Here is a handy list of timely reminders to do in the garden from the early spring into the fall
MARCH
- Sow seed of spinach and English peas directly in the garden, early in the month. Snow, cold, and freezing weather will not harm them.
- Plant transplants of cabbage, cauliflower, and broccoli in early March so that they can mature in the cool spring weather.
- Plant Irish potatoes in late March. Cut up certified seed potatoes into pieces that weigh at least 2 ounces. Make sure that the seed piece has at least one eye or bud. Plant 2 inches deep, and space them 6 inches between pieces in the row and 2-3 feet between rows.
- Finish pruning fruit trees, grapes, raspberries and blackberries.
- Apply pre-emergence granular crabgrass killer to your lawn WITHOUT the fertilizer added.
APRIL
- Prune spring flowering shrubs that flower on new growth such as butterfly bush and Rose of Sharon.
- Prune spring flowering shrubs that flower on last year's wood immediately after they have finished flowering such as: forsythia, lilac, spirea, and flowering quince.
- Prune hybrid tea (shrub) roses as soon as buds swell. Prune climbing roses as soon as they finish flowering.
- Plant asparagus roots (crowns) 6 inches deep and 1 foot between plants in the row. Space rows 5 feet apart for good air circulation between the fern growth.
- Harvest asparagus that was planted last year for about 2 weeks. Snap spears off at ground level. There's no need to cut below the ground with a knife. That only damages other buds on the crown that will not be able to send up other spears. Harvest 5-9" tall spears with the spear tip scales remaining tight. For spears that are too spindly, just snap and let them lie on the ground. On older plantings, stop harvesting when 3/4ths of the spears are less than 3/8" in diameter (pencil size).
- Plant containerized trees and shrubs purchased from local garden centers. In heavy clay soils, elevate the top of the root ball so that the top 20% remains above the soil surface. This will allow water to drain away from the trunk instead of collecting water around the base. Add 2" of mulch around the root ball.
- DO NOT fertilize cool season turfgrasses such as fescue and bluegrass. This makes them more susceptible to brown patch fungus disease in the summer.
MAY
- Plant warm season vegetable transplants of tomato, pepper, and eggplant. Space plants 2 feet apart in the row and 2-3 feet between rows. If growing tomatoes in a cage, space them 3 feet apart in the row and 3 feet between rows. Add one cup of water-soluble fertilizer around each plant after planting. Direct seed cantaloupe, cucumber, watermelon, squash, bean, corn, etc. Follow label directions for proper in-row and between-row spacing.
- Renovate the strawberry bed after harvest by taking the lawn mower and set it on the highest setting and mow off the leaves. Then narrow the width of the bed to about 10" across by taking a roto-tiller and cutting off plants on each side of the row, just leaving the mother plants in the center. Fertilize with 1 lb of 10-20-10 fertilizer per 1,000 sq. ft.
- Start spraying fruit trees with insecticides and fungicides on a regular basis after petals fall, every 10 days throughout the season. For the publication "Insect and Disease Control in the Home Orchard", contact the Extension Office.
- Fertilize your Bermudagrass or Zoysia lawn with 10 lbs. of a 10-20-10 fertilizer per 1,000 sq. ft. and water it in. Repeat this procedure in June and July.
- Be on the lookout for bagworms that can defoliate arborvitae, Leyland cypress, and juniper. Treat with Sevin, Malathion, Orthene, or BT when the worms are small and just making the bags.
- Plant annual flowers in your landscape such as Ageratum, Marigold, Zinnias, Petunia, in sunny locations.
- Plant shade loving annuals such as Impatiens and Coleus.
- Plant perennials (plants that come back every year) throughout the flower bed. These would include lilies, daisies, astilbe, bleeding heart, etc.
