Wilson’s Garden Center Specializes in Plants that Thrive in Central Ohio

March

Grape Hyacinths		Early Spring Grass		Garden Tools

• Clean and repair tools and equipment.
• Have the Ohio Cooperative Extension Service test your soil. (Fee involved).
• Apply pre-emergent crabgrass control (STEP 1). These chemicals work by preventing the seed from germinating; therefore, it is important that the herbicides be applied in early spring, before growth of the weed seedlings.
• Spray dormant oil as needed.
• Remove mulch from perennials and roses gradually as plants show signs of new growth.
• Remove chickweed and henbit growing in beds; rake existing beds; fluff mulch after soil is dry.
• Plant onions, asparagus, rhubarb, strawberries, grapevines, small bush fruits, fruit & shade trees, evergreens, shrubs and roses.
• Prune fruit & shade trees, grapevines, and shrubs which bloom in summer and fall. Wait until spring bloomers such as lilac and forsythia are finished blooming before pruning them.
• Trim ornamental grasses to 4-6" above the ground; clean up any other perennial debris.
• Fertilize fruit and shade trees, evergreens, shrubs, and lawns.
• Pick a permanent spot for herbs in the garden. Many of them will come up year after year.
• Start fertilizing houseplants now for good growth. Any that are rootbound should be repotted. Also check for any critters that have overwintered.
• When setting out transplants in peat pots, be careful not to allow the rim of the pot to protrude above the soil level. It will act as a wick and draw moisture up from the plant. Break away the upper rim of the pot before planting and make sure none of the peat shows above the soil.
• Turn the compost pile and add manure.
• As tulip, narcissus and other large bulbs begin to emerge, set pansy plants between them for added color.
• Late in the month, divide and transplant summer and fall blooming perennials (such as astilbe, aster, bleeding heart, coral bells, daylilies, phlox and shasta daisies). Perennials perform best in well-drained soil with plenty of humus
• Prepare your vegetable garden for planting once the soil is workable adding compost (Bumper Crop).
• Depending on weather conditions, plant hardy vegetables such as onion sets, peas, and cole crops (cabbage and broccoli).
• Start growing healthy greens in containers.
  

April

• Complete any March tasks delayed due to weather.
• Prune evergreens and roses after new growth has emerged. Do not prune to the bare wood part of the plant.
• Plant perennial veggies such as asparagus, rhubarb, horseradish, etc. Root crops such as potatoes and onions can be planted. You can plant cole crops, spinach, and peas.
• Apply pre-emergent crabgrass control if not applied in March.
• Fertilize fruit and shade trees, evergreens, shrubs, roses, and lawns.
• Keep turning the compost pile.
• Dethatch and overseed lawn.
• Apply broadleaf weed control in late April.
• Dead-head spring blooming bulbs but leave on the green foliage. They provide the bulb with food for flowering next year. Remove foliage once it has browned out.
• If over-seeding your lawn, wait several weeks after herbicides have been applied.
• This is the time to start resurrecting the water lily pool. Drain and clean the pool before growth begins. Plant new, hardy water lilies.
• Buy some new perennials for your flower border. Spring is a good time to renew and add variety to your landscape.
• Celebrate Arbor Day-Plant a Tree!!

May

• Plant trees, shrubs, vines, ground covers, perennials, and fruit plants of all types
• Late May: Plant warm-weather vegetable plants (e.g. tomatoes, peppers, cucumbers, squash, eggplant, melons, and pumpkins). Seeds such as carrots, lettuce, corn, beans, etc. can be sown this month. Annual flowers, herbs & tender bulbs are ready to be planted now.
• Prune flowering plants and shrubs as they are done flowering. Remove spent blooms or developed seed pods from tulips, daffodils, hyacinths, etc. Do not remove or tie up the green leaves. They are replenishing the bulb for next year's blooms.
• Fertilize as needed. Get your soil tested so you know exactly what amendments you need. The Ohio Cooperative Extension Service will test your soil sample for a fee.
• Continue Fruit Tree, Rose, & Vegetable Spray/Dust Programs. Watch vegetable garden for developing insect or disease problems.
• Mow Grass to a height of 2.5"-3" to maintain good vigor and health. Healthy grass will have fewer weed and insect problems. Apply a "Weed and Feed" fertilizer/herbicide (STEP 2) to kill existing broadleaf weeds.
• Early crop harvest of leaf lettuce, rhubarb, asparagus, and green onions.
• Generally accepted frost-free date in Central Ohio is May 15. It should be OK to plant tender flowers by this date but keep an eye on the weather forecast.
• Side dress perennials with an all purpose fertilizer (Try the new Bradfield Organic Fertilizers)
• Watch for slug damage-control them now before they reproduce. Use a product called Sluggo which is safe for pets.
• Remove any sucker growth from fruit and ornamental trees as soon as they appear. We have a product called “Sucker Stop” which prevents this growth.
• Newly planted plants may need supplemental watering if we don’t receive at least 1 inch of rain per week.
• Keep compost pile damp; add fresh garden debris to it and keep turning the pile.

