sets in.

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Southeast

• 🥬 Plant: Cool-season vegetables — collards, cabbage, carrots, and beets.

• 🌺 Flowers: Add pansies, violas, snapdragons, and mums.

• 🌴 Prune: Remove dead limbs from trees after summer storms.

• 🐞 Pest Watch: Treat fire ants, spider mites, and caterpillars.

• 🍌 Tropical Care: Fertilize bananas, ginger, and other subtropicals for one last push.

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Southwest

• 🧅 Plant: Onions, garlic, broccoli, and leafy greens.

• 🌼 Add: Marigolds, calendula, and chrysanthemums for fall color.

• 💧 Irrigate: Monitor for dry spells; adjust irrigation for cooler temps.

• 🌵 Desert Zones: Begin planting native perennials and cacti as soil cools.

• 🧹 Cleanup: Rake up summer leaf litter and mulch.

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Pacific Northwest

• 🥗 Sow: Arugula, mustard greens, overwintering spinach.

• 🌷 Bulbs: Plant tulips, hyacinths, and daffodils.

• 🌧️ Mulch: Apply mulch to retain warmth and suppress weeds.

• 🌿 Divide: Iris, daylilies, hostas.

• 🪣 Drain: Empty and store rain barrels before heavy fall rains.

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Mountain West

• 🪴 Plant: Garlic, hardy greens, and cover crops in veg beds.

• 🧹 Prep: Clean up debris to prevent overwintering pests.

• 🧤 Protect: Wrap or shield tender plants from early frost.

• 🧪 Soil Test: Now’s a great time to check soil and amend for spring.

• 🌾 Harvest: Potatoes, beets, apples, and squash.

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California

• 🍓 Plant: Strawberries, fall vegetables (brassicas, greens, peas).

• 🌸 Color: Add fall annuals like cosmos, snapdragons, alyssum.

• 🌴 Prune: Light pruning on shrubs and hedges.

• 🚿 Irrigate: Deeply water trees if the dry season continues.

• 🪓 Cut back: Dead or spent summer flowers and trim back overgrown vines.

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Each region dances to its own rhythm in September. Wherever you are, it’s a season of reckoning and readiness. The best gardens aren’t just grown—they’re tended with foresight.

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Here’s a gardener’s to-do list for August, 2025, by U.S. region

 Here’s a gardener’s to-do list for August, 2025, by U.S. region—when the heat is high, harvests are rolling in, and a season’s fatigue starts to show. It’s a month of maintenance, planning, and squeezing the last joy from summer before fall creeps in on golden feet.

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Northeast

• 🥕 Plant Fall Crops: Direct sow beets, carrots, kale, lettuce, spinach, and radishes.

• 💧 Water Deeply: Weekly soaking is better than frequent shallow watering.

• 🌻 Deadhead: Keep flowers blooming—cut back tired annuals and perennials.

• 🪓 Divide: Now’s a good time to divide irises and daylilies after flowering.

• 🍅 Harvest: Tomatoes, peppers, cucumbers, beans—pick often to encourage more.

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Midwest

• 🥬 Sow Fall Veggies: Leafy greens, turnips, and peas can still be planted.

• 🌼 Tidy Beds: Cut back spent blooms, especially on coneflowers and black-eyed Susans.

• 🌿 Weed Aggressively: Don’t let weeds go to seed this late in the game.

• 🌧️ Check for Blight: Watch tomatoes and squash for signs of disease.

• 🧄 Plan Ahead: Order garlic for fall planting.

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Southeast

• 🥒 Late Crops: Sow beans, squash, cucumbers for a final summer harvest.

• 🥬 Start Fall Garden: Begin seeds indoors or in shaded beds for broccoli, cabbage, and collards.

• 🐞 Scout for Pests: Aphids, whiteflies, spider mites, and armyworms are active—act fast.

• 🧹 Prune Lightly: Trim back leggy annuals and deadhead flowers.

• 🌾 Mulch: Reapply mulch to retain moisture and cool roots.

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Southwest

• ☀️ Water Wisely: Water deeply in early morning; mulch to prevent evaporation.

• 🥦 Start Cool Crops: Begin fall garden planning—start broccoli, cauliflower, and chard indoors.

• 🌼 Deadhead Flowers: Encourage another flush of bloom.

• 🌾 Weed Control: Dry weeds go to seed fast—remove before they spread.

• 🪣 Compost: Keep turning; summer heat accelerates decomposition.

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Pacific Northwest

• 🥕 Plant for Fall: Beets, spinach, lettuce, and peas can still go in.

• 🌧️ Watch for Powdery Mildew: Especially on squash and cucumbers—remove infected leaves.

• 🌿 Harvest Herbs: Dry or freeze basil, thyme, oregano, and parsley.

• 🧄 Order Fall Bulbs: Tulips, garlic, daffodils—get ready for September planting.

• 🍅 Stake Tomatoes: Heavy fruit needs support this time of year.

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Mountain West

• 🥬 Fall Crops: Direct sow spinach, kale, lettuce, and radishes.

