Gardening Checklist

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January - February - March - April - May - June

July - August - September - October - November - December

January
Week 1	Week 2
Check trees and shrubs for signs of rodent feeding. Salt used to melt ice on walks and driveways can damage plants. Have power yard equipment serviced now. Clean, repair, or replace garden tools and equipment. Move houseplants away from frosty windowsills. Use branches from your Christmas tree to mulch perennials. Group houseplants to increase humidity. Split your seed order with a friend. Provide food and water for birds. Dial 216-397-8375 for a recorded message on "Keeping Your Houseplants Healthy."	Inspect stored roots, corms and tubers. Write for seed and nursery catalogs. Try a few new varieties this year. Avoid creating blind spots with piled snow at sidewalk and road intersections. Research plants before purchasing and planting. Consider fragrance when ordering plants for the garden. Winter is a good time for garden dreaming. Gardening keeps you physically and mentally fit. Provide water for birds. Dial 216-397-8375 for a recorded message on "Purchasing Vegetable Seeds."
Week 3	Week 4
Join a garden club or civic beautification group. Read a few OSU Extension fact sheets at webgarden.osu.edu Consider interplanting vegetables in the ornamental garden. Espalier dwarf fruit trees to save space. Tamp snow around fruit trees to discourage rodent damage to the trunk. Attract bees to your garden and avoid spraying Sevin during the day. Start some grass seed in pots for your cat. Allow water to reach room temperature before watering house plants. Provide seeds, fruit, and suet for the birds. Dial 216-397-8375 for a recorded message on "Small Fruits for the Garden."	Repair leaky garden hoses. Sharpen shovels, spades, hoes, and pruners. Clean and organize garden tools. Add statuary, birdbaths, and wind chimes to the garden. During the January thaw, water woody plants if the soil is dry. During the January thaw, spray evergreens with an anitdesiccant. Check hardiness before ordering plants. Beware of plants advertised as miracle plants. Provide seed, fruit and suet for birds. Dial 216-397-8375 for a recorded message on "Fungus Gnats."
Week 5
Start houseplants from seed for a challenge. Grow vegetables among your flowers. Grow fresh parsley and other herbs in containers in a sunny window. Look for disease-resistant varieties when ordering seeds. Wash and sterilize seed-starting containers. Read garden magazines and books for new ideas for your garden. Visit an arboretum to see plants with winter interest. Plan to grow extra vegetables in 2003 to share with the needy. Provide fresh water for wildlife. Dial 216-397-8375 for a recorded message on "Handling Food Safely."
February
Week 1	Week 2
Visit the Master Gardener booth at the Cleveland Home & Garden Show and get answers to your garden questions. Force paper white narcissus bulbs. Look though seed and nursery catalogues for gardening ideas. Draw your vegetable garden plan on paper. Clean and sharpen garden tools. Share seed orders with a friend and save money. Use sterilized soil or soilless mix when starting seeds indoors. Avoid walking on the lawn during thaws. Provide food and water for wildlife. Dial 216-397-8375 for a recorded message on "Home Orchard Clean-up."	Give your Valentine a plant or a gift certificate for garden supplies. Visit the Master Gardener booth at the Cleveland Home & Garden Show and get answers to your garden questions. Consider planting some fruit this year. Cool colors, such as blues and purples, give a small area a more expansive feeling. Know your USDA plant hardiness zone before ordering plants. Cottonseed meal can lower soil pH. Cool temperatures extend the life of cut flowers. Start tuberous begonias for June bloom. Use dwarf plants where space is limited. Dial 216-397-8375 for a recorded message on "Using Oil Sprays for Pest Control."
