Portage County Master Gardeners

February Garden Guide

• Inspect gladiolus corms, dahlia tubers, begonia tubers and other fleshy rooted plants for rot and desiccation.
• Before ordering vegetable seeds, check last year’s seed for viability by placing seeds between moist paper towels for several days.
• To keep your houseplants growing evenly, give the containers a half turn every two days.
• Start seed for impatiens, vinca, pansies, geranium and begonias in mid month.
• Continue to inspect stored vegetables.
• Check for over wintering fire blight cankers on susceptible varieties of apples and pears; remove by pruning.
• Spray dormant oil to control scale and other over wintering pests. Spray on any day above 40 degrees F and when forecast temperatures are to remain above freezing for 24 hours. This may be done until buds swell.
• Prune dormant trees and summer flowering shrubs. Don’t prune spring flowering shrubs until after they have flowered.
• When forced bulbs have bloomed and tops have dried, store and then plant in garden in fall.
• Prune roses, fruit trees, and bramble fruits.
• Order catalogues from seed companies you’ve been meaning to try.
• Check your garden tools and make a list of new tools you will need or want.
• Sharpen garden tools.
• Give houseplants a monthly shower with tepid water.
• Check young trees and shrubs for rodent injury on lower trunks. Prevent rodent injury with hardware cloth or protective collars.
• Try growing some perennials from seed.
• Start seeds for leeks and onions.
• Don’t use seeds with poor germination rates; seedlings may be more prone to insect and disease problems.
• Use a sterile soil-less medium for starting seeds to avoid dampening off.

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March Garden Guide

• Plant tuberous rooted begonias indoors early in the month.
• Begin regular fertilization of houseplants.
• March is a good month to make cuttings of many houseplants.
• Order perennial plants and specify that they be delivered when the ground is workable.
• Start seeds of slow-growing annuals. Transfer them as appropriate in April to cold frame.
• Start bulbs of calla. They will bloom from June to August.
• Start seedlings of cabbage, celery, cauliflower, head lettuce, and parsley.
• Keep amaryllis foliage growing by watering and feeding.
• Continue to inspect stored vegetables. Anything showing signs of spoilage should be removed immediately and either used or discarded.
• Don’t worry if spring-flowering bulbs are sending up green leaves. The foliage can withstand winter weather.
• March is the leanest month for wildlife, so protect shrubs and plants with wire cages or sprinkle ground with cat hair or blood meal.
• Do not remove mulch from perennials too early. Keep light covering of mulch over spring bulbs.
• Rake off last season’s mulches on garden soil so it can dry and be warmed by the sun. Remove any plant residue left from last year.
• If the compost pile froze during winter, turn it now, and add fresh manure to help restart the composting process.
• Finish pruning dormant trees.
• Sharpen lawn mower blades and have mower serviced before spring rush.
• If you fertilize, apply to shade trees, fruit trees and shrubs when buds swell, as well as to evergreens and raspberries.
• Prune summer flowering (after end of June) shrubs.
• Finish pruning grapes. Non-dormant pruning will cause excessive bleeding.
• Finish dormant pruning of fruit trees and berry bushes. Remove diseased or infected branches.

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April Garden Guide

• Start tomato seeds indoors. Research shows seven-week old transplants produce earliest fruit and best overall results.
• Cut back over-wintered geraniums to six to eight inches.
• Start fast-growing annual flowers indoors.
• Start seedlings of eggplant, okra, peppers and broccoli.
• Set out lily of the valley clumps with pips just even with the ground.
• When annual beds can be worked, turn over green manure crop such as annual rye in beds for annuals and vegetables. If none was planted, top-dress with compost or rotted manure.
• Remove mulch from spring flowering bulb beds.
• Container grown or balled and bur lapped trees and shrubs can be planted at any time during the growing season.
• Divide perennials and pot for the PCMG plant sale by the end of the month. This will provide roots time to get established.
• Prune and fertilize all bush fruits and grapes. Fertilize fruit trees as soon as possible after ground thaws but before blossoming.
• Plant rhubarb and asparagus as soon as ground can be worked.
• Remove rose cones when soil thaws. Gradually remove soil mound from around rose plants.

