Nursery Timetables

 

January

• Read the catalogs that start arriving and make a wish list for spring.
• Visit conservatories like Reiman Gardens in Ames, or the Des Moines Botanical Center. For an inspiring look at conifers in winter, visit the Bickelhaupt Arboretum in Clinton.
• Don’t forget to feed the birds.
• Check your rabbit and deer protection often to make sure everything is intact.
• Spray animal repellant as needed
• Start seeds indoors for very slow growing perennials and annuals.

February

• Attend the Iowa City Landscaping & Garden Center Winter Class Series, Saturday’s at 10:00am
• Start seeds indoors of leeks, onions, broccolli, cabbage, cauliflower, and perennial flowers and herbs now. Read the seed packets for weeks before frost date (around may 10 for us). Avoid planting seeds of most other plants until March and April.

Trees and Shrubs

• Prune most shade and ornamental trees for structural purposes. Check with us if you have questions about how to prune properly. Avoid pruning early spring blooming trees and shrubs except for diseased or damaged branches (for those, prune after flowering).
  

March

Early in the month:

• Start seeds indoors of slower-growing annuals that you should start 10-12 weeks before the last average frost date. These include snapdragons, annual salvias, and impatiens.
• In the second half of the month:
• As temperatures and soil moisture allows: Direct sow seeds of fast-germinating cool-season vegetables, such as radishes, spinaches, and lettuces, and onion plants.
• Divide any perennials that are an inch or so high and don't bloom in very early spring.
• If you didn’t do it in the fall, apply compost to perennial, annual, and vegetable beds.
• Clean up perennial beds that didn’t get done last fall. Rake up late fallen leaves that have accumulated around plants.
• Uncover mounded roses and clean up dead/diseased foliage as soon as new growth begins to swell.
• As soon as the snow melts, rake up leaves that remain on the lawn. Begin mowing as soon as necessary.
  
• The last week of March or first week of April: Start seeds indoors of annuals that you should start 6-8 weeks before the last average frost date. These include marigolds, globe amaranth, sweet alyssum, flowering tobacco, peppers, tomatoes, and eggplant.
• Cut back ornamental grasses to 2-3”.
• Start visiting the Garden Center to see the early arrivals.

April

Trees & Shrubs

• Mulch and apply pre-emergent to landscape beds
• Apply granular fertilizer to trees, shrubs, and perennial beds
  
• Start planting trees and shrubs as the weather and supply allows – time to visit the Nursery!

Perennials

• Divide summer and fall flowering perennials and ornamental grasses as needed

Annuals

• Plant cool season annuals like pansies, violas, and snapdragons

Vegetables

• Plant cole crop vegetables from transplants – cabbage, broccoli, cauliflower, etc.
  
• Start to harvest asparagus (or hunt for it in the wild!)
  
• Plant lettuces and spinach weekly, to keep the supply fresh in early summer
  
• Plant potatoes

Lawns

• Apply pre- emergent crabgrass control when the redbuds are blooming
  
• Apply spring fertilizer
  
• Mow as needed – cut at 2.5” or higher

May

Don’t forget Mother’s Day!

Trees & Shrubs

• Purchase and plant new trees and shrubs
  
• Re- establish mulch rings around trees, so the mower and string trimmer don’t get them

Perennials

• Deadhead spring blooming bulbs and perennials
  
• Start pinching mums for encourage bushy growth

Annuals

• Plant bedding plants – wait until mid month for very frost sensitive plants
  
• Plant cannas and gladiolas
  
• Plant annual container gardens and hanging baskets

Vegetables

• Plant warm season direct-sow crops like beans and corn
  
• Later in the month, plant tomatoes, peppers, eggplant and vine crops

Lawns

• Mow as needed – cut at 3” or higher     

June

Trees & Shrubs

• Plant new trees and shrubs
  
• Prune spring flowering plants like rhododendron, bridalwreath, viburnum, lilac
  
• Water new plantings as necessary

Perennials

• Deadhead as needed

Annuals

• Water, weed, fertilize, deadhead

Vegetables

• Harvest strawberries, peas, lettuce, spinach and other early crops.  Make a salad!