JUNE
- Mow your cool season lawn by not taking off more than 1/3 of the leaf blade at one time. Doing this will allow you to leave your grass clippings on the lawn without having to bag them. Grass clippings will recycle 20% of the total nitrogen back into the soil. Mow fescue to achieve a final height of 3". Mowing tall will encourage a deep root system that is better able to survive the heat and drought.
- Mow your bermuda or Zoysiagrass lawn to a height of 1 ½ inches.
- Be on the lookout for insects in the landscape and spray if needed. Some insects to watch out for include June bugs, Japanese beetles, and azalea lace bugs.
- Vegetable garden insects to watch out for include squash vine borers, cucumber beetles, squash bugs, aphids, leafhoppers, tomato fruitworms, tomato hornworms, flea beetles, bean leaf beetles, etc. For a list of insect control materials, contact the Extension Office.
- Seed your Bermudagrass lawn in early June.
- Fertilize established Bermudagrass per May recommendation.
JULY
- Watch out for fungus diseases in the vegetable garden. Tomatoes are susceptible to early blight and Septoria leaf spot. Control with preventive sprays of Daconil.
- Water vegetables to maintain a 6-10 inch wetted depth of soil. This will minimize blossom end rot of tomato and pepper, which is caused by a lack of calcium in the developing fruit that cannot move through the water stream inside the plant if the soil is dry. Vegetables contain greater than 95% water, so we have to provide them with water to get high yields.
- Use mulches in the garden to conserve soil moisture.
- Keep harvesting beans, summer squash, tomatoes, and peppers to encourage the plants to keep producing.
- Harvest cantaloupes when the vine slips away from the end of the fruit with slight thumb pressure. If you have to pull on the vine, the melon is not ripe.
- Harvest watermelons when the green curlicue closest to the melon turns brown and when the spot where the melon rests on the ground turns to a cream color. Cut the stems and leave them attached to the melon when harvesting.
- Okra pods are harvested when they are no more than 2-3 inches long to maintain tenderness and to make the plant produce more.
- Seed cabbage, cauliflower, collards, and broccoli for a fall garden in early July.
- Harvest peaches when the fruit separates easily from the stem.
- Fertilize established Bermudagrass per May recommendation.
AUGUST
- Plant a fall garden by direct seeding beans, corn, squash, cucumber to harvest them within 30-60 days.
- Transplant cabbage, cauliflower, collards, and broccoli into the garden to harvest in 60 days.
- Fertilize established Bermudagrass per May recommendation.
SEPTEMBER
- Apply a drench of Thiodan around the trunks of peach, nectarine, plum and cherry trees, 3 feet high from the soil line, drenching the trunk thoroughly as well as the soil around the trunk. This will kill the peach tree borer larvae before it bores into the trunk, disrupting the flow of water and nutrients up and down the tree. This should be done during the first week of September which coincides with the peak peach tree borer moth flights that are laying eggs on the tree trunks. If this treatment is missed, there is no control for borers after they have entered the tree.
- Apply one pound of actual nitrogen per 1,000 sq. ft to your cool season fescue lawn.
- Apply a liquid broadleaf weed killer such as 2,4-D to your established lawn to control the winter annual weeds such as henbit and chickweed. This will kill them when they are tiny and will deny them the chance to overwinter and flower next spring. Broadleaf weed killers that contain 2,4-D, MCPP, and Dicamba will also control dandelions, clover, wild violets, and other harder to control weeds.
- Overseed or renovate your cool season lawn in early September for best results. For a copy of "Carolina Lawns", contact the Extension Office.
- Seed turnip and mustard greens in the garden in early September.
- Harvest apples when the fruit stem separates easily from the branch.
- Harvest pears when they are hard and green. Do not let them ripen on the tree, otherwise they will have a short shelf life. Pears are the only fruit that will increase in sugar content after they are picked. Ripen them at room temperature in closed paper bags.
- Plant chrysanthemums and pansies for a showy fall color.
- Plant spring flowering bulbs in late September.
- Plant containerized trees and shrubs from your local nursery.
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