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May Garden Guide

• Set Easter lilies in garden.
• Plant cool-weather crops: lettuce, spinach, chard, parsnip, onion sets, beets, carrots, kohlrabi, mustard, turnips, radishes, peas, parsley, and potatoes in early May. Soil temperatures should be at least 45 degrees.
• Plant snap beans, pole beans, sweet corn, and onion plants in mid-May. Sweet corn planted earlier in the season has fewer pest problems.
• Inspect for Iris borer larva on iris leaves. Crush larva.
• For bigger Peony flowers, de-bud several branches. Stake before buds open.
• Set out pansy plants when ground is workable.
• Dig and divide mid summer and fall blooming perennials before tip growth gets too tall.
• Plant tuberous begonias.
• Watch birch leaves for birch leaf miner infestation. Use sticky traps to monitor emergence of adults to help time spraying with summer oil, Neem extract, or rotenone. Sprays are only effective on adults or larvae before they tunnel into leaves. Some soil applied systemic chemicals may be effective in controlling larvae after they have tunneled into leaves.
• Plant tomato seedlings by pinching off lower leaves and placing on its side in a shallow furrow 2.5 inches below the soil surface. Soil closer to the surface is warmer and will speed tomato growth.
• Plant and transplant new evergreens before new growth appears.
• Plant strawberries, bush fruits, and grapes in mid month. Pinch blossoms from newly planted strawberries to develop strong plants for next year.
• Remove faded flowers from spring-flowering bulbs. Cut off stalks but allow leaves to die down naturally. Fertilize after blooming with 5 10-20.
• Plant stored geraniums in well-drained soil after last frost and keep moist. New growth should begin in one week.
• Prune spring-flowering shrubs after flowers have faded. Apply fertilizer.
• Toward end of the month, harden off seedlings of vegetable transplants and annuals grown indoors. Bring in at night or place in cold frames before planting in garden.

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June Garden Guide

• Pinch off one-half inch of chrysanthemums when they are six inches tall and continue pinching through June.
• Pinch annuals when 4-6 inches tall to promote growth.
• Give peonies 2-3 applications of complete fertilizer two weeks before flowering. Disbud several branches for bigger flowers on remaining buds. Stake before buds open.
• Prune spring flowering shrubs (lilacs, forsythia, honeysuckle, hydrangea, mock orange, privet, snowball, spirea, viburnum and weigela) after flowering. Apply annual application of fertilizer.
• Prune junipers, arborvitae, yews and hemlock any time during late spring or early summer.
• Water flower beds weekly during dry periods.
• Remove spent flowers and weeds from gardens and add mulch.
• Dig and divide non-blooming daffodils.
• For large dahlia blooms, prune all but one shoot per clump.
• Cut back delphiniums after blooming.
• Control leaf blight on tomatoes by disposing of diseased foliage or plants immediately and planting disease-resistant varieties.
• Before setting out tomato cages, disinfect with a 10% bleach solution. Control fruit anthracnose and other disease problems by staking plants, maintaining optimal plant spacing and using mulches.
• Plant peppers, eggplant, sweet potatoes and late potatoes.
• Plant successive crops of beans, beets, carrots, kohlrabi, corn, turnips, broccoli, cabbage and cauliflower.
• Spray cabbage, cauliflower and broccoli to control cabbage worm and cabbage looper.
• Stop harvesting asparagus by month-end. Weed asparagus bed carefully after harvesting to avoid damage to roots.
• Prune evergreens.
• Prune out lilac seed heads.
• Treat lawns that are infected with cutworms and armyworms with parasitic nematodes.
• If fertilizing lawn two times per year, apply in June and October; if three times per year, apply in early June, early Sept and mid- to late Oct.
• Continue applying fungicide on trees and small fruits.
• Prune suckers from fruit trees.
• Apply sticky bands to fruit trees to catch insect pests that climb the trunks.
• Pinch black and purple raspberry shoots.

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July Garden Guide

• Water gladiolus and dahlias weekly to a depth of 6-8 inches.
• Water flower beds at least once a week during dry spells. Remove old lily blooms.
• Peony bushes should be mulched and seedpods removed.
• Take cuttings from roses and spring flowering shrubs for new plant propagation when stems are no longer succulent but not yet hardened.
• Cut old canes of climbing roses so those new shoots can grow.
• Control rust on hollyhock by removing infected leaves.
• Divide iris and day lily when done blooming. Cut leaves back to about 8 inches.
• Thin and transplant perennials sown in June.
• Complete outdoor sowing of perennial seed.
• Inspect vegetables and herbs for pests daily and treat if necessary.
• Control garden weeds to prevent them from going to seed.
• Harvest onions and early potatoes when tops begin to shrivel.
• In early July, plant lettuce and spinach for fall crop. Pre-germinate on moist towel or plant deeper than in spring. Plant kale, bunching onions, cucumbers, beets, rutabagas and turnips, cabbage family seedlings and peas for fall harvest.
• Keep tomatoes mulched and watered to prevent blossom end rot.
• Keep ripe vegetables picked to maintain productivity.
• Watch for spider mites during hot, dry weather. Juniper and spruce needles turn rusty colored if infested.
• Water newly planted trees weekly if needed throughout the summer and apply a mulch (3 inches or less) to maintain even soil moisture.
• During dry spells, water all trees deeply every 2-3 weeks.
• Remove suckers from grafted plants. Water fruit trees during dry spells or they may abort fruit. Trees need 1 inch of water weekly during fruit growth.
• Prune yews, junipers and arborvitae by mid-July.
• Remove old canes of summer bearing red raspberries after harvest. Thin new canes to 3-4 canes per foot of row or 9-10 canes per hill. For black raspberries, thin new canes to 10 per hill. Cut tips of new canes back around July 1. Cut back raspberry tips back to two feet above the soil level and blackberry tips back to four feet above soil level. Cut purple and yellow raspberry tips to 30-36 inches above the soil.
• Keep orchard grass mowed and raked to discourage fungal pathogens harbored in tall grass and plant debris. Hang baited red sticky ball traps in apple trees for apple maggot control.

