January|February|March|April|May|June|July|August|September|October|November|December

January

• Plant your living Christmas tree as soon as possible. Dig the hole on a warm day in the afternoon. If you leave the soil in a wheelbarrow in the garage it is much easier to work with.
• Spray Wilt Stop® on holly, rhododendrons, euonymus and Oregon grape now and again in February to prevent leaf burn.
• Water this month if we have not received 12" of snow or 1" of rain. Check the newspaper for the month-to-date precipitation.
• Fertilize houseplants with Osmocote fertilizer now. Apply Systemic Houseplant Insect Control to your houseplants and lengthen the time between waterings to control soil gnats.
• Attract birds to your yard by offering a continuous supply of clean water and food. Feed finches with Niger thistle socks. Attract a wider variety of birds with suet and seed mixes. Several bulk blends are also available.
• Apply KaPut to control meadow mice and voles if you've noticed runways in your turf or live near an open field.

February

• Water again this month if needed
• New seeds for the garden are arriving!
• Apply Soil Sulfur or FST to your landscape if pH is over 7.5 for better greening and plant growth
• Apply weed control Casoron pre-emergent now for best results this month. Goathead or puncture vine are best controlled with Weed Stopper pre-emergent applied now.
• Continue to apply KaPut to control voles if you've noticed runways in your turf or live near an open field.
• Moving water is just as important to attract birds as food like thistle socks, suet and seed mixes.
• Spray Wilt Stop on holly, rhododendrons, euonymus, and Oregon grape again to prevent leaf burn.
• Spray dormant oil and dormant fungicides on fruit trees, roses, berry bushes and dormant oil on shade trees, flowering trees and any deciduous shrubs.
• Prune summer-blooming shrubs such as spiraea, rose of sharon, potentilla and ornamental grasses now. For best results wait to prune spring-blooming shrubs such as lilacs, forsythia or snowball bushes until after each one flowers . Shrubs overgrown? Remove one or two larger stems at ground level to maintain a compact shrub that blooms well each year. Leave some of the young suckers every year to fill in the gaps.
• Start salting the pond now for healthier fish
• The new Rose Selections for the year are now available. Reserve your roses when we re-open in February for pick-up on Mother's Day.

March

• Start planting! Carrots, peas, onions, cabbage and lettuce are favorite cool season crops. Adding Master Start fertilizer promotes strong root growth. Check out our Calendar of Events for the upcoming season
• Apply a preemergent like Casoron or Concern to shrub beds and weed free areas if you haven't done so yet.
• Spray Florel once a week for 3 weeks on the greenish flowers on elms and cottonwood and red flowers on silver maples. No seeds, no cotton, no box elder bugs!
• There is still time to spray dormant oil and disease control fungicide on trees and shrubs to suffocate over-wintering insects and control disease
• Dig organic materials into your vegetable and flower garden for bigger crops and efficient water use. Paydirt, Bumper Crop or Black Forest Compost are three blended organic mixes that are perfect for flower and vegetable beds. One bag of these organics will do a 50 square foot area. Add bone meal straight or in a blend.
• Fertilize your lawn with Dr. Earth Lawn Food or Master Green. Fertilize trees and shrubs. Granules and spikes need water to activate. Tablets need mycorrhizae and water
• When selecting a fertilizer keep in mind that the quicker release fertilizers, when applied in the spring, stimulate more growth but require more frequent application.
• Apply:
  Master Acid 30-10-10 every 2 weeks
  Best 16-16-16 granules every 4 weeks.
  Jobe's fertilizer spikes every 8 weeks.
• Time to think about landscaping! Create a new outdoor room, pond or patio.
• Test your pond water for salt and pH levels for healthy fish and plants.

April

• Fertilize the garden again. Vegetable plants and summer annuals thrive on regular fertilizer applications because they grow so much in one season.
  
