Needham Garden Center Monthly Gardening Tips
Welcome to our monthly tips section of the web site. The information provided is information that we feel will help any gardener, landscaper, or homeowner keep on track. If you have any questions, never hesitate to call us at 781-444-2401.
January
Start
Seeds for perennials, geraniums, verbena and pansies.
Water
Bulbs that you are forcing indoors should be kept moist but not wet. As the bulbs grow their water need increases. Amaryllis and Paper whites are popular bulbs at this time of year. Usually Hyacinths are no longer available in January.
Care
Houseplants can become dry so frequently mist them. Make sure they have a moist but not wet soil. Watch for insects (especially white flies and red spider mites). If needed, use an organic insect spray for control, keeping affected plants away from healthy ones.
Needham Garden Center
Has a full line of seed starting, potting materials and pots on display. We also have soil moisture meters. We have a large stock of Amaryllis bulbs and Paper White bulbs that will grow quickly and are usually on sale in January. Safe, organic house plant sprays are also in stock.
February
Start
Pepper seeds need to be started early, so begin now.
Purchase
Seeds for the rest of your flower and vegetable planting needs should be purchased as part of your garden preparation plan.
Phone
Grape vines, apple, pear, peach etc should be pruned as weather allows.
Check
Make sure mulch around plants is still in place and if the temperature rises to 40 degrees, reapply an anti-desiccant spray to your azaleas, rhodies and hollies to help protect them from moisture loss in the second half of the winter.
Needham Garden Center
Stocks a wide range of quality pruning shears and loppers. All our seeds are on display! Wilt Pruf an anti-desiccant, is available in many forms.
March
Start
Tomato seeds can be started at month’s end.
Inspect
Trees and shrub branches may be winter damaged. And gray snow mold may cause gray or straw colored patches in the lawn.
Rake
Clean up the lawn and help reduce or eliminate snow mold with a good stiff raking. Also clean out the garden of branches leaves and dead foliage. This will help prevent mold and other diseases from spreading from the old material. Do this when the ground is firm under foot.
Edge
Its fun to change/widen your flower and foliage beds a bit. So now is the easiest time to edge. The ground is usually soft and the edger cuts right in with little effort.
Prune
Prune Rose of Sharon, butterfly bush, and other bushes that produce blooms that on shoots that develop in the spring. Ornamental grasses should be cut back to 6 inches. Prune broken tree/bush branches and limbs shaping the plant for spring. Fruit trees should not be pruned after March so if you missed February, prune now. Also, remove old canes and thin weaker canes of raspberries. Trim 8 to12 inches from the canes that remain.
Apply
Now’s the time for lime. Most area lawns need 1 bag per 1000 sq ft per year. So, a typical 10,000 sq ft lot needs 5 bags (assuming house and driveway cover half the lot). The earlier the lime gets to the soil, the sooner the pH will become more neutral and allow the grass to take up nutrients more effectively. Also, apply your crabgrass inhibitor fertilizer before the forsythia bloom (usually by April 1st). In a four step lawn care program this is Step 1. In an organic lawn program this step utilizes corn gluten meal as the weed seed germination inhibitor and fertilizer. Milky spore can be applied as grubs are coming to the surface to feed.
Spray
Fruit trees should be protected with horticultural oil to control insects and lime sulfur to help control disease. You may also spray shrubs and roses. Never apply this combination once new growth is visible. Switch to horticultural oil only at that point. If you have deer problems, its time to use a deterrent. There are a number of sprays both organic and chemical as well as natural urine products that make your yard less interesting to deer.
Tie
Climbing roses should be tied and suckering branches removed.
Dig
By mid-month perennials may be dug and transplanted. It’s a good time to divide plants that have become too large.
Maintain
Its time to get your lawn and garden equipment ready for spring and summer. If your mower ran fine last year a minor tune-up including spark plug, oil change, blade sharpening, belt check and a good clean out is a good idea. Dull mower blades will damage grass tips, tearing them and leaving them ripe for disease. Cutting tools should be sharp, move easily and be free of rust. Dull cutting tools can do more damage than good. Hoses should be checked for leaks and a tight fit.
Mulch
Check the depth of mulch and replenish before spring weed seeds begin to germinate. Cocoa shell mulch can help deter deer.
Needham Garden Center
We have in stock, all tools and materials you will need in March. We can service your power equipment including pick up and delivery, sharpen all garden tools, removing rust and oiling as part of the service. We specialize in organic lawn and garden care products. We will be happy to design an organic program ranging from crabgrass prevention and fertilization to weed and pest eradication. We stock many deer deterrents that work. Many choices of mulch are available including, cocoa shell, cedar, red cedar, hemlock and buckwheat hulls.
