January 7 – To get the most from your garden, you need to understand everything a garden can do. Once you have a sense of the possibilities, you can decide what to include in your own garden.
January 14 – Check your trees for snow and ice damage. Do not try to knock frozen snow or ice off of trees as this can cause more damage than the snow or ice.
January 21 – Check winter mulch coverage on your strawberry patch. Replace/add mulch where needed. Can't see the mulch under the snow? Great! Snow is the best insulation available.
January 28 – Take inventory of the leftover seeds and supplies you have BEFORE heading out to the store or ordering from the garden catalog.
Februrary 4 – Break out the garden journal or your trusty notebook and start rdcording planting information. List when and what you plant this spring. Keep it handy and use it throughout the season. Note successes and failures for future reference.
February 11 – Houseplants should be cleaned once a month. Wipe off smooth leaaves with a damp sponge or cloth. Ue a cosmetic brush to dust hairy-leafed plants.
February 18 – Repair and paint window boxes, lawn furniture and tools.
February 25 – If bird feedings has been a favorite activity this winter, order trees and shrubs which provide cover and small fruits for your feathered friends. Consider species such as crabapple and hawthorn which can help lure hungry birds from cultivated fruits, if planted on the opposite side of the yard.
March 4 – Complete the pruning of shrubs before growth starts, except for spring flowering shrubs. Prune those which bloom in spring as soon as they finish flowering.
March 11 – Don't forget to purchase potting soil for your container plantisngs. It is worth the extra cost bo buy soil that includes a wetting agent which will help it absorb and retain moisture more uniformly. Soil in containers should be replaced at a minimum of every other year. Add the old soil to your compost pile.,
March 18 – Fertilize and cultivate established aspargus beds.
March 25 – If you plan to break new ground this year, be sure to call Diggers Hotline first. the toll free number is 1-800-242-8511.
April 1 – Prop an old window on bricks, logs or cinder blocks to serve as a portable cold frame.
April 8 – Asparagus should be planted as soon as the ground can be worked in the spring. One year old crowns or plants are preferred. Place in a trench 12-18 inches wide and 6 inches deep. The crowns should be placed 9-12 inches apart. Spread out the roots. Cover the crown with 2 inches of soil. Gradually fill the remaining portion of the trench during the first summer as the plants grow taller.
April 15 – For a fast, free mulch, tear newspapers vertically into ½ inch strips, and then swish them around in a bucket of water to wet them thoroughly. Place handfuls of the tangled strips around plants. Camouflage them beneath a thin layer of more decorative mulch.
April 22 – Cool season vegetables, such as onions, peas, spinach and rutabagas, are very hardy and can be planted 4-6 weeks before the average frost-free date. Carrots, radish & beets can be planted 2-3 weeks before the average frost-free date. Know your hardiness zone; WI ranges from 3a – 5b.
April 29 – When peas are planted in new land, you may increase the yield by inoculating peas with a commercial formulation or nitrogen-fixing bacteria. In an established garden, inoculation is less necessary but is inexpensive and easy to do. If done, it can ensure better plant-nutrient status.
May 6 – Do not remove the leaves of your Tulips or Daffodils until they naturally decline. Instead, consider ways to mask their appearance: plant annuals between bulbs, mix bulbs with other perennials or tie the foliage with string or rubber bands.
May 13 – Evaluate the size and thickness of mulch rings around your trees. Bigger is better! A wide mulch ring, covering most of the area under the tree canopy, creates a good environment for the tree roots. Maintain a 3 inch layer of mulch, and keep the mulch away from the tree trunk to prevent decay.
May 20 – Record the date of strawberry bloom. Ripe fruit follows bloom by 30 days.
May 27 – Include some kid friendly features in this years garden. Giant pumpkins and sunflowers are some tried and true kid favorites. Theme gardens are popular – try one of the following: a ‘Kinder-garden’ including plants that start with each letter of the alphabet, or a ‘Pizza garden’ with all the fresh ingredients needed to make your own pizza-except the cheese and pepperoni. Or, simply give the kids a little gardening space of their own and see what happens!
June 3 – When the Cauliflower head begins to form, it is ready to blanch. Tie the outer leaves together over the center of the plant to protect the head from sunburn and to keep it from turning green and developing an off flavor. The head’s curd develops rapidly under proper growing conditions. It grows 6-8 inches in diameter and is ready to harvest within 7-12 days after blanching begins. Harvest the heads by cutting the main stem.
June 10 – Wait until after natural June fruit drop to thin fruit. Thinning promotes larger, better flavored fruit and prevents damage to overburdened trees. Thin apples to 4-6 inches apart, plums 3 inches apart, and pears 6 inches apart.
June 17 – Your eyes are your best weapons when it comes to defending your plants against disease, pests and other problems. Watch for abnormal growth like curled leaves or insect infestations, and remove them as soon as you see them.
June 24 – To help prevent Blossom End Rot in your tomatoes, avoid moisture extremes. Use mulch to keep soil evenly moist. Plants need 1-1.5 inches of water a week while fruiting.
July 1 – July and early August are the hottest part of our growing season. Extreme heat can cause annuals to stop blooming, decline, or even die. Reduce the stress of your plants by ensuring plants are mulched, watered thoroughly but less frequently, and stop fertilizing.
