| <~~ BACK MAY: Place fuchsias outside. Sow herb seeds like basil and cilantro. (Harvest cilantro as soon as it leafs out, or it will go aggressively to seed.) Sow veggies. Feed lawns. Fertilize plants and continue to fertilize during active growth. As blooms fade on spring bulbs (daffodils, hyacinths, tulips), fertilize lightly and keep watering till leaves begin dying back. Immediately after bloom, prune azaleas, camellias, forsythias, lilacs, and rhododendrons for shape. "This gives them time to produce buds this summer for next spring's bloom." JUNE: Last threat of frost is officially June 11. (A very cautious date.) Direct sow cosmos, marigold, sunflowers, sweet alyssum, and zinnias for late summer and fall blooms. Plant cannas, dahlia, gladiolus. Pinch back the first buds on mums and dahlias. When dahlia's begin to push through the soil, pinch the tip of each leading shoot, to encourage a bushy plant. Immediately after bloom, divide perennials. JULY: Sow seeds for fall harvest (beets, broccoli, bush beans, carrots, Chinese cabbage, lettuce, peas, radishes, spinach, Swiss chard, turnips.) Plant potatoes by July 4, for fall harvest. Divide bearded irises. Allow them to cure in the shade for a few days, then replant. Chrysanthemums should be fed now for best fall blooms; use low-nitrogen liquid fertilizer every three weeks until buds start to show color. When first blooms open, feed weekly. AUGUST: Plant fall crocus. Spring flowering bulbs may also be planted after Labor Day. Plant cool season crops (like beets, Chinese cabbage, lattice, onions, peas, radishes, and spinach). Propagate shrubs. Good candidates include evergreen azalea, camellia, daphne, holly, and rhodies, and hydrangea. Take 4 to 6 inch cuttings in the morning and strip off all but the top three or four leaves. Dip the cut ends into rooting hormone and insert them into 4 inch pots filled with sterile soil,. Place the cutting out of direct sunlight and keep them constantly moist. Before frost hits, move them into a greenhouse or sunny room. Plant in the spring. Soak moisture-loving plants like rhodies every 7 to 10 days. Spray foliage top, too. SEPTEMBER: Official first frost date is September 16. Plant spring-flowering bulbs, like crocus, daffodils, hyacinths, and tulips. Sow cool season seeds like cabbage, kale, lettuce, radishes and spinach, but do so before Labor Day. Start lawns and repair old ones. Allow roses to grow hips after last blooms. Dig and divide spring and summer flowering perennials. |