Week 3	Week 4
Repot rootbound houseplants. Get pruning tools sharpened and ready for use. Review your gardening plans for 2003. Replant frost-heaved plants. It is too early to apply dormant oil. Make plant labels from plastic bleach and milk bottles. Give unwanted garden catalogs to teachers and childcare workers. Start garden plants from seed indoors. Provide food and water for wildlife. Dial 216-397-8375 for a recorded message on "Stored Bulbs."	Purchase vegetable seeds from your favorite suppliers. Purchase nursery stock for planting next month. Get pruning tools sharpened and ready for use. Repot rootbound houseplants. Prune grapes and blueberries. Plant shade-loving plants in the shade. Propagate dracaena, rubber plants and dumb cane by air-layering. Consider adding ferns to the garden. Food sources are limited; continue to provide food for wildlife. Dial 216-397-8375 for a recorded message on "Summer-Flowering Bulbs."
March
Week 1	Week 2
Purchase trees and shrubs for planting later this month. Clean and sharpen pruning tools. Repair fences and trellises. Prevent damping off by using sterilized soil to start seeds. Wash and sterilize seed starting containers in 1-part bleach to 9-parts water. Enjoy the blossoms of vernal witchhazel. Grow compact varieties where space is limited. Take cuttings of geraniums for new bedding plants. Continue feeding the birds; natural food sources are scarce. Dial 216-397-8375 for a recorded message on "Starting Seeds Indoors."	Prune woody landscape and fruit plants when the temperature is above freezing. Plant woody plants as soil conditions permit. Sow seeds of dahlia, snapdragon and verbena indoors. Sow seeds of broccoli, cabbage and cauliflower indoors. Rake debris from the lawn when the soil is fairly dry. Before planting have your soil tested at a lab recommended by your Extension office. Repot houseplants as needed. Digging in wet soil causes compaction. Provide food and water for birds and other wildlife. Dial 216-397-8375 for a recorded message on "Scented Geraniums."
Week 3	Week 4
Prune shrubs, landscape trees and grapes before the plants break dormancy. Sow seeds of petunia and salvia indoors. Plant woody plants when the soil and weather conditions permit. Remove winter protection from rose bushes. Soil that sticks to the spade is too wet to work. Wait to dig until it drys a bit. Remove mulch from established strawberries before growth begins. Look for snowdrops blooming under the snow. Use the pruning waste of grapevines to make grapevine wreaths. Provide food for wildlife. Dial 216-397-8375 for a recorded message on "Plum Curculio."	Seed new lawns as weather and soil conditions permit. Sow seeds of eggplant and pepper indoors. Sow peas outdoors as weather conditions permit. Apply lawn fertilizer as weather permits. Remove tops and dead leaves from asparagus and rhubarb. Sidedress asparagus and rhubarb with nitrogen fertilizer. Prune trees and shrubs. Plant pansies. Propagate houseplants. Dial 216-397-8375 for a recorded message on "Use Pesticides Safely."
April
Week 1	Week 2
Plant carrots, Swiss chard, peas, collards, kale, kohlrabi, leaf lettuce, onions, parsley, parsnips, radishes, salsify and spinach as soil and weather conditions permit. Sow seeds of hardy annual flowers (calendula, clarkia, larkspur, California poppy, and sweet pea). Apply pre-emergent herbicides to control crabgrass Fertilize the lawn. Sow tomato seeds indoors. Fertilize woody plants, raspberries and roses. Finish pruning fruit trees, grapevines, raspberries and roses. Plant pansies. Provide food and water for wildlife. Dial 216-397-8375 for a recorded message on "Crabgrass."	crabgrass pre-emergent control while the forsythia are in bloom. Fertilize woody plants. Plant early cabbage and broccoli plants outdoors. Start tuberous begonias and caladium indoors. Sow seeds of beets, carrots, leaf lettuce and radishes in the garden. Plant trees, shrubs, ground covers, and perennials as soil and weather conditions permit. Allow the soil to warm and dry a bit before applying mulch. Add organic matter to soil to improve soil tilth and drainage. Continue to provide food and water for wildlife. Dial 216-397-8375 for a recorded message on "Adding Organic Matter to Garden Soil."