• 🌻 Harvest Daily: Zucchini and cucumbers can get oversized fast.

• 🧤 Protect From Heat: Shade cloth can help young fall crops survive hot days.

• 🌸 Deadhead Perennials: Encourage rebloom on echinacea, salvia, and more.

• 🧪 Check Soil Moisture: Especially for containers and raised beds.

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California

• 🥗 Plant for Fall: Start brassicas and leafy greens from seed.

• ☀️ Irrigate Smart: Use drip irrigation or early morning watering to conserve.

• 🐜 Control Pests: Watch for whiteflies, spider mites, and scale insects.

• 🌸 Late Summer Color: Plant zinnias, cosmos, and sunflowers for continued bloom.

• 🪓 Prune Lightly: Cut back leggy herbs and annuals; remove dead foliage.

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August is a balancing act—between heat and harvest, hustle and rest. The wise gardener tends with purpose, plans with vision, and lets the sweat of August sow the beauty of fall.

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The Gardener's To-Do List for February

 

You're probably getting the itch to get outside and begin gardening. For some of us, the time is now. For others, not so soon. February barely hints of spring. Swinburne described the month cleverly:

Wan February with weeping cheer,
Whose cold hand guides the youngling year
Down misty roads of mire and rime,
Before thy pale and fitful face
The shrill wind shifts the clouds apace
Through skies the morning scarce may climb.
Thine eyes are thick with heavy tears,
But lit with hopes that light the year's.

If, lit with hope, you must do something, here are a few gardening tasks for February organized by region.

Northeast States: Continue pruning dormant deciduous trees, shrubs, vines; but avoid removing spring flower buds. Continue removing snow from evergreens to avoid limb damage. Inspect indoor plants for disease and insects. Refill bird feeders often. Browse seed catalogs and nursery web sites. Order spring flowering bulbs, onion sets, strawberries, rhubarb and asparagus, if you haven’t already. Start cool season veggies and annuals indoors. Check bulbs and roots in cool storage; throw out rotten ones. Clean and oil garden tools. Organize your potting supplies.

Mid-Atlantic States: Continue pruning dormant deciduous trees, shrubs, vines; but avoid removing spring flower buds.  Maintain house plants, checking for disease and insects. Feed the birds. Browse seed catalogs and nursery web sites. Order spring flowering bulbs, onion sets, strawberries, rhubarb, and asparagus, if you haven’t already. Check bulbs and roots in cool storage; throw out rotten ones. Add mulch to planting beds, if needed. Plant bare-root trees and shrubs. Sow warm-season annuals and vegetables in cold frame. Prune fruit trees, shrubs and vines. Clean and oil garden tools. Take soil samples to your local Cooperative Extension Service for analysis.

Mid-South States: Continue pruning dormant deciduous trees, shrubs, vines.    Avoid removing spring-blooming flower buds. Spray dormant oil on dormant fruit trees, if you haven’t done so yet. Refill bird feeders often. Add mulch to planting beds, if needed. Take soil samples to your local Cooperative Extension Service for analysis. Adjust pH, if necessary. Sow warm-season annuals and vegetables in cold frame. Plant bare-root trees and shrubs. Clean and oil garden tools.

Lower South and Gulf States: Continue pruning dormant deciduous trees, shrubs, vines. Spray dormant oil on dormant fruit trees, if you haven’t done so yet.    Continue planting and transplanting broadleaf and evergreen trees and shrubs, perennials and ground covers. Continue to irrigate shrubs and trees as long as weather is above freezing. Fertilize trees and shrubs when dormant, if you haven't done it yet. Fertilize roses. Add mulch to planting beds, if needed. Take soil samples to your local Cooperative Extension Service for analysis. Adjust pH, if necessary.

Plains and Rocky Mountain States: Follow the same regimen as for Northeast States. In addition, Prepare your grow lights and seed-starting supplies. Take inventory of your garden tools, and buy more, if necessary.

Pacific Northwest States: Follow the same regimen as for Mid-Atlantic States. In addition, plant fruit trees, roses, and cool-season vegetable crops. Divide perennials like hosta, daylilies, such.

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The Gardener's To-Do List for January

 

There’s not much new garden work to do in January. If you completed all your garden tasks in November or December, you should relax with your coffee or tea, seed catalogs and spring garden plans. In case you’re not sure, here is your checklist to review.

Northeast and Mid-Atlantic

Get your seeds ordered ASAP before they’re sold out!
Inspect your cold frames for needed repairs.
Organize your garden tools.
Add kitchen scraps to your compost bin.
Check the wrapping on your evergreen trees and shrubs, if you added any for snow protection.
It’s easy to forget watering during winter. Make sure your garden gets a couple inches each week.
Drain garden hoses and store them out of the way after each use.

South

Start planting asparagus and strawberries.
Be ready to cover crops again with frost cloth in case temperatures drop severely.
Get your seeds ordered.
Plant trees, shrubs and vines.
Add fallen leaves and kitchen scraps to your compost pile.
Prune certain ornamental trees and shrubs, grape vines, and fruiting shrubs.
Make sure your garden gets a couple inches of water each week.
Drain garden hoses and store them out of the way after each use.

