MONTH-BY-MONTH
YARD-CARE CALENDAR

APRIL

TRANSPLANT
April is a good time to transplant or move shrubs and trees. As spring arrives, the soil thaws out and becomes slightly dry.  Transplanting at this time is important to minimize the shock your plant may experience in the move. Consequently, this needs to be done before leaves begin to develop on the plants. Carefully dig around the base of the plant to form a ball containing as much of the root system as possible.

DIVIDE PERENNIALS
Perennials that have grown too large, are unhealthy or are flowering poorly, should be divided or moved at this time.  Remember this rule, “If it blooms early, divide late and if it blooms late, divide early”. Good examples of plants to divide in the spring are: Ornamental Grasses, Russian Sage and Monarda.

“STIR UP” THE MULCH
Occasionally rake or “stir up” the mulch in your landscape to prevent weeds from growing.  Mulches are organic and while less friendly to weeds than soil, weeds can still grow in them. There are many ways these seeds of weeds can end up in your mulch. As easy as it may be for the seeds to fall from a maple tree into your mulch, the wind can blow the seeds from that yellow dandelion growing in the lawn. This “stirring up” will keep the mulched area looking good and fresh with little effort.

MAY

STAKE PLANTS

Stake plants early in the season prior to any damage which may occur from wind or rain.  While some plants such as Peonies, Delphiniums and some types of Iris may need staking, others may or may not need depending on factors such as where they are growing and how fast they are growing. Try to remember how these perennials looked last year?  Did the flowers bend over when they came into bloom? If so, they may need staking.

FERTILIZE YOUR LAWN

Is your lawn not thriving as well as you’d like?  Although the University of Minnesota says fall is the best time of year to apply a lawn fertilizer, you may also apply fertilizer in the spring. This would pertain to those lawns which receive full sun and frequent watering. A fertilizer such as 27-0-14 applied after the first spring mowing would do the most to improve your lawn.

JUNE

REMOVE OLD FLOWERS

Remove the old faded flowers on shrub roses to improve the shape of the plant and encourage more flowers to bloom as the summer goes on. The plant will have new blooms continually throughout the summer if periodic cuts are made as each of the flowers fade. The stems need to be trimmed back to a length which will balance the shape of the plant. 

KILL WEEDS

Kill those perennial weeds that keep coming back year after year.  A product such as Roundup is a good way to deal with pesky weeds!  The spray will destroy any plant it comes in contact with so care must be taken to ensure the product is only applied to areas you wish to kill. The spray nozzle on the Roundup container typically can be adjusted to a narrow stream or a fine mist to make spraying easier.  Try spraying in the early part of the day when there is less wind.

FERTILIZE ACID LOVING PLANTS

Fertilize acid loving plants, such as Azaleas, Rhododendrons and Blue Hydrangea.  These plants can slowly decline in health overtime due to the alkaline soils common in the metro area.  Poor health can cause the nice green foliage of these plants to fade or yellow.  Even the bright flowers may not be the color you once had.  Once a year add 3 cups of Cottonseed meal into the top surface for every 25 sq.ft. of root area . This will keep these plants thriving like they were when new!

JULY

MULCH AROUND THE TREES

Did you know the majority of tree roots are in the top 18” of the soil?  Mulching with organic mulches (e.g. hardwood and softwood bark and wood) is one of the best things you can do for your tree’s health.  The mulch will promote root growth by aiding in water retention and preventing competition from turf roots.  Add a mulch layer 2-4” deep around the tree as wide as you can tolerate.  To avoid stem damage, keep mulch away from the trunk.

LIGHT TRIMMING

Summer blooming shrubs such as Weigela and several varieties of Spirea should be trimmed lightly after flowering. Removing the spent flowers and slightly improving the plant’s shape will keep the plant looking neat for the rest of the summer. This trimming will also encourage some late flowering on the shrubs.

HOLES ON YOUR HOSTA?