Week 3	Week 4
Apply pre-emergent herbicides to control crabgrass. Start tuberous begonias and caladiums indoors. Plant a second crop of beets, carrots, leaf lettuce and radishes Plant woody plants and perennials as soil conditions permit. Begin fertilizing houseplants. Apply horticultural oil to trees and shrubs that had mites, scale or aphids last year. Read the label. Divide perennials that need it. Add organic matter to improve soil tilth. Fertilize asparagus with nitrogen-rich fertilizer. Dial 216-397-8375 for a recorded message on "Selection and Care of the Easter Lily.	Plant a tree for Earth Day, April 22, 2003. Plant trees, shrubs and perennials as soil conditions allow. Check roses for black spot and insect pests. Spread aged manure and humus around woody plants, keeping it at least four inches from the trunk. Create a grass-free zone around trees in the lawn and apply organic mulch over the roots. Plant scab-resistant varieties of potato. Use horticultural oil to control spruce spider mites. Remove tent caterpillar nests from fruit trees. Plant a row for the hungry in your vegetable garden. Dial 216-397-8375 for a recorded message on "Staking Trees."

May
Week 1	Week 2
Give someone you love a bouquet of flowers for May Day. Apply straw mulch to strawberry plants when frost is predicted. Plant hardy perennials. Thin early seeded root and leaf crops. Dig, peel and grind horseradish root. Divide overgrown herbs. Place row covers over beets and chard to protect them from leaf miners. Weed the garden before weeds go to seed. Plant a row for the hungry in your vegetable garden. Dial 216-397-8375 for a recorded message on "Garden Checklist for May."	Plant strawberry plants as soon as possible. Sow sweet corn. Plant gladiolus corms. Begin to harden-off tomato plants. Sow cucumber and melon seeds indoors for transplanting into the garden in mid-May. Place row covers over beets and chard to protect them from leaf miners. Sow a second crop of beets, carrots, radishes, leaf lettuce, and chard for continuous harvest. Harvest rhubarb by pulling off leaf stalks rather than cutting them. Plant a row for the hungry this year. Dial 216-397-8375 for a recorded message on "Wild Mushrooms."
Week 3	Week 4
Remove spent blossoms from spring-flowering bulbs. Prune spring-flowering shrubs as the blossoms fade. Enjoy green onions, leaf lettuce and rhubarb fresh from the garden. Seed cabbage for a fall crop. Plant more gladiolus corms for continuous bloom. Soak okra seeds in household bleach for an hour prior to sowing. When fruit trees are in full bloom, avoid spraying insecticides that will kill honeybees. Grow vining crops on trellises to save space. Control euonymus scale. Dial 216-397-8375 for a recorded message on "Earthworms in Lawns."	Plant seeds of bush and pole lima beans, corn, pumpkin, and watermelon. Plant sweet potato slips. Plant annuals. Inspect the garden and landscape regularly for developing problems. Remove flowers from newly established strawberry plants. Apply a “starter” fertilizer to help vegetable transplants get off to a good start. Cover tender plants if late frost is in the forecast. Prune spring-flowering shrubs after flowers fade. Plant a row for the hungry this year. Dial 216-397-8375 for a recorded message on "Rhubarb."
Week 5
Pinch garden mums back for full, bushy plants. Sow cabbage, Brussels sprouts and cauliflower for fall garden transplants. Apply mulches to woody plants once the soil has warmed up and dried out a bit. Remove spent rose blossoms and fertilize the plants. Mow the lawn regularly, removing no more than 1/3 the total leaf blade. Transplant peppers, eggplant, and okra into the garden. Thin beets, carrots, and leafy vegetables. Harvest mature asparagus beds for 6 to 8 weeks. Control weeds before they go to seed. Dial 216-397-8375 for a recorded message on "Zinnias."