• Fungus is in full swing on the lawn, roses, junipers, pines, spruce, spiraeas, bee balm and summer phlox. Spray once a week for 3 weeks and use a different fungicide at least one time.
• Spray Sevin on the elm trees to get the second hatch of elm leaf beetles.
• Tomatoes will crack due to uneven moisture levels in the soil. Water your tomatoes in the morning instead of the evening for best results. Ensure that the soil has high organic matter working initially to help combat dryness and promote root growth
• Check your cherry and pear trees for a small green slug with a black head. Look on the surface of the leaves. This leaf slug -- pear psylla -- is easily controlled with an insecticidal spray on the 4th and again on the 15th.
• Annual color should be watered 2 or 3 times a week if exposed to a lot of late afternoon sun and wind. Too frequent watering creates weak, shallow roots and generally smaller plants. Plants in pots may need water every day or even twice a day in hot windy spots. The addition of a soil polymer like Soil Moist will lengthen the time between waterings when applied to the soil for at least four weeks. This works well on houseplants also. If you are going on a trip, this could be very useful in keeping your plants alive.
• Net your cherry, peach, apricot, and plum trees now so the birds don't get all the fruit! Try scare tape to deter the birds. Thin the fruit on your apples, peaches, and pears so that there is a palm distance between each fruit.
• Check your drip system -- every emitter! Running your drip system once a week for 6 to 8 hours on established plants usually works the best. If runoff is occurring, reduce the size of the emitter or spread them out further along the line. Never plug up an emitter. Plants have roots where drippers are and if you move the water then those feeder roots die.
• June and July is the best time to prune fruit trees. You may lose some fruit but the tree heals faster, with minimal water growth (upright, unproductive clusters of weak, fast-growing branches).
• Hose down evergreens at least once a month with a strong stream of water to control spider mites.
• Apply Osmocote fertilizer again to your houseplants. Switch to a high phosphate orchid food to produce flowers for the next 6 months.
• Refresh the Barley Bale in your pond to prevent string algae or treat weekly with Algaefix or all-natural AK.
• To control spurge, dandelion, clover and any other broad leaf lawn weeds, spray Lawn Weed Killer plus Spray Grip early in the morning at least 4 days after the last mowing; don't mow again for 4 to 6 days.

May

• Fertilize! Fertilize! Fertilize! Only good feeding and watering practices can make your plants happier and healthier. Add a fertilizer injector to your drip system -- it's simple, easy and very cost effective. Most trees, shrubs and flowers like an acid food with a higher concentration of nitrogen. Feed with water soluble Master Nursery Acid Food.
• Check your sprinkler system. Make sure all of your emitters and spray heads are working
• Spraying pine tree tops with two different fungicides, such as Daconil and Phyton 27, will stop the spread of several deadly diseases. Begin spraying when the needles are elongating and continue to spray once a week for 3 to 4 weeks.
• Frost happens. FreezePruf enhances plants' natural antifreeze properties and adds protection to plants of 3 to 9 degrees for up to 30 days.
• Petunias, alyssum and calendulas will take some frost. Marigolds, salvias, vinca and impatiens, tomatoes and peppers, turn black at 32 degrees, so be cautious!
• Spurge and other summer lawn weeds can be controlled in late May by applying pre-emergent granules to the lawn. These preemergents kill the seeds in the grass without hurting the lawn. Some lawn preemergents are offered in combination with fertilizer.
• Plant corn, potatoes, asparagus and summer bulbs early this month. Dust your cabbage with Vegetable and Garden Dust. Plant all your vegetable seeds around the 15th to avoid frost; plant around the 1st if you have the correct microclimate or are just adventurous. The last frost for many years has been Memorial Day weekend, so be prepared to cover the garden with cloth, floating row covers or low tunnels for greater protection. Plastic does almost nothing.
• Aphids begin appearing on snowball bushes, birch, plum, peach, cherry trees and roses. Effective treatment includes any one of the following, or several in combination. For non-edibles, spray with Orthene or use Imidacloprid, a systemic soil drench. Master Nursery Pest Fighter is an organic spray for use on edibles. Apply once monthly for continued protection. Ladybugs are natural predators of aphids.
• Continue to shade your pond. Use Real Clear AK, Microbe-Lift or Barley Bales to control algae. Fertilize pond plants, especially waterlilies and lotus, with fertilizer spikes made specifically for aquatic plants.