April
Start
Finish indoor sowing of tomatoes, watermelon, cantaloupe, herbs, cabbage, cauliflower, Okra, broccoli, and Brussels sprouts. Peas can be planted but be sure to use pea inoculants to promote growth.
Plant
Grass seed can be planted now. As the ground temperature warms, the seed will germinate. Use a starter fertilizer that includes a crabgrass inhibitor that does not affect grass seed germination (contains Ciduron or Tupersan).
Lime
Lime heavily where broccoli, cabbage and cauliflower are to be planted.
Remove
Winter mulches can be removed from flower beds and strawberry patches. But remove straw slowly over several weeks. When leafy buds begin to expand, remove mulch from the base of rose bushes. Rake old foliage away from Iris beds to avoid the Iris borer which winters in the old foliage.
Dig
Perennials can still be dug and divided before new growth advances too far.
Mow
Usually grass grows quickly and is heavy with moisture at this time. It can be cut lower and bagged for best results. If you prefer to mulch the grass, be sure you mow often so that the cuttings are not thick, choking the growing lawn.
Prepare
It’s time to turn over (rototill) your garden 6 to 8 inches deep and amend the soil with good organic compost. There are many ways to obtain compost but be sure you know what it came from! Home made or bagged “organic” composts assure the best results.
Prune
Roses can be pruned when you see the Forsythia in flower.
Apply
Spray fungicidal sulfur to the emerging leaves of hollyhock and continue at 7-10 day intervals to prevent rust. Apply a small amount of low nitrogen fertilizer around peonies. Spray horticultural oil on trees and shrubs that had aphids, scale or spider mites last year or as a preventative.
Aerate
If you have had a lot of compaction on your lawn from construction, children at play or other causes now is the time to rent an aerator and get the oxygen back in the soil. Aeration is a good idea every few years especially if it gets a lot of traffic in the wet spring.
Thatch
Before the grass grows too much you should de-thatch the lawn of unwanted growth blocking dead grass called thatch. Usually this done every 3 years or so, depending upon the build up.
Needham Garden Center
We stock fertilizers, organic and chemical, digging and edging tools, rototillers, dethatchers and aerators to buy or rent, lawn mowers and tractors and horticultural sprayers. Most importantly we will help you make the right choice of product and teach you its proper use.
May
Listen
Frost reports and forecasts will give you guidance as to when it is safe to plant your seedlings. May 31 or Memorial Day is the nominal safe, last frost date, in Mass.
Plant
Early in the month start cucumber, squash and pumpkin seedlings indoors. Make a second planting of beets carrots, radishes and leaf lettuce outdoors. At mid month, plant sweet corn and green bean seeds. At the end of the month, plant tomato, pepper and eggplant. Cold weather annuals such as Pansies, Violets and Johnny Jump Ups can be planted.
Clean
Keep birdbaths cleaned regularly to avoid standing dirty water which harbors mosquito larva. Non toxic larva killers can be put in the water also.
Stake
Put stakes or support hoops around peonies and delphinium before they grow too tall. Begin planting summer bulbs.
Amend
Add well rotted compost to flower and vegetable beds. The organic matter will enrich the soil.
Fertilize
Roses, trees, shrubs and the lawn should be fertilized. Large trees should be “root fed”. Use a weed control fertilizer on the lawn to prevent dandelions and other broad leaf weeds from “taking over”. It will take up to 3 applications of a strong liquid weed killer to eliminate ground ivy, spurge and wild violets.
Prune
Prune lilac, rhododendron, azalea and other early blooming shrubs if desired directly after flowering.
Apply
Paint a two inch band of Cygon around each tree in the clump to prevent Birch leaf miner. Use a systemic rose and flower care on roses and check for fungus (apply a fungicide). Corn gluten can be applied to flower beds as a natural weed inhibitor. Fruit trees should be sprayed after the flowers have passed. Apply your second lawn fertilizer/weed control application at months end. This is called Step 2. In an organic program you will use an organic fertilizer.
Needham Garden Center
Cygon, compost, root fertilizers, mosquito killers (natural and chemical) and support stakes and hoops are all available in many sizes.
June
Apply
Pesticide applications should be done with an eye toward safety for you and the bees. Where gloves and protective eyewear, follow manufacturers directions and spray flowering plants in early morning or late evening when bees are not active. A second application of Milky spore should be done now.