Midwest

Organize your garden tools.
Inspect your cold frames for needed repairs.
Get your seeds ordered very soon.
Check your garden beds in case more mulch is needed.
Check the wrapping on your evergreen trees and shrubs, if you added any for snow protection.
Don’t forget to water your garden. Rain and snowfall might not be enough during dry winters.
Drain garden hoses and store them out of the way after each use.

Pacific Northwest

Get your seeds ordered now.
Add kitchen scraps to your compost bin.
Make sure your garden gets a couple inches of water each week.
Drain garden hoses and store them out of the way after each use.
Organize your garden tools.

West Coast

Plant bare root trees, shrubs and vines.
Add compost to your garden.
Refresh mulch, if necessary.
Organize your garden tools.
Keep your plants well-watered.
Get your seeds ordered now before they’re sold out!

Southwest

Plant winter vegetables and warm season annuals.
Be prepared to protect citrus from cold snaps.
Organize your garden tools.
Check frost protection fabric for tears.
Get your seeds ordered right away.
Inspect your irrigation system for leaks. Now is no time to waste water.
Make needed repairs to your garden tools before the spring rush.

The Gardener's To-Do List for December

 

We probably won’t feel like working in the garden, but there are some tasks we can accomplish even in December. Here are some to handle this month.

Northeast and Mid-Atlantic

Inspect your cold frames for needed repairs.
Plant trees and shrubs if you can still get your shovel in the ground.
Add more mulch to your garden beds.
Check the wrapping on your evergreen trees and shrubs, if you added any for snow protection.
Winterize your gas-powered garden tools, if you haven’t already. At the very least, drain fuel from the tanks and run the engines until they’ve used up what’s in the carburetors.
Complete maintenance of your garden tools by removing soil, applying a thin layer of oil.
It’s easy to forget watering during winter. Make sure your garden gets a couple inches each week.
Drain garden hoses and store them out of the way after each use.

South

Be ready to cover crops with frost cloth just in case temperatures drop severely.
Plant trees, shrubs and vines.
Add fallen leaves to your compost pile.
Add a couple inches of mulch to your garden beds.
Complete maintenance of your garden tools by removing soil, applying a thin layer of oil.
Make sure your garden gets a couple inches of water each week.
Drain garden hoses and store them out of the way after each use.

Midwest

Plant trees, shrubs and vines.
Inspect your cold frames for needed repairs.
Check your garden beds in case more mulch is needed.
Check the wrapping on your evergreen trees and shrubs, if you added any for snow protection.
Complete maintenance of your garden tools by removing soil and applying a thin layer of oil.
Don’t forget to water your garden. Rain and snowfall might not be enough during dry winters.
Drain garden hoses and store them out of the way after each use.

Pacific Northwest

Plant bare-root and container grown shrubs and trees.
Protect evergreen trees and shrubs from snow burdens.
Maintain your garden tools by removing soil and applying a thin layer of oil.
Make sure your garden gets a couple inches of water each week.
Drain garden hoses and store them out of the way after each use.

West Coast

Plant cold-hardy annuals and perennials.
Plant bare root trees, shrubs and vines.
Add compost to your garden.
Refresh mulch, if necessary.
Keep your plants well-watered.

Southwest

Plant winter vegetables and warm season annuals.
Be prepared to protect citrus from cold snaps.
Check frost protection fabric for tears.
Add compost to your garden beds.
Inspect your irrigation system for leaks. Now is no time to waste water.
Make needed repairs to your garden tools before the spring rush.

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The Gardener's To-Do List for November

 

Cold weather is nearly upon us. Some regions have already had their first snow. Here are some garden tasks to handle this month.

Northeast and Mid-Atlantic

• Seed and plant catalogs are arriving in the mail. Better make your choices and order early while the selection is best.
• If gardening over winter, inspect your cold frames for needed repairs. Construct low-profile hoop coverings for raised beds.
• Plant cold-hardy perennials and add some mulch for protection.
• Store your bountiful harvest over winter. A cool dark place is best. A root cellar, basement or utility room might do.
• Clean up your garden by removing organic debris to the compost pile.
• While you’re at it, turn that compost pile once again before winter sets in.
• Mark your perennials and bulbs with garden stakes.
• Plant trees and shrubs while you can still get your shovel in the ground.
• Add a couple inches of mulch to your garden beds.
• Protect evergreen trees and shrubs from breaking because of snow burdens. Wrapping them in burlap is a useful and inexpensive way of doing it.
• Winterize your gas-powered garden tools, if you haven’t already. At the very least, drain fuel from the tanks and run the engines until they’ve used up what’s in the carburetors.
• Complete maintenance of your garden tools by removing soil, applying a thin layer of oil to metal
• parts.
• Make sure your garden gets a couple inches of water each week.
• Drain garden hoses and store them out of the way after each use.