Lawns

• Apply broadleaf weed control
  
• Mow as needed – cut to 3” or higher

July

Trees & Shrubs

• Water new plantings as needed
  
• Visit the Garden Center to see what’s new and maybe on sale!
  
• Remove suckers from crabs and other ornamentals

Perennials

• Deadhead as needed
  
• Divide bearded iris

Annuals

• Water, fertilize, deadhead
  
• Cut back overgrown plants and fertilize so they look good in August and September

Vegetables

• Enjoy the bounty!
  
• Make pesto while the basil looks it’s best!

Lawns

• Mow as needed – cut to 3.5”
  
• Sharpen mower blades

August

Trees & Shrubs

• Water new plantings as needed
  
• Make sure mulch rings are still in place

Perennials

• Deadhead

Annuals

• Water, fertilize, deadhead

Vegetables

• Enjoy the bounty!
  
• Harvest potatoes, onions after the tops have browned
  
• Plant lettuces, spinach and other short/cool season crops

Lawns

• Mow as needed – cut to 3.5”
• You can start seeding new or fill in around the 15th of the month
• Watch for grubs!

September

Trees & Shrubs

• Protect vulnerable trees from deer antler rubbing with corrugated tubes or fencing

Perennials

• Deadhead as necessary
  
• Divide overgrown spring/early summer flowering perennials

Annuals

• Water, fertilize, deadhead
  
• Fill in dead spots with pansies and other fall annuals

Vegetables

• Keep enjoying the bounty!
  
• Harvest tender varieties before a frost 

Lawns

• Mow as needed – cut to 3”
• Still good seeding time through the end of the month
• Great time to do broadleaf weed control
• Watch for grubs!

October

Trees & Shrubs

• There’s usually a sale at the Garden Center – Great time to plant, great time to save!

Perennials

• Still good time to plant
  
• Look at ornamental grasses around town to see which flowers you like the best

Annuals

• Pull them out if they are ugly or frozen
  
• Make a plan for next year

Vegetables

• Harvest the last of the tender crops before frost
  
• Clean up, remove fallen fruit and diseased foliage
  
• Spread compost over the garden

Lawns- 

• Continue to mow as long as the grass is growing
  
• It’s not too late to apply fall fertilizer at this time
  
• Keep leaves raked from the lawn, or use a mulching mower often to compost leaves into the yard
  
• Core aerate if you have not already done so.

November

Trees and Shrubs

• Continue to plant trees and shrubs as long as the weather permits.
• Water newly planted evergreens until the ground freezes.
  Apply anti-dessicant to new evergreens and those in containers on an above-freezing day.
• Protect susceptible plants from rabbit damage over the winter by using chicken wire or hardware cloth fencing at least 24” high.
  
• Mound soil around grafted roses late in the month.
• Rake up and dispose of any diseased foliage or fallen fruit.
• It is OK to prune most trees and shrubs at this time, but watch for early spring bloomers!
• Spray animal repellant as needed

Perennials

• Clean up and cut back any wilted or diseased foliage on perennials.
• Be sure to leave seed heads of coneflowers and other bird-feeding or ornamental perennials and grasses.
• Apply a thin layer of compost to the perennial garden.

Lawns

• Continue to mow as long as the grass is growing.
• It’s not too late to apply fall fertilizer at this time.
• Keep leaves raked from the lawn, or use a mulching mower often to compost leaves into the yard.
• Core aerate if you have not already done so.

December

• There’s not much to do in the garden in December unless the weather is abnormally warm. In this case, see November’s to-do list!
• Fill containers that had annuals in them with small evergreens or cut evergreen boughs.
• Spray with anti-dessicant for color throughout the winter.
• Get out your notes from the past year and start planning for spring!
  
• Spray animal repellant as needed