 

June
Week 1	Week 2
All vegetable crops should be in the ground by now. Remove yellowed foliage of spring-flowering bulbs. Protect ripening strawberries from birds. Apply mulches around woody plants, including roses. Remove spent blossoms from roses and perennials. Pull soil up against potato plants when they are 8 to 12 inches tall. Suppress weeds in lawns by mowing at a height of 2 to 3 inches. Thin apples, pears and peaches for larger fruit. Weed the garden regularly. Dial 216-397-8375 for a recorded message on "Storing Surplus Seeds."	Thin fruit on fruit trees to get larger fruit. Deadhead perennials as the flowers fade. Sow more carrots and beets for continuous harvest. Remove blossoms from newly established strawberry plants. Fertilize perennial flowers using a 5-10-10 formulation. Water lawns and gardens during the morning if possible. Sidedress asparagus and rhubarb with aged manure or a 10-10-10 fertilizer. Shave off weeds in the garden using a sharp hoe. Share your vegetable harvest with a hunger center. Dial 216-397-8375 for a recorded message on "Leafhoppers."
Week 3	Week 4
Fertilize perennial flowers with a 5-10-10 fertilizer. Prune older canes from climbing roses after roses have bloomed. Remove radish, spinach, and lettuce plants when they send up seed stalks. Store unused seeds in a cold, dry location. Fertilize hybrid tea, floribunda, and grandiflora roses as the blossoms fade. Never leave pesticides sitting unattended for even a few minutes. Replace the spark plug in your lawn mower. Take softwood cuttings of shrubs. Pull weeds before they go to seed. Dial 216-397-8375 for a recorded message on "Pruning Broadleaf Evergreens."	Attend the Master Gardener garden tour June 28 and 29. Loosely tie grape vines to the trellis using soft twine or plastic ties. Protect ripening fruit from animals. Plant buckwheat in vacant areas of the garden to retard weeds. Fertilize roses after their initial flush of flowers fade. Prune hedges so that the bottom is wider than the top. Divide and replant iris. Bt will control cabbage worms. Share your harvest with a hunger center. Dial 216-397-8375 for a recorded message on "Summer Care of Roses."
July
Week 1	Week 2
Remove spent annual blossoms daily for continued blooming. You can still sow beets, beans and carrots. Hanging plants often need daily watering. Water deeply when needed. Avoid light sprinkling. Lightly fertilize onions, tomatoes, peppers and other long-season plants. Remove faded flowers and over-ripe fruit that attract Japanese beetles. Prop branches of heavily loaded fruit trees. Stir mulch to improve aeration and water movement. Enjoy a safe Independence Day. Dial 216-397-8375 for a recorded message on "Little Leaf Linden."	Keep weeds out of the garden. Renovate overcrowded strawberry beds. Plant late-season cabbage transplants in the garden. Sow another row of bush snap beans. Put a net over blueberry plants to keep birds from beating you to the harvest. Cut lavender for drying just as the flowers begin to open. Never apply pesticides to stressed plants. Pinch mums for the final time of the season. Share your garden's bounty with a hunger center. Dial 216-397-8375 for a recorded message on "Euonymus Scale."
Week 3	Week 4
Enjoy fresh vegetables from your garden and farmers' markets. Plant rutabagas for harvest in early autumn. Cut back vigorous shoots of wisteria to check their growth. Sharpen mower blades if lawn appears brown after mowing. Examine trees after severe thunderstorms for damaged limbs. Sow parsley, dill and basil in pots for use indoors during winter. Allow broccoli to develop side shoots after central head has been harvested. Pinch mint, oregano, and savory to promote bushy growth. Share your harvest with a hunger center. Dial 216-397-8375 for a recorded message on "Applying Pesticides."	Keep annuals blooming by removing spent blossoms. Prune suckers and water sprouts from apple trees. Enjoy local peaches. Plant Chinese cabbage, endive, snap beans, kohlrabi, lettuce and radish for fall harvest. Cut back mints, oregano, and savory to promote bushy growth. Harvest summer squash when they are young and tender. Blanch celery a week before harvesting by wrapping stalks with paper. Change your mowing pattern weekly. Inspect your garden daily. Dial 216-397-8375 for a recorded message on "Dill."
