2012-2013 Gardening Calendar

January

Ornamentals
• Plant trees and shrubbery.
• Mulch shrubbery.
 
Turf
• Soil test.
• Service and test spray equipment.
• Spray winter weeds
   with approved herbicides.
• Spray wild onions
   with approved herbicides.

Flowers
• Prepare rose beds and
   plant layer in month.
• Lime rose bed if soil test indicates need.
• Fertilize pansies with liquid fertilizer.

February

 Plant shrubbery/small trees.
• Prune summer flowering shrubbery.
• Cut back overgrown shrubbery
   and trees.
• Mulch shrubbery.
• Cut back liriope to highest
   mower blade setting.

Turf
• Apply pre-emergence herbicides
   to prevent summer weeds
    during last half of month.
• Spray for winter weeds.

Flowers
• Prune hybrid tea roses.
• Spray roses.
• Plant new rose bushes.
• Plant hardy annuals such as baby’s breath, pansies, petunias, sweet peas and foxglove.

March

• Complete pruning for shape.
• Prune overgrown shrubbery.

Ornamentals
• Fertilize shrubbery.
• Mulch shrubbery.
• Prune crepe myrtle.
• Plant shrubbery.

Turf
• Apply pre-emergent herbicides.
• Fertilize grass during green-up.        
• Delay fertilizing centipede grass till    
   after green-up.
• Top dress lawns.

Flowers
• Fertilize bulbs and remove
   dead flower heads.
• Fertilize roses.
• Prepare plan for spring and
   summer plantings of annuals.
• Plant perennials.
 

April

Ornamentals
• Prune flowering shrubbery
   such as quince, azaleas,
   spirea and forsythia after bloom.
• Check juniper, cedars and
   arborvitae for bagworms.
• Check shrubbery for tea scale
    and control if necessary.
• Check azaleas for lace bugs
    and control if necessary.

Turf
• Plant grass seed.
• Fertilize centipede grass after green-up.
• Sod or sprig grasses.
• Control broad-leaf weeds.
• Watch for signs of disease and winter kill.

Flowers
• Plant summer flowering bulbs.
• Prepare beds for annual flowers.
• Fertilize roses.
 

May

Ornamentals
• Plant shrubbery, but plan to water regularly.
• Mulch shrubbery and trees,
   but don’t over mulch,
   two to four inches is sufficient.
• Check all shrubbery for insect infesta-
   tions and treat with recommended   
   insecticide, if necessary.
• Fertilize shrubbery.
• Remove suckers on trees.

Turf
• Fertilize zoysia, Bermuda,
   and St. Augustine.
• Establish centipede, zoysia, Bermuda
   and St. Augustine.
• Check lawns for disease    
   and insect problems.
• Treat fire ants.

Flowers
• Prune climbing roses after they bloom.
• Plant dahlia and other
   summer flowering bulbs.
• Plant annuals.
• Fertilize roses.

June

Ornamentals
• Prune azaleas and camellias in early June.
• Spray gardenias to control white flies and sooty mold.
• Spray crepe myrtle with Malathion or Orthene for aphid control.
• Take cuttings of broad-leaf evergreen and deciduous shrubbery for rooting.
• Do “touch up” pruning when new shrubbery growth reaches 12 inches.

Turf
• Plant grass where needed.
• Fertilize lawn.
• Apply second application of pre-emergence herbicide for crabgrass and broad-leaf weed control.
• Check lawn for disease and insect damage.
• Treat for mole crickets in late June.

Flowers
• Continue to plant marigolds, zinnias, salvia, annual vinca and begonias.
• Pinch terminals off flowers to promote branching.
• Spray roses for insect and disease control.
• Plant dahlia.
• Fertilize roses.

July

Ornamentals
• Fertilize shrubbery.
• Check shrubbery for insects.
• Watch for powdery mildew on crepe myrtle and apply fungicide where damage is severe.

Turf
• Fertilize Bermuda, zoysia, St. Augustine
   and centipede grass.
• Treat for mole crickets in early July.

Flowers
• Remove old flowers on annuals.
• Fertilize annuals and perennials.
• Seed biennials and perennials.
• Fertilize roses.
 

August

Ornamentals
• Watch for bagworms on juniper and other narrow-leaf evergreen shrubs.
• Fertilize hollies.
• Prune shrubbery. Do not prune azaleas and camellias.
• Remove old crepe myrtle flowers as soon as color fades.
• Spray pyracantha for lace bugs with systemic insecticide.
• Water during extreme drought.

Turf
• Fertilize lawn grasses except centipede grass.
• Control disease and insects.
• Replace dead patches.

Flowers
• Continue to spray roses for insect and disease control.
• Fertilize roses, stake dahlia, check marigolds for mites.
• Renew mulches in flower beds.
• Plant iris.

September

Ornamentals

• Prune shrubbery for shape.
• Plant camellia and Southern magnolia seeds as their pods break open.
• Begin gibbing camellias in early September.
• Divide and transplant liriope.
• Soil test.

Turf
• Check lawns for disease, treat with recommended pesticide.
• Apply pre-emergent herbicide in late September.
• Soil test.
• Treat fire ants.

Flowers
• Fertilize roses early in month
   (last application until spring).
• Divide/transplant day lilies and iris.
• Start pansies and gloriosa daisy from seed.
• Delay planting pansies outside until October.
 

October

Ornamentals
• Spray shrubbery to control tea scale with systematic insecticide.
•    Collect leaves for mulch.
•    Plant shrubbery and trees.

Turf
• Plant rye grass if overseeding existing lawns.
• Soil test and lime if required.
• Apply pre-emergent herbicides for winter weed control in early October if not applied in September.

Flowers
• Divide and transplant day lilies and liriope.
• Cut back faded annual flowers.
• Plant fall bulbs in late October.
• Dig caladium tubers before frost.
• Plant pansies mid- to late October.

November

Ornamentals
• Plant shrubbery and trees.
• Store fallen leaves for mulch.
• Mulch shrubbery with fresh material.
• Soil test.

Turf
• Soil test.
• Fertilize cool season grasses.
• Spray wild onions with
   appropriate herbicides.

Flowers
• Store recently dug caladium tubers in cool, dry place.
• Plant spring flowering bulbs: tulip,
     hyacinths, daffodils and crocus.
 

December

Ornamentals
• Plant shrubbery and trees.
• Renew mulch around shrubbery.