BOUNTY GARDENS

January Activities

Journal

• Start a garden journal, if you haven't done so already.
• Note last season's successes and improvements that you wish to make next season.
• Think about companion plants that might help prevent pests and disease.

Maintenance

• Purchase new garden tools or seed starting items, if needed.
• Clean and sharpen existing tools.

Soil

• Start a composting system, if you haven't do so already.

Start Seeds Indoors

• Start seeds indoors for plants that have a long germination period.
• Add a warming mat to help seeds germinate.

Wildlife

• Add a bird feeder to help them get through the cold season.

February Activities

Direct Sow

• Sow cool-weather seeds inside a greenhouse or cold frame, if you have one.

Houseplants

• Repot houseplants, if needed.
• Fertilize houseplants.

Start Seeds Indoors

• Starts seeds under grow lights for herbs, greens, lettuce and spinach.
• Add a warming mat to help seeds germinate.

Wildlife

• Clean and fill bird feeders.

March Activities

Direct Sow

• Sow cool-weather seeds inside a greenhouse or cold frame, if you have one.

Journal

• Note seed and plant varieties with specifications that you would like to try in your garden; e.g., days to emerge and mature.

Propagation

• Take cuttings from succulents and place them in water.

Prune

• Prune trees and shrubs that might break under heavy snow.

Soil

• Have a soil sample tested at your nearest extension office.

Start Seeds Indoors

• Starts seeds under grow lights for herbs, greens, lettuce and spinach.
• Add a warming mat to help seeds germinate.

Wildlife

• Clean and fill bird feeders.

April Activities

Direct Sow

• Sow cool-weather seeds inside a greenhouse or cold frame, if you have one.

Journal

• Continue to note seed and plant varieties with specifications that you would like to try in your garden.

Prune

• Do not prune any shrubs that started to bloom.
• Hard-prune dormant, woody perennials.
• Prune winter damage to trees and shrubs before spring shoots emerge.

Soil

• Amend soil with compost and organic fertilizer.
• Add a few inches of mulch.
• Continue adding to your compost system.

Start Seeds Indoors

• Starts seeds under grow lights for herbs, greens, lettuce and spinach.
• Add a warming mat to help seeds germinate.

Wildlife

• Clean and fill bird feeders.

May Activities

Direct Sow

• Sow cool-weather seeds inside a greenhouse or cold frame, if you have one.

Prune

• Do not prune any shrubs that started to bloom.
• Hard-prune dormant, woody perennials, if you haven't done so already.
• Prune winter damage to trees and shrubs before spring shoots emerge.

Soil

• Turn over nitrogen-fixing cover crops, if you planted them.
• Amend soil with compost and organic fertilizer.
• Weed before fertilizing to avoid giving weeds a boost.

Start Seeds Indoors

• Starts seeds under grow lights for beets, broccoli, brussels sprouts, cabbage, cauliflower, kale, lettuce, peas, peppers, spinach and swiss chard.
• Add a warming mat to help seeds germinate.

Transplant Outside

• Plant cucumbers, kale, melons, peas, potatoes, pumpkins and tomatoes.

Wildlife

• Clean and fill bird feeders.

June Activities

Direct Sow

• Sow seeds for lettuce, radishes and spinach for a succession harvest.

Harvest

• Harvest lettuce, radishes and spinach.

Maintenance

• Make sure you have support structures or cages for beans, cucumbers, peas and tomatoes.
• Remove standing water to prevent mosquito infestation.

Prune

• Hard-prune overgrown shrubs.
• Remove dead branches.
• Prune shrubs that have stopped flowering.
• Thin fruit trees.

Soil

• Amend soil with compost and an organic fertilizer.
• Add a few inches of mulch to your garden.
• Fertilize fruit trees and add compost around them.

Start Seeds Indoors

• Starts seeds under grow lights for brussels sprouts, cabbage, cauliflower, eggplant, kale, kohlrabi, okra, peppers, squash, swiss chard and watermelons.

Transplant Outside

• Gently harden off seedlings that were started indoors by placing them outdoors in a protected area.
• Plant beans, beets, corn, cucumbers, kale, lettuce, melons, potatoes, spinach, squash and swiss chard.

Wildlife

• Add a hummingbird feeder or plants that attract hummingbirds.
• Add a birdhouse for nesting.
• Clean and fill bird feeders.
• Keep birdbaths filled with fresh, clean water to also prevent mosquito infestation.

July Activities

Direct Sow

• Sow seeds for beets, bush beans, carrots, kale, pumpkins, spinach, summer squash and swiss chard.

Harvest

• Harvest blackberries, blueberries, cherries, cucumbers, eggplant, garlic, green beans, okra, onions, peppers, potatoes, raspberries, squash and tomatoes.

Journal

• Note companion plants or traps that will help deter pests.

Maintenance

• Continue to remove weeds and any diseased plants.
• Prepare to extend the season with a greenhouse or hoop house, frost covers and cold frames.
• Purchase grow lights and seed starting kits, if needed.
• Start a compost system, if you haven't already.

Prune

• Cut back fall perennials to encourage a bounty of blooms.
• Cut back nonfruiting blackberry and raspberry canes.
• Deadhead annual and perennial flowers to encourage secondary blooms and save seeds from the best plants.
• Remove tomato suckers to push energy back into the plant.
• Stop pruning spring-flowering shrubs.