Do the leaves of your hosta look like Swiss cheese?  Slugs are probably the problem if your hosta are located in a shady, moist area in your landscape.  The slugs feed on plants during the night, so they are difficult to find, but if your hosta have these distinctive holes in the middle of the leaves the slugs have probably been there to feed.  Although, there are several ways to deal with slugs, a non-toxic product call ‘Sluggo’ has proven to be very effective.

AUGUST

UNWANTED PESTS

Frustrated with pests such as rabbits or deer feeding on your landscape plants?  Unfortunately, there is no easy solution to this problem.  A barrier such as a fence is really the only proven method with success but how attractive is that?  There are many products on the market which claim they work -  but where?  What may be working for your friend may not work for you at all.  Your landscape will have different plants and different rabbits.  I’d recommend starting with a small bottle of a product such as ‘Hot Pepper Wax” and see what result you have.

MOVE YOUR PERENNIALS
Some of the perennials that are easiest to grow may be moved or divided during any cool period in the summer.  Examples of these perennials would be: Hosta, Astilbe and Heuchera. To move or divide perennials, carefully dig around the base of the plant forming a root ball containing as much of the root system as possible. Then, after lifting the root ball from the hole, use a sharp spade or knife to cut the ball into several smaller sections containing roots and stems. Feel free to trim away any large excess foliage.  After replanting, remember to keep the plants moist until they are growing vigorously.

LAWN REPAIR

August is the best time of the year to seed a new lawn or repair an existing lawn. This “window of opportunity” remains open through the first half of September. The cooler temperatures and warm soil help grass seed take off and become well established by late fall. Sod also does very well in these conditions. The cooler weather promotes rooting and you don’t need to water as often.  If you are seeding, be careful not to over seed! Six to eight seeds per square inch are usually enough. Once the seed layer is down, cover it with a thin layer of peat moss and water regularly. Cut your new lawn when the grass is about 3” tall, leaving at least 2” or more.

SEPTEMBER

FERTILIZE YOUR LAWN

Fall is the best time of the year to fertilize your lawn!  An early September application of a fall winterizer fertilizer, such as 18-0-12 is the best.  In addition, if the lawn continues to grow due to a long warm fall a second application in late October is also very good

KEEP WATERING!
Don’t put those hoses away yet!  Plantings need to be watered throughout the fall until freeze up.  Many plants breathe and need moisture during the winter, especially evergreens.  Plants can be better prepared for those drying winter days, if they have been watered several times prior to the ground freezing.  Hoses can be left outside all winter, just leave them rolled up on the ground and remember to drain the water out of them.

DIVIDE PERENNIALS

Perennials that have grown too large, are unhealthy or are flowering poorly, should be divided or moved at this time.  Remember the rule, “If it blooms early, divide late and if it blooms late, divide early”. Good examples of plants to divide in the fall are: Peonies, Coreopsis and Bleeding Hearts

OCTOBER

PROTECT TREES AND SHRUBS

Protect young trees and shrubs from animal damage.  There are many plants that provide a tasty treat for animals such as rabbits, deer and mice.  Hardware cloth works well on trees with young bark, especially crabapples and serviceberry.  A fence of chicken wire surrounding the base of a desirable shrub such as euonymus or barberry is a good idea.  Remember, the depth of the snow can increase during the winter which will enable an animal such as a rabbit to chew on plant parts they normally would not be able to reach.

REMOVE THE BUCKTHORN
Fall is the perfect time of year to remove buckthorn from your yard. You don’t have to know which plants are buckthorn, nature will tell you. As the leaves change and fall off the plants, look for shrubs or trees that are still green. That is the buckthorn! Some may have black berries on the branches. Cut down the buckthorn and apply a brush killer, such as Vine-X to kill the stump.  It is easy to use because it has it’s own built-in paintbrush. It requires no mixing or pumping.

MULCH YOUR PLANTS FOR WINTER
This is the time of year to mulch the plants in your landscape.  The purpose of mulching plants for winter isn't to protect them from the cold, it is to protect them from the alternate freeze-thaw cycle that does so much damage. Ideally, you want the top inch or two of soil to be frozen solid before applying winter mulch. Select mulch that will not compact and will provide good insulation. Leaves are most commonly used for mulching but hay and stray can be used as well.