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, apricots, asparagus, basil, beans, broccoli, cabbage, carrots, celery, chives, cucumbers, garlic, juniper, kale, kohlrabi, lettuce, mustard greens, onions, oregano, parsley, parsnips, pears, plums, potatoes, radishes, snap peas, spinach, summer/winter squash, swiss chard, thyme 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.
• Cut back spent plants to about 6 inches.
• Plant inside a greenhouse and add frost covers to keep plants from freezing.

Soil

• Add compost and plant cover crops before freeze hits.
• Add several inches of mulch to garden beds.

Start Seeds Indoors

• Start seeds under grow lights for herbs and lettuce.