Week
Enjoy fresh fruits and vegetables from your garden and local farm markets. Apply supplemental water to the garden if there has not been an inch of rain in the previous week. Plants in hanging baskets dry out faster than plants in the ground. Fertilize roses for the last time this year. Sow seeds of biennials, such as Canterbury bells and foxglove. Cut down raspberry canes that produced fruit earlier this summer. Allow a few green peppers to turn red before harvesting. Ripen tomatoes on the vine, not the windowsill. Share the bounty of your garden with those in need of food. Dial 216-397-8375 for a recorded message on "Powdery Mildew on Roses."
August
Week 1	Week 2
Take cuttings of begonias, coleus, and impatiens for winter houseplants. Cut gladioli spikes with as few leaves as possible. White flowers shine in the moonlight. Handpick Japanese beetles and drop them into a jar of detergent and water. Dig, divide, and move daylilies after they have completed their bloom. Harvest tomatoes when their color is fully developed. Plant collards, kale, and turnips for the fall garden. Control weeds before they go to seed. Share the bounty of your garden. Dial 216-397-8375 for a recorded message on "Summer Care of Trees and Shrubs."	Control weeds before they produce seeds. Kill weedy perennial grasses in the lawn so you can reseed early in September. Begin soil preparation for seeding a new lawn. Do a soil test before seeding a lawn or planting a new garden. Sow seeds of leaf lettuce, radish, turnip (for greens), and spinach for fall harvest. Do not fertilize woody plants until after they go dormant. Dig potatoes after vines have died. Do not cut your grass too short during hot weather. Harvest the vegetable garden every few days and share your harvest with those in need. Dial 216-397-8375 for a recorded message on "Harvesting Corn."
Week 3	Week 4
Enjoy locally-grown fresh fruits and vegetables. Dig and divide garden lilies when the foliage yellows. Watch for wasps when working near rock piles, old tree stumps and stone walls. Harvest cantaloupe when the stem separates from the fruit with gentle prodding. Cut down stems of hollyhocks if rust-colored spots appear on the underside of leaves. Plant a cover crop of winter rye in spaces vacated by harvested vegetable crops. Weed the garden before weeds go to seed. Don't bruise tree trunks with lawn mower or string trimmers. Donate extra produce from your garden to a hunger center. Dial 216-397-8375 for a recorded message on "Household Invaders."	September is the ideal time to seed a new lawn. Plant trees, shrubs and perennials now. Plant garden mums for fall color. Continue to cultivate around vegetables and flowers to discourage weeds. Deadhead annuals and perennials. Do not fertilize woody plants until they go dormant. Sow spinach for fall harvest. If you have too many zucchini or tomatoes, reduce the number of those plants you put in the garden next year. Donate extra produce to a food bank or hunger center. Dial 216-397-8375 for a recorded message on "Fall Planting."
September
Week 1	Week 2
Plant trees, shrubs, and ground covers this month. Establish a small grain cover crop on empty vegetable garden space. Begin moving houseplants indoors. Compost garden debris. Potatoes are ready for harvest when their tops begin to turn brown. Order spring-flowering bulbs now. Have your soil tested before applying lawn fertilizer. Test grapes for ripeness by tasting. Call the Hunger Network of Greater Cleveland at 216-619-8155 ext. 12 to find a location to drop off excess produce. Dial 216-397-8375 for a recorded message on "Dividing Perennials."	Purchase spring-flowering bulbs. Allow gourds to remain on the vine as long as possible without exposing them to frost. Water evergreens when the soil dries. Ripen green tomatoes away from the sun. Harvest seeds of dill, coriander and caraway by hanging stems with the seed heads enclosed inside a paper bag. Aerate the lawn where soil is compacted. Cure pumpkins for two weeks at 75 to 80 degrees F before storing them. Broken and diseased branches may be removed; delay other pruning until early next spring. Record gardening successes and failures now for reference next growing season. Dial 216-397-8375 for a recorded message on "Pumpkins and Winter Squashes."