South

• Since it’s probably too late for you to sow seeds, plant winter vegetable sets in your gardens and raised beds.
• Seed and plant catalogs are arriving in the mail. Order early while the selection is best.
• Clean up your garden by removing organic debris to the compost pile.
• Turn your compost pile once again.
• Plant cold-hardy annuals.
• Plant trees and shrubs because “Fall Is for Planting!”
• Add a couple inches of mulch to your garden beds.
• Winterize those gas-powered garden tools. Drain fuel from the tanks and run the engines until they’ve they run out of gas.
• Complete maintenance of your garden tools by removing soil, applying a thin layer of oil.
• Make sure your garden gets a couple inches of water each week.
• Drain garden hoses and store them out of the way after each use.

Midwest

• Plant cold-hardy perennials.
• Add garden debris to your compost pile, and turn it again.
• Plant trees, shrubs and vines.
• If gardening over winter, inspect your cold frames for needed repairs. Construct low-profile hoop coverings for raised beds.
• Store your harvest over winter. A cool dark place is best.
• Seed and plant catalogs are arriving in the mail. Shop now while the selection is best.
• Mark your perennials and bulbs with garden stakes.
• Add a couple inches of mulch to your garden beds.
• Protect evergreen trees and shrubs from breaking because of snow burdens. Wrapping them in burlap is a useful and inexpensive way of doing it.
• Winterize your gas-powered garden tools, if you haven’t already. At the very least, drain fuel from the tanks and run the engines until they’ve used up what’s in the carburetors.
• Complete maintenance of your garden tools by removing soil and applying a thin layer of oil.
• Make sure your garden gets a couple inches of water each week.
• Drain garden hoses and store them out of the way after each use.

Pacific Northwest

• Prepare your cold frames and hoop structures over your raised beds.
• Add compost to your garden beds.
• Plant bare-root and container grown shrubs and trees.
• Remove debris from your orchard and berry patches.
• Protect evergreen trees and shrubs from snow burdens.
• Winterize your gas-powered garden tools.
• Complete maintenance of your garden tools by removing soil and applying a thin layer of oil.
• Make sure your garden gets a couple inches of water each week.
• Drain garden hoses and store them out of the way after each use.
• Seed and plant catalogs are arriving in the mail. Better make your choices and order early while the selection is best.

West Coast

• Seed and plant catalogs are arriving in the mail. Shop now while the selection is best.
• Plant cold-hardy annuals, perennials and root vegetables.
• Add compost to your garden.
• Refresh mulch, if necessary.
• Remove organic garden debris to your compost pile, and turn the pile once again.
• Keep your plants well-watered.

Southwest

• Plant winter vegetables and warm season annuals.
• Seed and plant catalogs are arriving in the mail. Order early while the selection is best.
• Be prepared to protect citrus from cold snaps.
• Add compost to your garden beds.
• Inspect your irrigation system for leaks. Now is no time to waste water.
• Make needed repairs to your garden tools before the spring rush.

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The Gardener's To-Do List for October

 

Robert Frost's poem, "October", perfectly evokes the images and sentiments of the month that is upon us.

       
O hushed October morning mild,
Thy leaves have ripened to the fall;
Tomorrow’s wind, if it be wild,
Should waste them all.
The crows above the forest call;
Tomorrow they may form and go.
O hushed October morning mild,
Begin the hours of this day slow.
Make the day seem to us less brief.
Hearts not averse to being beguiled,
Beguile us in the way you know.
Release one leaf at break of day;
At noon release another leaf;
One from our trees, one far away.
Retard the sun with gentle mist;
Enchant the land with amethyst.
Slow, slow!
For the grapes’ sake, if they were all,
Whose leaves already are burnt with frost,
Whose clustered fruit must else be lost—
For the grapes’ sake along the wall.

This poem is believed to be in the public domain.

Now that some of us are beginning to bundle up against the chill, let's go garden now. Here are some gardening suggestions for each region.

Northeast Region

• Winterize your irrigation, but keep it available for use. You'll still need to water your plants.
  
• Continue dividing your perennials.
  
• Plant fall annuals, if you haven't done so already.
• Protect your roses, removed dead or damaged parts, add extra mulch around the graft union.
  
• Add finished compost to your garden beds.
• Mulch your beds for cold protection.
  
• Turn your compost pile, again.
• Winterize your gas-powered tools. 
• Pull up stakes and tomato cages, clean and remove to storage overwinter.
  
• Clean up garden debris.
• Begin harvesting your root vegetables.
• Dead-head perennials.
• Save seed, where possible, for planting next spring.
• Cover your hoop houses and cold frames.
• Store containers that might crack in winter in a protected, dry area.
  

Mid-Atlantic

• Plant fall annuals, if you haven't already. 
• Plant spring-flowering bulbs.
• Winterize gas-powered tools.
• Remove garden debris.
  
• Clean hand tools and add a protective layer of oil to prevent rust.
  
• Get your vegetable starter plants in the ground, if you haven't already.
  
• Fertilize winter vegetables and cold-season annuals.
  