June

• Watering the lawn in the evening is an open invitation for lawn fungus. Watering after midnight and cycling to get 2 to 3 run times in the early morning crates less runoff, healthier turf and fewer bugs. Watering every third day is sufficient for a healthy lawn; call the water department for special permission first. Add one more irrigation emitter to every plant on the drip system at a distance 2 feet from the existing emitter. Increase the time on your timer 20-30% for summer heat.
• Get ready for Customer Appreciation Day, Saturday the 2nd weekend of June.
• Prune spring-flowering shrubs -- lilacs, forsythia, snowball bushes -- now. Take one or two of the big stems or trunks out to allow young wood to grow up and bloom in later years.
• Watch stressed spruce trees. A fungus called pink needle can wipe out a tree in two years. Spray with two different fungicides, Phyton 27 or Daconil, within three weeks if you notice any sign of this disease. Adding Spray Grip improves the effectiveness of the fungicides.
• Check and spray your roses, euonymus, apples and crabapples for mildew. This white powder-like fungus grows quickly with mild, humid nights. if you had mildew last year you will have it this year, so treat with a fungicide or Wilt Stop.
• Check for aphids and treat as needed. Monterey Take Down and Bonide Pyrethrins are all-natural and work on all plants. Ladybugs are nature's way to help keep aphids under control.
• Fertilize the lawn now with Dr. Earth Super organic Lawn Food, available as a liquid or granules, Master Pro Lawn Food or Turf Supreme, a formulation which is slow release and contains a high concentration of sulfur, creating a healthy green lawn which doesn't grow too quickly.
• Bothered by snakes? Try Snake-A-Way to keep them at bay. Reapply at the end of July
• Spray elms with Sevin to control elm leaf beetle. Try Imidacloprid (Merit) next year in April and avoid spraying in June. Merit is a systemic soil drench also available in injectable capsule form.
• Want that BIG tree? Our Planting and Delivery crew can plant it for you!
• Shade your pond. Remember that algae grows faster with more sunlight, so the more plant foliage on the pond the less algae in the water. Fertilize all pond plants with aquatic plant fertilizers. Check pH nitrate levels, filter and fish too.
• Prune apple trees now to prevent water sprouts. They will yield bigger fruit, too.
• June is National Rose Month. Our selection of over 150 varieties is the best in the area!
• Hose down your evergreens twice a month to prevent spider mite colonies from forming.

July

• Fertilize the garden again. Vegetable plants and summer annuals thrive on regular fertilizer applications because they grow so much in one season.
• Fungus is in full swing on the lawn, roses, junipers, pines, spruce, spiraeas, bee balm and summer phlox. Spray once a week for three weeks and use a different fungicide at least one time.
• Spray Sevin on the elm trees to get the second hatch of elm leaf beetles.
• Tomatoes will crack due to uneven moisture levels in the the soil. Water your tomatoes in the morning instead of the evening for best results. Ensure that the soil has high organic matter working initially to help combat dryness and promote root growth.
• Check your cherry and pear trees for a small green slug with a black head. Look on the surface of leaves. This leaf slug - pear psylla - is easily controlled with an insecticidal spray on the 4th and again on the 15th.
• Annual color should be watered two or three times a week if exposed to a lot of late afternoon sun and wind. Too frequent watering creates weak, shallow roots and generally smaller plants. Plants in pots may need water every day or even twice a day in the hot windy spots. The addition of a soil polymer like Soil Moist will lengthen the time between waterings when applied to the soil for at least four weeks. This works great on houseplants also. If you are going on a trip this could be very useful in keeping your plants alive.
• Net your cherry, peach, apricot and plum trees now so the birds don't get all the fruit! Try scare tape to deter the birds. Thin the fruit on your apples, peaches and pears so that there is a palm's distance between each fruit.
• Check your drip system -- every emitter! Running your drip system once a week for six to eight hours on established plants usually works the best. If runoff is occurring reduce the size of the emitters or spread them out further along the line. Never plug up a emitter. Plants have roots where the dripper are and if you move the water then those feeder roots die.
• June and July is the best time to prune fruit trees. You may lose some fruit but the tree heals faster, with minimal water growth (upright, unproductive clusters of weak, fast-growing branches.)
• Hose down evergreens at least once a month with a strong stream of water to control spider mites.
• Apply Osmocote fertilizer again to your houseplants. Switch to a high phosphate orchid food to produce flowers for the next six months.
• Refresh the Barley Bale in your pond to prevent string algae or treat weekly with Algaefix or all-natural AK.
• To control spurge, dandelion, clover and any other broad-leaf lawn weeks, spray Lawn Weed Killer plus Spray Grip early in the morning at least four days after the last mowing. Don't mow again for four to six days.