Support
Stake tomatoes and remove suckers from stems.
Water
Most plants (lawns, trees, shrubs, vegetables, perennials, annuals) need one inch of water per week. One or two deep waterings are better than many shallow waterings. Weeds like shallow frequent waterings.
Plant
It’s OK to plant a new lawn in June. Use a seed starter fertilizer or organic fertilizer. Follow these simple steps; 1) rake out the soil adding additional soil to fill in low spots, 2) put down the seed, use quality seed to maximize your results, 3) lime the area, walking on the seed and pressing it lightly into the soil as you go, 4) fertilize also walking lightly on the seed, 5) water lightly twice per day.
Dead head
If you remove faded flowers from many common flowering plants they will produce more blooms. With flowers removed the plant is forced to generate more blooms in an attempt at creating future seed pods for regeneration. Roses, geraniums, petunias, day lilies and marigolds are examples of plants commonly “dead headed”.
Needham Garden Center
We stock high quality grass seed selected for our growing conditions along with fertilizers, rakes, quality top soil and organic or chemical pesticides. Many plant supports are available.
July
Plant
A second planting beets, peas, carrots and lettuce can be put in now.
Weed
Best time to weed is early morning or during the heat of the day. Weeds wilt and die in the hot sun once dug.
Fertilize
A summer fertilizer is applied in late July. Usually it contains an ant and soil insect killer. This is called Step 3 in a 4 step program. The organic third step is an organic fertilizer only. Side dress corn, tomatoes, potatoes and winter squash with 10-10-10 fertilizer
Look For
Japanese beetles may be present. They can be caught in bagging traps or hand picked off plants. Sprays can be effective in minimizing the damage from the beetles.
Apply
Merit based Japanese beetle controls should be applied to the soil in July and no later than months end.
MOW: Grass should be mowed higher (21/2-3 inches) during the hot summer allowing grass to shade itself. This is a good time to mulch as the cuttings are thinner and lighter.
Repair
Summer is a good time to fix up bad spots in the lawn. Dig out heavily weeded areas put in top soil and reseed.
Needham Garden Center
We stock mulching blades, weeding tools and the right fertilizer for the summer. Your blade can be sharpened on or off your mower. Also now is the best time to order a snow blower! Pre-season prices allow us to give you the best deal and the best selection.
August
Plant
A second planting beets, peas, carrots and lettuce can be put in now.
Weed
Best time to weed is early morning or during the heat of the day. Weeds wilt and die in the hot sun once dug.
Fertilize
A summer fertilizer is applied in late July. Usually it contains an ant and soil insect killer. This is called Step 3 in a 4 step program. The organic third step is an organic fertilizer only. Side dress corn, tomatoes, potatoes and winter squash with 10-10-10 fertilizer
Look For
Japanese beetles may be present. They can be caught in bagging traps or hand picked off plants. Sprays can be effective in minimizing the damage from the beetles.
Apply
Merit based Japanese beetle controls should be applied to the soil in July and no later than months end.
Mow
Grass should be mowed higher (21/2-3 inches) during the hot summer allowing grass to shade itself. This is a good time to mulch as the cuttings are thinner and lighter.
Repair
Summer is a good time to fix up bad spots in the lawn. Dig out heavily weeded areas put in top soil and reseed.
Needham Garden Center
We stock mulching blades, weeding tools and the right fertilizer for the summer. Your blade can be sharpened on or off your mower. Also now is the best time to order a snow blower! Pre-season prices allow us to give you the best deal and the best selection.
September
Fertilize
The Fall fertilizer step can be applied during September. This called Step 4 and contains a formula to help build a strong root system in preparation for winter and next spring. The organic step is organic fertilizer or corn gluten meal based on your individual situation.
Plant
- Fall is the best time to plant a new lawn or to over seed and patch your existing lawn. The ground temperature is warm and seed grows rapidly. Water regularly keeping the seed moist until grass is 1 inch tall.
- Divide and plant early blooming perennials. New perennials, trees and shrubs can be planted now. Plant mums in your flower garden to add color until late in the year.
- Winter Rye grass can be planted in your cleaned garden and will provide natural nutrients to the soil in the spring.
Water
This is the critical month for watering evergreens in preparation for the drying action of winter. Give them plenty of water up until the ground freezes but especially in September.
Mulch
Add new mulch around trees, especially evergreens, to hold moisture in the ground for the winter.