July 8 – Harvest raspberries as often as possible to keep overripe berries off the plants. The overripe fruits attract picnic beetles that feed on the berries.
July 15 – Increase vase life of cut flowers by: cutting the base of the stem at an angle with a sharp knife or cutting scissors, placing the flowers in water right after they are cut, and by harvesting most flowers as the buds are just beginning to open.
July 22 – Water features in our landscape are not an automatic invitation for mosquito breeding. They need 7-12 days to lay and hatch eggs and will not breed in circulating water. Keep a cover on your rain barrel and clean out your bird bath a few times a week. Natural products are available that can control mosquitoes in a stagnant pond; talk with your garden center about these options.
July 29 – Visit a farmer’s market. This is a great way to try some new vegetables or fruits that you may want to grow next year.
August 5 – Plant late crops of radishes, lettuce, spinach and beets.
August 12 – Try growing vine crops on trellises or fences to increase light and air flow and to reduce disease problems like mildew and leaf spots. Remove infected leaves as soon as they appear. Fungicides are available – read and follow label directions carefully.
August 19 – Root crops (beets, carrots, parsnips & potatoes) should not be washed if they are to be stored for extended periods. Washing may result in development of soft rot.
August 26 – If you’re planting or replacing lawn, start with careful selection of the grass seed you’ll be using. Improved varieties are available that resist disease, drought, or tolerate shade. Check with your local nursery or extension office to learn the best varieties for your area.
September 2 – Stop deadheading plants you want to develop seedpods for winter interest such as fall-blooming Sedums, Astilbes, Coneflowers and Rudbeckias.
September 9 – Consider using shrubs with colorful autumn foliage. Red-orange: America Cranberrybush Viburnum, Barberry, Burning Bush, Fothergilla, Running Serviceberry & Spireas. Purple: Dogwood. Yellow: Roses & Witchhazel.
September 16 – Varying elevations increases visual impact. Dig out a sunken area for a flagstone sitting area. Pile the removed soil into surrounding beds and plant however you choose. Hold beds in place with low rock walls.
September 23 – Check tree trunks for gypsy moth egg masses. The eggs are covered with a yellow hairy substance. Each cluster can contain over 600 eggs. Remove and destroy any egg masses found.
September 30 – Choose a path material that suits the style of your garden, your home and your budget. Some choices are more labor intensive than others. Here is a list of some options: brick, ceramic tile, cobblestones, concrete pavers, crushed shells, flagstone, grass, gravel, interlocking pavers, marble, natural stone, pebbles or cobbles set in mosaic pattern, pine needles, shredded bark, or wood chips.
October 7 – Start installing animal fencing around new plantings, fruit trees, and other animal favorites. Place a 4-foot tall cylinder of hardware cloth around these trees. Sink it several inches into the soil. This will keep voles and rabbits away from the trunks.
October 14 – Plant garlic in rich well-drained soil 5 inches apart and 1 to 2 inches deep. Select larger cloves for large bulbs. Break bulbs apart into individual cloves. The end of the clove that was broken from the bulb should be planted down. Cover with 4-6 inches of straw mulch.
October 21 – Tips for carving pumpkins. Instead of carving around the pumpkin stem to create a lid, cut a hole in its base and remove the strings and seeds through the bottom. Use the base as the candle holder and set your pumpkin down on top. You can carve designs into the top of the pumpkin that will cast light upwards.
October 28 – Don't discard the pumpkin seeds after carving your Jack-O'-Lanterns. Use this simple recipe for roasting the seeds. 2 Tbsn dried ground rosemary, 2 cups fresh pumpkin seeds, 2 Tbsn olive oil, salt to taste. Heat oven to 350 degrees. Combine all ingredients and spread on a baking sheet. Bake 10-12 minutes or until crisp and brown. Enjoy!
November 4 – Keep mowing the grass as long as it keeps growing or until the snow starts flying. When you are done for the year, empty the gas tank or fill it with a gas preservative.
November 11 – Cut fall bearing Raspberries to the ground. This method of pruning eliminates the summer crop but will give you a larger and earlier fall crop next year.
November 18 – Take some time to locate, organize and safely store fertilizers and pesticides. Always leave pesticides in their original containers and store them in a locked area away from pets and children.
November 25 – Look at your garden journal. If you didn’t use it to its full potential this year, write down what you can remember about the year. Add some goals for the next growing season. Keep it handy throughout the winter to add any ideas, tips or tricks you collect.
December 2 – Shovel heavy snowdrifts off low lying perennial beds to prevent water-logging during thaws. Don’t shovel snow onto perennial beds. Disturbed snow is denser and can reduce oxygen to the soil.
December 9 – Plant a window box garden. Start with a few small, clean pots filled with good quality potting soil. Add leftover seeds such as herbs, lettuce or radishes. Place on a south facing windowsill.
December 16 – You don’t need to get/give the same old red Poinsettia this year. You can find curly and variegated poinsettias, speckled and marbled as well as pastels and yellow flowered varieties.
December 23 – Inspect stored vegetables. Anything showing signs of spoilage should be removed immediately and either used or discarded.
December 30 – Get online or to your local library and do some research on any projects you would like to tackle in the new year or just to stay up to date on the latest varieties of your favorite fruits, vegetables or plants that are available for your region.
