PLANT CALENDAR

January


* Make plans for gardens and landscape.
* On sunny days, do some winter pruning.
* Water trees, shrubs and garden.
* Inspect houseplants, repot if needed, mildly fertilize and clean up.



February


* Transplant mislocated plants.
* Spruce up outdoor containers with pansies, kale and dusty miller.
* Clean up perennial beds, carefully turn soil and add compost.
* Prune fruit trees.
* Add compost to fruit and berry beds.
* Prune Shade trees.
* Prune summer and fall blooming shrubs.
* Deep water all trees and shrubs.
* Start broccoli, cabbage, lettuce and slow growing annuals indoors.
* Plant flowering sweet peas.



March


* Plant lettuce, radishes, carrots, peas, beets and turnips.

* Plant cabbage, cauliflower, Brussels sprouts and broccoli mid-month. * Plant onion sets.
* Plant tomatoes in walls-o-water.
* Plant second planting of lettuce after the 15th of March.
* Plant hardy annuals and perennials.
* Plant strawberries, rhubarb and asparagus.
* It's a great time to plant trees and shrubs.
* Water and feed evergreens.
* Water and fertilize trees and shrubs.
* Water and fertilize perennial gardens.
* Fertilize cool season lawns early in March
* Re-seed cool season lawns in mid to late March.
* Good time to sod cool season lawns.
* Prune berry and grapes in late March, except Heritage raspberries, which are pruned in fall.
* Prune roses in mid to late March.
* Apply Bayer Tree and Shrub for year long protection against insects.
* Attack early weeds.
* Use Superthrive on house plants.



April


* Average last frost is April l8th, cover crops if frost predicted.
* Plant tomatoes in walls-of-water. Plant fruit and shade trees as well as shrubs.
* Plant dahlia, canna, gladiolus and lily bulbs.
* Plant strawberries, raspberries, currant, grapes, asparagus, potatoes and hardy herbs
* Plant ornamental grasses.
* Fertilize spring flowering bulb, do not remove green leaves until they turn brown.
* Sod or seed cool season lawns.
* Treat for grubs now and again in August.
* Prune spring flowering shrubs as they finish blooming.
* Prune frost damage on roses and grapes.
* Inspect and repair drip irrigation in garden and sprinkler system in lawn areas.
* Revitalize garden beds with compost.



May


* Plant warm season vegetables like tomatoes, green chilies, eggplant and squash.
* Plant annual flowering plants. Color, color!
* Plant perennial flowering plants.
* Plant window boxes and container planters.
* Plant roses and fertilize existing ones.
* Plant warm season natives.
* Seed warm season grasses.
* Sod cool season lawns.
* Fertilize existing warm season grasses
* Inspect and treat for insects and weeds.
* Adjust watering with temperature and wind.
* Water new plantings daily
* Deadhead flower blossoms now and throughout the summer.
* Treat petunias, geraniums and tomatoes with BT for caterpillars.



June


* Install rain barrels for the upcoming monsoons.
* Look into water rebates from the City of Albuquerque for water harvesting.
* Adjust watering schedule to increasing temperatures and city watering ordinances.
* Fertilize roses for continuous blooming.
* Fertilize flowering annuals and perennials
* Plant tomatoes and use Superthrive on newly planted vegetables.
* Mulch your plants as weather warms to keep soil cool and conserve moisture.
* Spray for insects and diseases on vegetables and ornamental plants.
* Remove "sucker" growth from trees.
* Apply heavy mulch around shrubs, especially newly planted ones.
* Continue deadheading as needed.
* Safe to put certain house plants outdoors in the shade and protected from the wind.
* East Mountain area can start planting now.



July


* Be prepared for the hot weather by adjusting your watering schedule in keeping with city ordinances; gardening in the morning or evening, mulch around plants and properly maintaining your irrigation system.
* Move container plantings to a more shaded area if plants look stressed by too much heat.
* Deep water established trees, shrubs, roses and flowering plants at least twice a week.
* Continue to mulch with cypress, eucalyptus or pecan mulch. It conserves water as well as suppresses weeds.
* Continue deadheading and cut flowers for bouquets for continuous flowering.
* Pinch chrysanthemums buds back by the 4th of July for a blaze of spectacular color in fall.
* Check for grubs in lawn areas.
* Mow cool season lawn grasses 2 to 3 inches high during hot weather.
* Do not fertilize cool season grasses with high nitrogen fertilizers. If lawn is yellow, apply Ironite or other iron supplements.
* Best to plant squash plants now
* Plant green bean before mid-month.
* Thin fruit or stake heavy fruit tree branches or fast growing plants before any breakage occurs.



August


* Plant cool season lettuce, radish, beets, turnips, carrots, broccoli, cauliflower and Brussels sprouts by mid-August.
* Build up your herb perennial garden.
* Continue weed control.
* Continue deep watering.
* Continue looking for p ests and diseases.
* Great time to sod a cool season lawn.
* Seed cool season lawns.
* Divide and plant iris.
* Keep fruit and vegetables cleaned up to prevent future problems with insects and diseases.
* Perfect time for sowing wild flowers seeds.
* Plan and plant for fall trees, shrubs and perennials.



September


* Fall is an excellent time to plant trees, shrubs and perennials.
* Plant mums and pansies in a sunny area for fall.
* Plant spring flowering bulbs, such as, crocus, daffodils, hyacinth and tulips with bulb food.
* Divide and plant peonies.
* Plant cool season vegetables in cold frames.
* Fertilize cool season lawns late September or early October with Soil Tex.
* Reseed cool season lawns.
* Cut back on watering as the weather cools down.
* Continue to monitor and treat for borers.
* Continue to clean debris in garden and check for insects and weeds.
* Bring in house plants; check and treat for any insects and repot as necessary and use Superthrive.



October


* Still time to plant spring flowering bulbs. Soil preparation and a super phosphate is a must.
* Plant ornamental grasses.
* Plant perennial seeds that need cold stratification for spring germination, like poppies or wild flower seeds.
* Plant pansies and kale in containers.
* Plant trees, shrubs and perennials.
* Winterize cool season lawns if you have not already done so.
* Top dress garden beds with Back to Earth Compost.
* Clean up any fruits and vegetables that may be rotting and dispose of tomato plants.
* Lift begonias, cannas, dahlias and gladiolus and store if they are in an area that will freeze.
* Prune peonies down to 6" and top dress with mulch.
* Prune pyracantha to show off berries for winter color.
* Deep water established trees, shrubs and flower beds monthly. New plantings will require more the first year.



November


* Use tree wrap on young trees to prevent winter injury.



December


* Have your tree flocked for something different.
* Deep water trees, shrubs and perennial beds.
* Check trees and shrubs for any broken branches due to wind or snow and selectively prune.