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August Garden Guide

• Mulch dahlias to conserve moisture and eliminate weeds.
• Stake plants with heavy blooms.
• Order spring-flowering bulbs for fall planting.
• Keep phlox plants deadheaded. Never let phlox go to seed if you want to keep colors true.
• Start seeds of daisy, coreopsis, sweet william and pansy in peat pots or nursery beds. Transfer to permanent beds in late September. or early October.
• Cut gladiolus blooms leaving maximum amount of foliage on plants.
• Transplant and divide iris and day lily.
• Watch for red spider mites on phlox.
• In mid-month, take cuttings of coleus, geraniums and other plants for winter houseplants.
• Plant chrysanthemums for fall color. Fall planted chrysanthemums need extra winter protection.
• Plant Madonna lily and Japanese and Siberian iris.
• Continue watering flowerbeds at least once a week during dry periods.
• Plant or transplant oriental poppies. Do not mulch, as they prefer hot, sun-baked ground.
• Bring poinsettias indoors.
• By the end of the month, start withholding water from amaryllis. Amaryllis requires an eight-week period of drought to bloom. Place in cool basement for three-month rest.
• Sow cover crops in vegetable garden areas not in use.
• Cut and dry or freeze herbs. Pick herbs just before blossoms open for best flavor.
• Inspect corn regularly. Corn pests become abundant in mid-August.
• Keep eggplant and peppers picked so younger fruit develops.
• Plant late crops of radishes, lettuce, spinach and beets.
• Mid-August to mid-September is the best time to establish grass seed. Keep soil moist at all times or seed will dry and die.
• Plant evergreens now through mid-September so they are well established before winter.
• Remove thatch from lawn if more than one-half inch thick.
• Tip layer black and purple raspberries for replacement.
• Fertilize strawberries with 10-10-10 fertilizer applied at 2-3 pounds per 100 square feet. Thin plants if needed.
• Maintain lime-sulfur spray program on tree fruit to control apple and pear scab and certain other diseases.
• Collect and bury diseased, mummified plums for future brown-rot control.

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September Garden Guide

• Allowing September rose blooms to stay on plants aids in winter protection. Watch for black spot on roses and remove infected leaves.
• Lift gladiolus corms when leaves begin to brown. Dry in sun a few days.
• Divide most perennials except asters and mums, which haven’t bloomed.
• Divide and replant peony roots. Avoid planting too deeply.
• Bring coleus, geranium, caladium and begonias indoors.
• Place amaryllis in cool basement for a 3-month rest period.
• To set buds, Christmas cacti require a rest period and cool nights (55 degrees.)
• Sow snapdragons, cornflowers and other hardy annuals a few weeks before the first frost date. Mark where planted to avoid damaging seedlings in spring.
• Carefully inspect spring flowering bulbs before planting. Discard soft bulbs.
• Remove newly set tomatoes, blossoms and new growth five weeks before expected frost because they won’t have time to mature.
• Sow annual ryegrass or oats for winter cover and green manure in beds that won’t be planted until late in spring. Keep watered.
• Remove all weeds from garden before they go to seed.
• Pinch out the growing points at the top of Brussels sprout stems so bottom sprouts will reach maturity.
• Watch for early frosts. Cover the garden when frost is predicted to obtain up to another month of growth. Water plants well for greater frost protection and maximum growth.
• Cut back perennials after frost.
• Dig and pot parsley, chives and tender herbs for transfer indoors to sunny window.
• For better keeping, harvest carrots, beets and turnips before first frost kills foliage.
• Gather squash, pumpkins and gourds when ripe and before frost damage. Leave 2-inch stem on vegetable for better storage.
• Clear garden beds immediately after harvest. Destroy any diseased plants by burning, composting in a hot pile or sealing in container for disposal.
• Early September is the latest time to plant spring-flowering shrubs.
• Aerate lawn when temperature is 60-70 degrees.
• Stop planting evergreens by mid-September.
• Harvest pears when light green. Separate from branch with slight twisting motion.
• Harvest grapes. Fertilize with one-cup bone meal per plant.
• Harvest apples. Rake leaves and fallen fruit from apple trees to control disease and inspect problems next year. Be careful not to injure long-lived fruiting spurs when harvesting.
• Cut out spent raspberry and blackberry canes after fruiting.