• Remove spent plants and compost them.
• Begin harvesting root vegetables, unless you intend to store them in the ground.
•  Add a protective layer of mulch to your garden.
•  Pull up stakes and tomato cages, clean and remove to storage overwinter.
• Turn the compost pile.
• Cover your hoop houses.
•  Winterize your irrigation, but keep it available for use. You'll still need to water your plants.

Southeast

• Cut and dry flowers and herbs for later use.
• Collect and dry seeds for next year's planting, but leave some for the birds.
  
• Plant your spring-blooming bulbs. 
• Plant cool season annuals.
• Divide your perennials.
  
• Harvest fruits and vegetables.
• Stop fertilizing trees and shrubs. 
• Turn your compost pile, again.
• Keep weeding!
  

Midwest

• Plant fall annuals, if you haven't already. 
• Winterize gas-powered tools.
• Remove garden debris.
  
• Clean hand tools and add a protective layer of oil to prevent rust.
  
• Fertilize winter vegetables and cold-season annuals.
  
•  Add a protective layer of mulch to your garden.
• Turn the compost pile.
• Cover your hoop houses.
•  Winterize your irrigation, but keep it available for use. You'll still need to water your plants.

Pacific Northwest

•  Continue harvesting fruits and vegetables.
  
• Turn the compost pile.
• Winterize garden tools.
•  Clean hand tools and add a protective layer of oil to prevent rust.
• Add protective mulch to your garden.
• Winterize your irrigation, but keep it available for use. You'll still need to water your plants.
• Direct-sow root vegetables and leafy salad greens.
  

 Pacific Coast

• Continue harvesting fruits and vegetables.
• Keep the garden clean of spent plants and weeds.
• Gardeners in the southern region should plant spring-flowering bulbs.
• Gardeners in the warmer region can continue the second round of planting for warm-season vegetables and annuals. 
• Continue composting, turning the compost occasionally.
• Add finished compost to the garden.
• Mulch the vegetable and flower garden.
•  Clean hand tools and add a protective layer of oil to prevent rust.

Southwest

• Continue pest control.
• Plant cacti and succulents, trees and shrubs. 
• Plant cool-season annuals.
  
• Continue regular garden maintenance.
• Remove garden debris and compost it.
  
• Turn the compost pile.
• Add finished compost to the garden.
  
• Continue irrigation, checking the system for maximum efficiency.

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The Gardener's To-Do List for September

 

Virgo

Helen Hunt Jackson's poem, "September", evokes the images and atmosphere of the month that we welcome so heartily.

        THE golden-rod is yellow;
        The corn is turning brown;
        The trees in apple orchards
        With fruit are bending down.
         
        The gentian's bluest fringes
        Are curling in the sun;
        In dusty pods the milkweed
        Its hidden silk has spun.
         
        The sedges flaunt their harvest,
        In every meadow nook;
        And asters by the brook-side
        Make asters in the brook.
         
        From dewy lanes at morning
        The grapes' sweet odors rise;
        At noon the roads all flutter
        With yellow butterflies.
         
        By all these lovely tokens
        September days are here,
        With summer's best of weather,
        And autumn's best of cheer.
         
        But none of all this beauty
        Which floods the earth and air
        Is unto me the secret
        Which makes September fair.
         
        'Tis a thing which I remember;
        To name it thrills me yet:
        One day of one September
        I never can forget.

This poem is in the public domain.

Now that we're feeling better after a brutal August, let's go garden now. Here are some gardening suggestions for each region.

Northeast Region

• Plant spring-flowering bulbs.
• Dig tender summer bulbs for storage over winter.
  
• Stop fertilizing. You don't want tender new growth to emerge this time of year.
  
• Divide perennials.
  
• Continue to be on the lookout for insect pests. Pick them off, if possible, and destroy them. If pesticides are necessary, consider organic alternatives. Always read label instructions. 
• Plant fall annuals.
  
• Add finished compost to your garden beds.
• Turn your compost pile, again.
• Construct hoop houses and cold-frames to protect plants over winter and keep them producing.
  

Mid-Atlantic

• Plant fall annuals. 
• Plant spring-flowering bulbs.
• Get your vegetable starter plants in the ground.
  
• Stop fertilizing and pruning to avoid encouraging tender growth that could be damaged by the cold.
  
• Remove spent plants and compost them.
• Turn the compost pile.
• Gather materials for hoop houses and cold-frames.

Southeast

• Start winter annuals for transplanting later.
  
• Cut and dry flowers and herbs for later use.
• Order your spring-blooming bulbs, if you haven't already. 
• Harvest fruits and vegetables.
• Stop fertilizing trees and shrubs. 
• Turn your compost pile, again.
  

Midwest

• Plant your spring-flowering bulbs, if you live in the northern parts of the region.
• Plant cool season annuals. 
• Turn your compost pile.
  
• Divide perennials.
• Dig and store tender bulbs, tubers and rhizomes.

Pacific Northwest

• Begin planting shrubs and trees.
• Buy your spring-flowering bulbs.
• Turn the compost pile.
• Plant cool-season annuals.
• Direct-sow root vegetables and leafy salad greens.
  