Apply
Kill tough lawn weeds (ground ivy, violets) with a broadleaf herbicide.
Mow
Mow low (11/2-2 inches), cutting off crabgrass seed stems and bagging all material. Do not mulch the lawn when weeds are present in the fall.
Prune
Late season flowering bulbs can be pruned after blooming is complete.
Prepare
Get ready to plant spring flowering bulbs.
Obtain a good bulb fertilizer and if you have a history of animals digging, there are natural urines that can be mixed into the soil to ward off the diggers.
Winterize
When the mowing is done put a gas stabilizer in the tank with the gas and then run the lawn mower until it runs out of gas. This will help eliminate gel formation in the carburetor. Maintain your snow blower by changing the spark plug, greasing the auger shaft, changing the oil, checking the belt(s), skids and scrapper bar and testing the operation of the machine. Call for a service appointment if needed.
Needham Garden Center
- We carry thousands of the best quality spring flowering bulbs for your enjoyment. Bulb planting tools, fertilizers and animal deterrents are also in stock.
- We will pick up and service your snow blower starting now. Please call for a pick up appointment. We feature snow blowers from Ariens (including the “Pro” series), Snapper and Toro. We take the time to discuss your needs and help you select a snow blower that is best for you. Snow blower supplies dwindle quickly after September so, please order yours now for the best price and availability.
- Our parts department stocks all commonly needed snow blower parts and can order others. Feel free to discuss parts needs with us.
October
Plant
Dig out individual holes or large areas and mix in compost. Then plant your spring flowering bulbs at the depth indicated for the particular bulb. Bulbs can be “layered” with the deepest and largest planted first and then covered. The next layer is planted above and covered. In this way blooms will be followed by later blooms in the same patch.
Prune
Now is an excellent time to prune trees. Pruning will not stimulate growth or promote disease in fresh cuts this late in the year. Cull out crossed or rubbing branches, broken or odd shaped branches and poor symmetry.
Clean Up
Rake up leaves and dead plant material from gardens and flower beds. This will help keep fungi and disease from being harbored in the old material. Remove leaves from the lawn as soon as the bulk of the leaf drop has stopped. Some trees (Oaks) take forever to drop their leaves.
Mow
Mow low until growth stops.
Apply
At months end, apply a winter fertilizer to your lawn which will promote root development and store nutrients in the soil for early spring growth.
November
Apply
Before daytime temperatures drop below 40 degrees spray your rhodies, azaleas, evergreens rose canes, hydrangea branches and holly with an anti desiccant. This waxy material will seal the plant and reduce moisture loss during the dry winter.
Plant
Finish planting spring flowering bulbs before the ground freezes. If you forgot to plant in October, November is fine.
Protect
Many plants require protection from winter snows and/or winds, evergreens, hydrangeas, small bushes etc. Tie evergreens so that they are bundled and have less chance of snow/ice breaking branches. Use burlap and stakes to build snow and wind blocks. For hydrangeas fill the area with straw. Add mulch around the base of roses to protect them piling it up 8 or more inches. Also cardboard and Styrofoam rose protection covers are available that can be simply turned upside down over the plants.
Repel
Unwanted animal pests can gnaw at young tree stocks or nibble off evergreen foliage during fall and winter. Use metal wire screen to protect tree stocks and animal repellants to keep deer and other animals away.
Needham Garden Center
We stock animal repellants, burlap, twine, rose covers and stakes to help you your plants. Also driveway markers and landscape friendly ice melts are available. We stock small electric, medium single and two stage and large two stage snow blowers. The first snow blow-able snow storm is usually around or just after Thanksgiving.
December
Stock
Be prepared for winter snow. Be sure you have a car shovel, a good home shovel and a roof rake if needed. If you have a 2 cycle snow blower check your stock of 2 cycle oil. And be sure you are using fresh gas in your snow blower. Get it running and test it out.
Obtain
Amaryllis, Hyacinth and Paper white bulbs grow well indoors at this time. Get them growing early and have beautiful blooms in December and January.
Pot
Now’s a good time to repot indoor plants that have grown too large for their current homes. Don’t overdo it. Move up 1 pot size.
Maintain
Your indoor plants need regular watering and misting to overcome the dry inside in winter. Moist soil, not wet, should be the goal.
Needham Garden Center
Pots, potting soil, indoor bulbs and fertilizers are all in stock. 2 cycle oil of various brands is available. We stock 10 different snow shovel types as well as ice chippers, scrapers, ice melts and traction sand.