August

• Reapply Snake-A-Way around the yard or campsite
• pH test your pond water every month through the summer to check for rising alkali conditions due to the high amounts of evaporation. Gradually add pH Down so as not to shock the fish in a rapid adjustment period. Fertilize water lilies every month with fertilizer spikes especially for aquatic plants. Reduce string algae by using a larger pump to move more water.
• Do not to spray any big weeds in dry areas because they will not absorb much herbicide. Actively growing weeks in the spring and early summer are the easiest to control.
• Apply Casoron now to control fall cheat grass if you have not used Casoron twice before.
• Hose down all of your needled evergreens with a strong stream of water to help control spider mite populations.
• Box elder bugs (black with an orange X on the back) love to eat the seeds of box elders, silver maples and other soft wood maples. These pests can be controlled now with Sevin. Use Florel in the spring when the trees are blooming to prevent seed germination.
• Fertilize the lawn after the 15th using Dr. Earth or Master Green. Fertilize the garden again.
• Net your apple, peach and pear trees now so the birds don't get all the fruit. Try scare tape to deter the birds.
• Plant cabbage, broccoli, spinach, carrots, radishes and peas for a fall harvest. You can start harvesting some potatoes.
• Colchicums, those big beautiful fall crocus, will arrive the last two weeks of the moth. Buy early because they go quickly!
• Melons are ripe when the stem pulls easily from the the fruit or the tendril opposite the fruit on the stem dries up.
• Placing snail, slug and insect granules or meal in feeding stations around your corn will rid you of earwigs in the garden.
• Divide and replant any iris beds that are older than three years. Check out our selection of reblooming iris that bloom in spring and fall.

September

• Bulbs! Bulbs! Bulbs! Nothing heralds spring with more fervor than crocus, tulips, daffodils and hyacinths. Most tulips and daffodils perform at their best for two years with good fertilization. After two years most begin to fail, so think about replacing those that look as though the blooms are lacking their original luster. Try a new design or color. Work in organics and fertilizer whenever possible because our soil needs it.
• Decrease your watering by 15% to 25% for fall temps to prevent overwatering.
• Plant garlic (Giant, Red or Spanish) now for the best size next year.
• Watch for a hard freeze. Sprinkler and drip systems can be damaged if the temperature falls below 22 degrees. Drums painted black and filled with water give off heat through the night to help the tomatoes, peppers and others from freezing; it helps with frost protection, along with cotton sheets or canvas tarps. No plastic -- it holds in very little heat and blows off easily.
• September 15th is the prime target date for seeding a lawn. Because of warm soil, warm water, cool nights and diminishing winds, it is the best time and the lawn will be thick enough to stop the winter mud from being tracked inside.
• Frost happens. FreezePruf enhances plants' natural antifreeze properties and adds protection to plants of 3 to 9 degrees for up to 30 days.
• Burning bush, Virginia creeper and red maples cab be purchased now to to give your yard fall splendor!
• Plant ornamental kale and cabbage, pansies and violas for fall and winter color where summer annuals have begun to look spent. Chase the blahs away even when it snows. Mums are in full swing, so pick up some for you and a friend.
• Before bringing your favorite geraniums inside for the winter, treat plants coming in from outdoors and houseplants with Systemic Houseplant Insect Control to prevent indoor insect infestation.
• Net your pond to keep out unwanted leaves.
• Stop dead-heading and pruning your roses until next April 15th.
• Still-warm soil holds heat from summer so roots continue to grow even as winter air minimizes top growth. In spring, as the air warms, top growth begins. The large root system is now able to supply the maximum needs of water and nutrients for well-balanced growth.