 Pacific Coast

• Continue harvesting fruits and vegetables.
• Keep the garden clean of spent plants and weeds.
• Gardeners in the southern region should buy spring-flowering bulbs.
• Gardeners in the warmer region can begin a second round of planting for warm-season vegetables and annuals.

Southwest

• Continue pest control.
• Plant cacti and succulents. 
• Refresh annuals, as needed.
• Continue regular garden maintenance.
• Turn the compost pile.
• Continue irrigation, checking the system for maximum efficiency. Don't waste water.

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The Gardener's To-Do List for July

July is upon us. At this time of year, many garden chores are common to all regions of the United States. Here they are, though this is not an exhaustive list.

For all gardens

• Get ready for fall!
• Start flower and vegetable seedlings for transplanting to your fall garden.
• Fertilize when needed. Check for yellowing leaves and slowed growth.
• If using synthetic granular fertilizer, water your garden first, apply fertilizer to moist soil, then water again. This will help to incorporate the amendment into the soil and reduce the risk of fertilizer burn.
• Good garden hygiene is essential for healthy gardens. Remove dead and dying material to the compost bin.
• Add soft-tissue plant clippings to your compost bin.
• Check your irrigation to make sure you are watering wisely and conserving as much as possible. Adjust as needed. This is especially important in arid regions.
• Refresh mulch in your garden beds to conserve water.
• Add compost to your garden beds.
• Turn your compost pile, again.
• Keep a sharp eye out for pests – sucking aphids, chomping beetles, munching larvae, hornworms, and the like. Pick them off and destroy them, if you can find them. Otherwise, opt for targeted organic solutions rather than using indiscriminate chemical applications.
• Water all plants before applying synthetic or organic chemicals to avoid tissue damage. Dry plants are more susceptible to damage.
• Keep your garden tools clean, dry and sharp to lengthen their lifespan and make your work easier.

For vegetable gardens

• Plant vegetable seedlings or starter plants for another round of production before summer ends.
• Keep pruning your vegetable plants. Tomatoes, cucumbers and other trellised plants will produce better crops if suckers are pinched off and unnecessary growth is removed.
• When removing tomato suckers, stick them in quart containers with fresh, moist potting soil. Keep them in the shade. They’ll root and you can transplant to your garden.
• Check your fruiting vegetables, (e.g. okra, tomatoes, eggplants, cucumbers, squash, pumpkins and melons) for fruit. If the plants are developed enough, but not setting enough fruit, they might not be getting sufficient pollination from bees. If you are watering with an overhead sprinkler, this could keep the bees from working. Instead, irrigate with a watering wand at the base of your plants.
• Pick some types of fruiting vegetables before they fully mature to prevent the plants from ceasing production. This is especially true of cucumbers!
• Stake tall plants to prevent wind damage or structural collapse from heavy yields.
• Squirrels, rabbits and groundhogs can dig in your soil, uproot your plants and eat your veggies. Trap and remove them (humanely) or cover your crops with netting.
• Remove spent vegetable plants and compost them.

For flower gardens

• Fertilize your roses, again.
• Stake tall plants to prevent wind damage.
• Deadhead flowers to keep the plants producing.
• If you’ve been deadheading your garden mums, you can stop now. This will allow them to produce more in fall.
• Prune geraniums (i.e. Pelargoniums), stick the cuttings in fresh, moist potting soil and place them in the shade where they can root and be transplanted to your garden or containers.
• Remove spent annuals and compost them.
• Sow seeds of biennials such as Alcea, Bellis, Campanula, Digitalis and Viola now for next year’s bloom.
• Cut and dry flowers and herbs for later use.
• Seeds can be gathered from dried flowers such as Coreopsis, Echinacea and Rudbeckia to be scattered in your little wildflower meadow-ette for future enjoyment.

For lawns

• Keep your lawnmower blades sharp. Dull blades damage grass leaves, enable disease entry, and make your lawn look UGLY!
• Water deeply only once or twice per week. Frequent shallow watering encourages shallow root penetration and causes the plants to need more frequent watering. Add watering days if the lawn looks stressed.
  
• Do your mid-summer fertilizing.
• Watch for fungus diseases. If you can’t identify them, take samples or photos to your nearby Cooperative Extension Office for diagnosis and recommendations.

For shrubs and trees

• Don’t forget to water them DEEPLY during dry spells. This is especially true of newly planted items.
• Watch for borers. If you discover them too late, you should remove the infected plants and burn them to prevent the borers from migrating to other plants.
• Remove and burn dead wood.
• Prune flowering shrubs soon after blooming.

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The Gardener's To-Do-List for June

 

June is here. These are some things to do for your garden.

No matter where you live, you should:

Keep a sharp eye out for pests – sucking aphids, chomping beetles, munching larvae, hornworms, and the like. Pick them off and destroy them, if you can find them. Otherwise, opt for targeted organic solutions rather than using indiscriminate chemical applications.

Keep pruning your vegetable plants. Tomatoes, cucumbers and other trellised plants will produce better crops if suckers are pinched off and unnecessary growth is removed.