Weeks 3 & 4
Harvest green tomatoes before a killing frost. Ripen green tomatoes in a warm place away from direct sunlight. Purchase spring-flowering bulbs while supplies are in-stock. Dig and bring in gladioli. Note where fall color would add to the landscape. Harvest Brussels sprouts, carrots, and parsnips after they have been exposed to frost. Continue to weed. Share your harvest with those in need. Provide food, water, and habitat for wildlife. Dial 216-397-8375 for a recorded message on "Planting Garlic and Shallots."
October
Week 1	Week 2
Enjoy local apples fresh from the orchard. Transplant roses if necessary. Watch weather forecasts for possible killing frosts. Harvest frost-sensitive produce (squash, pumpkins, and gourds) when frost is forecasted. Plant tulip, daffodil, hyacinth bulbs and crocus corms. Dig dahlias after the foliage is killed by a frost. A clean garden will have fewer diseases next spring. Eat imperfect fruits; store perfect ones. Place chicken wire on the ground over newly planted bulbs to deter animals from digging. Dial 216-397-8375 for a recorded message on "Storing Dahlia Tubers."	Plant snow drop, hyacinth, and star of Bethlehem bulbs. Enjoy locally grown apples. It is not too late to plant trees and shrubs. Pot and force bulbs for winter enjoyment. Repair garden fences and tools. Dig and pot up chives and parsley for winter use. Prune everbearing raspberries. Watch weather forecasts for frost warnings. Leave seed heads on asters, sunflowers, and cosmos for birds to eat. Dial 216-397-8375 for a recorded message on "Harvesting and Curing Gourds."
Week 3	Week 4
Plant tulip, daffodil, hyacinth bulbs and crocus corms. Dig gladiolus corms when leaves turn yellow. Store corms in peat moss, sawdust or sand in a cool part of the basement. Keep leaves from accumulating and smothering the lawn. Shred fallen leaves for faster composting. Store tomato stakes, cages and garden hoses before winter. Call an arborist for serious tree troubles. Store leftover seeds for next year. Remove weeds and debris from the garden. Edge garden borders if you haven't already. Dial 216-397-8375 for a recorded message on "Caring for a New Lawn."	Rake and compost fallen leaves. Make a jack-‘o-lantern for Halloween. Continue to plant trees and shrubs. Do not prune spring flowering shrubs. Destroy slug egg masses found under garden debris and mulch. Cut perennials to the ground. Plant garlic and horseradish. Start your “want” list for next year. Provide food and water to attract wildlife. Dial 216-397-8375 for a recorded message on "Everlastings."
November
Week 1	Week 2
Clean the garden and compost plant debris. Order fruit trees for next year. Apply trunk wrap to trees likely to be damaged by rubbing deer. Bring garden hoses in soon. Get your spring-blooming bulbs planted soon. Wash dust from your houseplants. Don't over-water your houseplants. Reduce or stop fertilizing houseplants for the winter. Provide food and water for wildlife.	Make sure your snow blower is ready for winter service. Winterize the lawnmower, rototiller, and other summer tools. Bring in garden hoses. Remove fallen leaves from the lawn. Store outdoor furniture. Clean and store garden tools. Order flowers for Thanksgiving. Drain outdoor faucets. Share your bounty with those in need.
Weeks 3 & 4
Purchase a live holiday tree and have it delivered just before Christmas. Prepare planting hole for a live tree now. Store pesticides in a safe place. Decorate window boxes before the soil freezes. Tune up the snowblower. Wash garden gloves. Check houseplants for pests. Turn houseplants regularly for even growth. Have a Happy Thanksgiving Day!
December
Weeks 1 - 4
Shredded materials decompose faster in the compost pile. Winter squash can be stored 3 to 4 months. Keep off the lawn when the soil is frozen. Inventory left over seeds. Look for exciting new cultivars of poinsettia. Prune evergreen shrubs for holiday decorations. Choose a cut Christmas tree while the selection is good. Make a holiday wreath. Provide food and water for wildlife.