October

• Fall color is ablaze throughout the Garden Center! With our climate we experience some great color on trees, shrubs and perennials. Stop in several times and be amazed by the changes!
• Bulbs can still be planted and the selection is still great. Don't put planting off too long, though. The bulbs won't be damaged by the cold but your knees and hands might!
• Fertilize the lawn with Fall and Winter Fertilizer. Give your trees, shrubs and flowers a good feeding with 16-16-16.
• Dig potatoes and gladiolas. Clean out the frozen annuals from the flower, vegetable and water gardens.
• Spray your junipers and arborvitaes with copper and spreader sticker to control a fungus which attacks the tips of the plants. Spray again in in November with the same product.
• Water lawn areas, trees, shrubs and perennial beds at least twice -- this month is usually dry.
• Try composting. Make sure that you add water, stimulant and fertilizer so that you actually get something besides rot. Don't compost things that had diseased leaves.
• This is the time when Greenhouse Garden Center performs its winterization of sprinkler systems. Call to get on the list; turning off the clock will not prevent broken pipes.
• Spray broad-leaved evergreens such rhododendrons, Oregon grape, pieris and euonymus with Wilt Stop this and every winter month to help combat moisture loss through the leaves.
• Add sulfur to garden, lawn, shrub and perennial areas to help lower your pH over the winter. Applying in the fall causes less burning than a spring or summer application.
• If you have hardy shallow water plants in pots remove from pond and heal them into a trough protected from the winter wind. Water regularly. Discard annual pond plants, clean the filter and skim the pond often. Leaves from maple trees, especially, should never be allowed to slowly decompose in a pond.
• The is still time to put in a pond, patio, lawn and plant material. Call the Landscape Department for a free consult.

November

• The Christmas Shop is open! A great selection of gifts, silk flowers, ornaments and accessories await you!
• Dr. Earth Natural Lawn Fertilizer helps keep rabbits from destroying your lawn. Put down around the perimeter every month for best results.
• We have birdbath ed-icers and pond heaters for those cold winter days.
• Water at least once this moth.
• Bring in or cover your clay and concrete statuary. We have sealer that helps prolong the life of your investment. Keep a rock, concrete base or well-draining base under all concrete items.
• Fertilize the yard with Best 16-16-16 and apply your second fall and winter lawn fertilizer application. This keeps your lawn looking nice and also gives weeds less of a chance to get started next year.
• It's time to apply Tree and Shrub Insect Control on ash, spiraea, snowball, dogwood and pine trees for early spring control of aphids and borers.
• Apply Maki to control voles and mice. Keep extra packs on hand on replace the empties.
• Borers are often spread in firewood. These little creatures will live for a year in dead wood and then are able to attack freshly planted pines, spruce, cherry and other stone fruits in the spring. Removal of the bark on the firewood helps eliminate these pests. To avoid the spread of invasive species buy firewood from a local supplier.
• Don't prune grapes, sugar maples or birch this month because of the bleeding. Only time will stop the flow, so please don't try to seal these cuts. Prune these plants in early April.
• Prune two-year-old wood on raspberries and get your biggest crop next year.
• Spray with dormant oil and dormant disease control now for fewer problems in the spring.
• Treat your houseplants again with Systemic Houseplant Insect Control. The insects always seems to be worst in winter.
• Heavy snows can pull down arborvitaes or upright junipers, so a light pruning or tying with thick green tie tape will help prevent winter damage.
• A pot full of fragrant paperwhites or a beautiful amaryllis make a wonderful hostess gift.
• Make it a green Christmas. Order a living Christmas tree.

December

• The Christmas Shop is in full swing!
• Fresh wreaths and garlands are available now too! Browse our yard full of live and cut Christmas trees for holiday trimming. We have a great selection!
• The Gift Shop has a wonderful selection of gifts fro your home or theirs!
• Water at least once this month. This prevents the tops of your deciduous trees from dying.
• Dig a hole for your living Christmas tree and put some soil in the garage for ease of planting in January.
• Keep your poinsettias out of cold drafts. Place them in a sunny are and water once or twice a week.
• Moving your Christmas cactus around may make the buds and blooms fall off.
• Spray anti-transpirant on all broad-leaved evergreens.
• The After Christmas Sale starts Monday before Christmas. HO! HO! HO!
• Last chance to get amaryllis and paperwhites for indoor winter color.
• Apply Maki for vole control and check all the bags daily. Keep replacing the bait before it is empty -- the anti-coagulant agent is cumulative in the rodent's system and will lose its strength if application is not repeated. If bait is not taken within two to three days replace with fresh, or choose a more favorable site to place the bait. Birdseed attracts voles and can even cause voles to migrate into gardens, so restrict habitat around your bird feeder. Voles do not hibernate!

  ---