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October Garden Guide

• On October 1, start treatment of poinsettias for bract coloration. Place in total darkness for 15 hours every day for 2 months. Night temperature should be 65-70 degrees F. Keep soil moist.
• Plant peonies until October 15. Mulch after ground freezes.
• Seed perennials such as Oriental poppy, Iceland poppy, gas plant, primrose, scabiosa, phlox, pansy and penstemon. Mark where planted.
• Plant spring flowering bulbs. Bulbs can be planted up to six weeks after first fall frost. Fertilize existing bulb beds with bone meal, milorganite, or 5-5-5 fertilizer.
• Harvest gladiolas at least six weeks after bloom and before ground freezes. Cure for three days at 80 degrees before storing. Label and store at 40-45 degrees in open trays.
• Remove iris leaves to prevent over wintering of iris borer eggs. Cut leaves to four-inch fans.
• Store tuberose at 45 degrees F, tuberous rooted begonias at 45-50 degrees, and caladium at 60 degrees.
• After killing frost, rose bush foliage should be stripped and old leaves cleaned from bed. Shortly before ground freezes, roses should be given good deep soaking. Prune branches enough to prevent whipping around in wind or to fit under rose cones.
• Sow seeds of hardy annuals: cleome, pinks, candytuft, larkspur, bachelor buttons and calendula. Mark where planted.
• Plant Jerusalem artichoke during last two weeks of month.
• Prepare vegetable garden soil for early spring planting. Remove old stalks to prevent insect and disease problems next year. Spread manure, incorporate into soil.
• Rejuvenate rhubarb by dividing into quarters and replanting.
• Cut back asparagus ferns and dispose to prevent insect and disease problems next year. Incorporate manure into soil and mulch with straw.
• Use mulch around Brussels sprouts to moderate soil temperature and prolong harvest.
• Water plants well for more cold tolerance.
• Plant garlic 2-3 inches deep and cover with 4-6 inches of straw mulch.
• Rake, chop and compost any fallen leaves from lawn.
• Fertilize shade trees when leaf color changes and leaves drop.
• Plant dormant deciduous trees and shrubs from now until ground freezes. A two-inch layer of mulch reduces freezing and thawing, which can damage roots.
• If fertilizing lawn one time a year, apply it in the third week of October. If fertilizing twice a year, apply in October and early June. If three times a year, include a September application.
• Water evergreens and foundation plantings before ground freezes.
• Protect woody ornamentals and fruit trees against mice.

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November Garden Guide

• Finish planting spring bulbs.
• Prepare new perennial beds for spring planting. Soil will be conditioned over winter.
• With sunny conditions, paper-white narcissus planted indoors about mid November will bloom for Christmas.
• After ground freezes, mulch azaleas and rhododendrons with chopped oak leaves or pine needles. Perennial beds should also be mulched with coarse material such as marsh hay.
• Do not smother self-sowing annual beds with heavy mulch.
• Reduce watering and feeding houseplants as lower light conditions of winter approach.
• Test soil if you haven’t done so recently.
• Clean window boxes and outdoor planters, fill with greens and berries or other seasonal display.
• Mulch carrots, parsnips and leeks with a foot of straw or marsh hay for winter digging. Mark rows with stakes.
• Mulch asparagus bed with chopped leaves or straw to protect crowns from frost.
• Inventory, clean, repair and coat the metal parts of garden tools with vegetable oil before storing.
• Drain gasoline from tiller.
• Harvest the last of the hardy vegetables, such as Chinese cabbage, Brussels sprouts and kale. These will continue to produce until a frost below 25 degrees F.
• Harvest vegetables to be stored indoors before ground freezes.
• Heavily water trees and shrubs before ground freezes. This helps prevent winter burn on evergreens.
• Cut back fall blooming hydrangeas, leaving one or two pairs of buds on each flower stem.
• Wrap the trunks of young shade trees and fruit trees to protect them from animal damage and sunscald.
• Make one last lawn mowing, setting blade one-half inch lower than usual. Drain gas from mowers.
• Cut to the ground any summer bearing raspberry or blackberry canes that have fruited this year.
• Dormant pruning of black, yellow and purple raspberries is done by shortening all lateral branches to 15 inches.
• Prune grapevines.
• Mulch strawberries and bramble fruits after the ground has frozen, but before the temperature falls below 15 degrees (usually late November.) Apply 2-4 inches of straw or marsh hay.

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