Northeast

• Plant cucumbers, squash, pumpkins and melons outdoors.
• Fertilize your roses, again.
• Turn your compost pile, again.
• Watch out for June bugs.
• Remove dead flowers from spring bulbs.
• Plant eggplants and tomatoes outside.
• Add mulch if necessary.

Mid-Atlantic

• Squirrels, rabbits and groundhogs can dig in your soil, uproot your plants and eat your veggies. Trap and remove them (humanely) or cover your crops with netting.
• Plant curcurbits (squash, cucumbers, pumpkins, etc.) outside.
• Time to plant your tomatoes and eggplants.
• Divide spring-flowering bulbs.
• Add mulch if necessary.

Mid- and Lower South

• If you don’t have any extra, stop by a local nursery for seedlings and till in any empty spaces.
• Remove and compost early season root vegetables that are starting to go to flower.
• Keep watering your garden.
• Add compost to your garden.
• Turn your compost pile and add more to it.
• Fertilize roses, again.
• Check for pests and diseases.
• Squirrels, rabbits and groundhogs can dig in your soil, uproot your plants and eat your veggies. Trap and remove them (humanely) or cover your crops with netting.

Midwest

• Plant cucumbers, squash, pumpkins and melons outdoors.
• Squirrels and rabbits can dig in your soil, uproot your plants and eat your veggies. Trap and remove them (humanely) or cover your crops with netting.
• Fertilize your roses, again.
• Turn your compost pile, again.
• Watch out for June bugs.
• Remove dead flowers from spring bulbs.
• Plant eggplants and tomatoes outside.

Pacific Northwest

• Plant cucumbers, squash, pumpkins and melons outdoors.
• Fertilize your roses, again.
• Turn your compost pile, again.
• Watch out for June bugs.
• Remove dead flowers from spring bulbs.
• Watch for fungus diseases.
• Plant eggplants and tomatoes outside.

West Coast

• Plant cucumbers, squash, pumpkins and melons outdoors.
• Fertilize your roses, again.
• Turn your compost pile, again.
• Watch out for fungus diseases and insect pests.
• Remove dead flowers from spring bulbs.
• Plant eggplants and tomatoes outside.

Southwest

• Check your irrigation to make sure you are watering wisely and conserving as much as possible.
• Mulch your garden beds to conserve water.
• Add compost to your garden beds.
• Fertilize your roses again.

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The Gardener's To-Do List for May

 

Wow! April seemed to pass so quickly.

May is upon us, so here are some things to do in and around your garden.

Surely you've taken a soil sample to your nearest County Extension Service office for testing. You have, haven't you?

You should be keeping a garden journal. Record what you planted where, when and how. Note your successes and failures, weather conditions, etc. This might help you repeat your successes and avoid failures in the future.

 Northeast

Get rid of those weeds. Either pull them, hoe them or mulch deeply to suppress them.
If the threat of frost is past, plant tomatoes, peppers, okra, pumpkins, beans, corn, squash and other heat-loving crops. Otherwise, wait.
If frost is still a possibility, start seeds for those plants indoors.
Get your perennial herbs in the ground.
Harvest rhubarb and asparagus.

Mid-Atlantic

Finish planting trees, shrubs, perennials and fruits. Hot weather will be coming soon.
Add compost to your garden.
Plant your flower beds with summer annuals.
Water your garden to keep your beets and other root crops growing.
Fertilize roses.
Divide older established perennials if needed.

Mid- and Lower South

Direct-sow more vegetable seeds in your gardens and raised beds.
Begin to thin radishes, beets and other crops closely sown.
Keep watering your garden.
Add compost to your garden.
Turn your compost pile and add more to it.
Fertilize roses, again.
Check for pests and diseases.

Midwest

Start seeds indoors for cucumbers, squash, pumpkins and melons.
Fertilize your roses, again.
Turn your compost pile, again.
Remove some of the mulch applied last fall so new growth can emerge.
Divide perennials, if necessary.
Plant beans, squash, corn, peppers, and tomatoes, if danger of frost is past.

Pacific Northwest

Stay on top of your weed situation. Don’t let them get out of control.
Divide perennials.
Plant peppers, tomatoes, eggplant, squash, and melons once your soil has warmed to 70 degrees F.
Plant summer-blooming bulbs, perennials and perennial vegetables.
Turn your compost pile.
Add finished compost to your garden beds.
Fertilize your roses, again.
Continue pest control in your orchard.

West Coast

Finish harvesting cool weather crops.
Fertilize trees, shrubs and roses.
Plant summer-blooming bulbs, perennial and root vegetables.
Add compost to your garden.
Prune roses and shrubs that bloom on fresh wood.
Remove excess mulch.
Refresh mulch, if necessary.

Southwest

Plant summer-flowering bulbs.
Finish harvesting cool weather crops.
Plant outdoor vegetables and warm season annuals.
Add compost to your garden beds.
Fertilize your roses again.