Soil

• Add organic mulch to garden beds.
• Fertilize rose bushes.
• Add organic fertilizer to garden plants and around onions and potato tubers.
• Water garden deeply and regularly.

Start Seeds Indoors

• Start seeds under grow lights for beets, broccoli, cabbage, cauliflower, kale, peas, pumpkin, spinach and squash.

Transplant Outside

• Plant broccoli, cabbage, cauliflower, green beans, radishes and summer squash.
• Plant alyssum, marigolds, nasturtiums and sunflowers to attract fall garden pollinators.
• Plant a cover crop if a fall garden will not be planted.

Wildlife

• Clean and fill bird feeders.
• Keep birdbaths filled with fresh, clean water to also prevent mosquito infestation.

August Activities

Harvest

• Harvest apples, basil, beans, broccoli, cabbage, carrots, chives, juniper, kale, kohlrabi, lettuce, mustard greens, onions, oregano, parsley, parsnips, plums, potatoes, radishes, spinach, sweet peas, swiss chard and tomatoes.

Maintenance

• Extend the season with cold frames, frost covers, a greenhouse or hoop house.
• Continue to monitor weather and protect crops from frost, if needed.

Prune

• Collect seeds from your best plants.
• Remove new fruit from squash and tomatoes. They probably won't have time to ripen and will only take energy from the plant.
• Remove spent annuals.
• Trim herbs to extend your harvest.

Soil

• Add mulch to bare soil.
• Amend garden soil with compost.
• Garden roots are well-established so provide deep watering.
• Remove weeds.
• Stop fertilizing perennials and shrubs.

Wildlife

• Clean and fill bird feeders.
• Keep birdbaths filled with fresh, clean water to also prevent mosquito infestation.

September Activities

Harvest

• Harvest everything that will not be protected or moved to a greenhouse.
• Harvest seeds from your best plants.

Journal

• Note companion plants or traps that will help deter pests.

Maintenance

• Apply an organic weed killer and remove weeds.
• Continue to monitor weather and protect crops from frost, if needed.
• Cover existing plants or move them to a greenhouse.
• Extend the season with cold frames, frost covers, a greenhouse or hoop house.
• Move houseplants indoors.

Prune

• Deadhead annuals and perennials.
• Allow perennials to die back before pruning dead material.
• Stop pruning shrubs and trees.

Soil

• Add organic mulch to bare soil.
• Add organic fertilizer to vegetable garden in greenhouse or hoop house.
• Stop fertilizing shrubs and trees.

Start Seeds Indoors

• Start seeds under grow lights for cucumbers, herbs, peppers and tomatoes.

Transplant Outside

• Plant lettuce, kale, radishes and summer broccoli in a greenhouse.
• Plant a cover crop if a fall garden will not be planted.

Wildlife

• Clean and fill bird feeders.

October Activities

Journal

• Start thinking about seeding supplies for next year's garden.
• Make a note of the seeds collected and begin planning your garden.
• Consider garden tools that you will need.

Harvest

• Harvest apples, corn, cucumbers, potatoes, strawberries and other cool-season vegetables before the freeze kicks in.

Maintenance

• Clean up debri around the garden before the snow begins.
• Add clean leaves to the compost.
• Continue to pull weeds and use organic weed control.
• Drain and turn off water supply to irrigation system to prevent pipes from freezing.

Prune

• Cut back newly formed roses and remove dead or damaged areas of the plant.

Soil

• Add organic mulch to bare areas in the garden and/or plant a cover crop.
• Provide a deep watering to newly planted perennials.

Start Seeds Indoors

• Start seeds under grow lights for herbs and vegetables.

Wildlife

• Clean and fill bird feeders.

November Activities

Journal

• Start a garden journal, if you haven't done so already.
• Note the first frost date in your area.
• Consider more season-extending items like adding a greenhouse, hoop house and/or frost covers.
• Make a note of where you planted new perennials to avoid digging them up next spring.
• Make a list of how to use your harvested vegetables; e.g., canning, dehydration, spiralizing.

Maintenance

• Keep garden maintained by removing debri and pulling weeds.
• Clean and sharpen garden tools.

Prune

• Stop pruning except for dead branches.

Soil

• Have a soil sample tested at an extension office.
• Amend the soil based on test results.
• Water around perennials and trees before a freeze hits.
• Add compost to garden soil and around trees.
• Cover bare areas of the garden with organic mulch.
• Stop fertilizing at this time.

Start Seeds Indoors

• Start seeds under grow lights for herbs, lettuce and microgreens.

Wildlife

• Clean and fill bird feeders.

December Activities

Journal

• Start a garden journal.
• Make a wish list of garden tools.
• Make a shopping list and then buy seeds that grow well in your area.
• Start a plan to create a compost system, if you don't have one already.
• Research companion plants that may help reduce pests and/or disease.
• Note last season's most successful plants and any improvements you wish to make.

Maintenance

• Clean and sharpen garden tools.

Soil

• Add several inches of mulch to garden beds.

Start Seeds Indoors

• Start seeds under grow lights for herbs and lettuce.