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The Gardener's To-Do List for April

 

Along with the coming of April come more garden tasks. Here are some suggestions organized by region.

If you didn’t get around to it last month, take a soil sample and send it to your nearest County Extension Service office for testing. It amendments are required, add them.
 

Northeast

Sow cool-season vegetables and flowers.
Divide perennials if they’ve grown too thickly..
Remove some of the mulch that you laid on thickly in fall so new perennial growth can emerge easily, but check your weather forecasts to see if severe cold is coming before doing this.
Begin to harden off cool-season veggies and flowers that you started earlier.
Complete maintenance of your garden tools.


Mid-Atlantic

Prune your roses and shrubs that produce on new wood before it’s too late.
Finish planting trees, shrubs, perennials and fruits if danger before hot weather sets in.
Add compost to your garden.
Plant your flower beds with summer annuals.


Mid- and Lower South

Direct-sow vegetable seeds in your gardens and raised beds.
Plant those vegetable and herb sets.
Add compost to your garden.
Fertilize roses.
Prune azaleas and camellias when they’ve finished blooming.
Spray for citrus scale in southern-most areas.

Midwest

Plant and divide perennials.
Fertilize roses.
Turn your compost pile.
Remove some of the mulch applied last fall so new growth can emerge.
Plant trees, shrubs and vines.

Pacific Northwest

Divide perennials.
Plant summer-blooming bulbs, perennials and perennial vegetables.
Add compost to your garden beds.
Fertilize your roses.
Plant bare-root and container grown shrubs and trees.
Continue pest control in your orchard.


West Coast

Fertilize trees, shrubs and roses.
Plant summer-blooming bulbs, perennial and root vegetables.
Add compost to your garden.
Prune roses and shrubs that bloom on fresh wood.
Remove excess mulch.
Refresh mulch, if necessary.


Southwest

Plant summer-flowering bulbs.
Plant outdoors vegetables and warm season annuals.
Add compost to your garden beds.

Hawaii

Spray for citrus scale.
Fertilize shrubs and trees.
Continue weed control.

The Gardener’s To-Do List for March

Can you believe it? The month of March is here already. With it comes a lot to do in the garden. Here are some suggestions organized by region.

No matter where you live, take a soil sample and send it to your nearest County Extension Service office for testing. If amendments are required, now’s the time to add them.

Northeast

The weather is still unpredictable, so you’ll have to take your weather forecasts into account. But, generally speaking, you should proceed with the following:

Shrubs that bloom on new wood should be pruned.
Clean debris from your flower beds.
Spray your fruit trees with dormant oil.
Cut ornamental grasses nearly to the ground to make room for new growth.
Protective winter structures can be removed from evergreen shrubs.
Check your garden mulch. If you applied a heavy layer in fall to protect perennials and bulbs, it might be time to remove some of it to allow for new growth. Check your weather forecasts to see if severe cold is coming before doing this.

Mid-Atlantic

It might feel like spring, but it might not be totally sprung. Keep an eye on the weatherman.
Prune your roses and shrubs that produce on new wood.
Commence planting trees, shrubs, perennials and fruits if danger of frost is past and the soil is workable.
Add compost to your garden.
Plant perennial vegetables such as asparagus and rhubarb.
Freshen your flower beds with pansies and snapdragons.

Mid-South

If you haven’t gotten around to it yet, get with it. You’re late doing those tasks that gardeners in the Northeast and Mid-Atlantic regions are just beginning. See above.

Lower South

It’s time to break out the antihistamine. Pollen clouds are wafting across the landscape.
Prune your roses and shrubs that flower on new wood. Better now than never.
Plant those trees and shrubs, perennials and summer-blooming bulbs.
Direct-sow vegetable seeds in your gardens and raised beds.
Plant those vegetable and herb sets.
Add compost to your garden.
Start pest and weed control measures.
Clean off your power tools and test to see if they work. Better get them to the repair shop now before the lines form and the waits grow longer.

Midwest

The weather is unpredictable. Cold weather is very  possible.
Follow the suggestions for the Northeast.

Pacific Northwest

Your busy season has begun.
Plant summer-blooming bulbs, perennials and perennial vegetables.
Add compost to your garden beds.
Prune and fertilize your roses.
Plant shrubs and trees.
Begin a pest control regimen in your orchard.

Alaska

“When it’s springtime in Alaska, it’s 40 below.” - Johnny Horton. Nuff said.

West Coast

In the northern reaches, fertilize trees, shrubs and roses.
Plant summer-blooming bulbs, perennial and root vegetables.
Add compost to your garden.
Prune roses and shrubs that bloom on fresh wood.

In the southern zones, follow the suggestions for the northern areas, AND...
Start best pest control practices.
Divide perennials and replant them.

Southwest

Plant summer-flowering bulbs.
Plant outdoors root vegetables and those leafy plants that tolerate some cool temperatures
Cold-sensitive vegetables can be started indoors.
Add compost to your garden beds.
Remove old mulch.

Hawaii

Just keep doing what you’ve been doing all year long.
Fertilize shrubs and trees.
Control weeds.

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