June

Blooming Azaleas		Spiral Lettuce Loma and Galactic		Lawn Mowing

• There is still plenty of time to plant. Just about everything can be planted now.
• Mulch everything; Mulches help maintain a more uniform soil temperature, retain moisture, and helps eliminate weeds.
• Cabbage, green onions, leaf lettuce, rhubarb, asparagus, broccoli and strawberries can be harvested this month. Enjoy the fruits of your labor!
• Monitor rainfall and water as needed.
• Fertilize as needed. Get your soil tested so you know exactly what amendments you need. The Ohio Cooperative Extension Service will test your soil sample
• Continue Fruit Tree, Rose, & Vegetable Spray/Dust Programs. Watch vegetable garden for developing insect or disease problems.
• Mow Grass to a height of 2.5"-3" to maintain good vigor and health. Healthy grass will have fewer weed and insect problems. Apply a "Weed and Feed" fertilizer/herbicide to kill existing broadleaf weeds.
• Protect developing fruit from birds by using vinyl netting.
• Still have your Poinsettia from Christmas? You can re-pot it now if necessary. Fertilize according to directions and continue to water when soil is dry to the touch. Move outside if temperatures do not fall below 50 degrees. Place in light shade.
• Houseplants can be moved outside to a shady protected area.
• Deadhead and fertilize annual flowers to encourage more flowers to come.
• Divide spring-blooming perennials such as primrose and arabis.
• Spring-blooming shrubs should be pruned by the first part of June.
• Deadhead spent flowers from Rhododendrons and Azaleas to improve next year’s blooms. Fertilize them with an acid type fertilizer immediately after they have bloomed.
• Keep hedges maintained by removing the new ‘gangly’ growth for a tidy appearance.
• Pinch mum tips back to encourage branching.
  

July

• Plant gladiolus bulbs and put in a final planting of bush snap peas.
• In late July plant cabbage, Chinese cabbage, endive, kohlrabi, lettuce and radishes for a fall garden!
• Make final pinch on mums by mid-July.
• Remove (deadhead) spent flowers from geraniums and other annuals to encourage bloom.
• Prune sucker growths and water sprouts from apple and crabapple trees.
• Cut off any remaining yellowed tops of hardy flowering bulbs.
• Except for new hybrid climbers, prune climbing roses after they are done blooming & remove dead and aging canes.
• Remove small, green potato seed balls from the potato plants.
• Remove any seed stalks from vegetable plants such as rhubarb, or pull these plants and replace with others.
• Renovate June-bearing strawberries by mowing off plant tops above the crown, then fertilizing (do not prune ever-bearing strawberries now).
• Mulch everything; mulches help maintain a more uniform soil temperature, retain moisture, and help eliminate weeds. Remember when mulching to keep the mulch away from the crowns of the plants. Only mulch 1 to 2 inches deep.
• Continue Fruit Tree, Rose, & Vegetable Spray/Dust Programs. Watch vegetable garden for developing insect or disease problems.
• Mow grass to a height of 2.5"-3" to maintain good vigor and health. Healthy grass will have fewer weed and insect problems. Apply a "Weed and Feed" fertilizer/herbicide (STEP 2) to kill existing broadleaf weeds. Follow package instructions and avoid using during long hot, dry spells.
• Protect developing fruit from birds by using vinyl netting.
• When fertilizing please use/mix only the amount listed on the package or less.
• Supplemental watering in July and August is extremely important to most plants, especially newly planted or transplanted items.
• Continue to monitor plants for any insect or disease damage.
• Supplemental watering is extremely important if less than 1 inch of rain falls per week, especially for newly planted or transplanted items. A slow, deep watering once a week is much more beneficial than several light sprinklings
• Hanging baskets and potted items may need watered daily. Fertilize regularly with Bud and Bloom to encourage more flowers.
  

August

• Supplemental watering is extremely important if less than 1 inch of rain falls per week, especially for newly planted or transplanted items. A slow, deep watering once a week is much more beneficial than several light sprinklings.
• The best time to water is early morning, but if this is not possible try to water so the foliage dries before nightfall. This helps to prevent many fungal disease problems.
• Mulch Everything! Mulches maintain a more uniform soil temperature, retain moisture, and help eliminate weeds. Saves water, too.
• Prune/pinch/remove spent blooms on annual and perennial flowers; remove any seed stalks on vegetable plants; pull weeds before they go to seed.
• Make a last fertilizer application to roses, trees, shrubs, and perennials this month. Also, fertilize asparagus.
• Continue fruit tree spray schedule; roses; vegetables IF NEEDED. Watch for developing problems. Apply chemicals ONLY as directed. If close to harvest time, check the label for required days between application and harvest.
• Harvest most garden vegetables; blueberries all month; apples, peaches, muskmelons; late August - watermelons, everbearing strawberries, plums, pears. Dry onion harvest until Oct 15. Enjoy the fruits and flowers of your labor.
• Start fall and winter veggies of green onions, carrots, spinach, and lettuce. Sow or plant starts early in the month.
• If you are wanting your Poinsettia to re-flower for the upcoming holiday season bring it inside in late August and cut the stems back, leaving 3-4 leaves per shoot. Place in a sunny window and water/fertilize as needed. (See the September To Do list for the next steps in re-blooming your Poinsettia)
• Start acclimating houseplants to be moved back inside for the fall and winter. Keep moving them to shadier spots outside before moving them in. Keep your eyes peeled for any critters wanting to move in with them. A thorough bath will help remove any unwanted pests.
  

September

Autum Mums		Composting		Melons

• Plant Garden chrysanthemums, grass seed, trees, shrubs, most perennials and spring flowering bulbs. Maintain a proper watering schedule.
• Harvest remaining ripe vegetables; watermelons; apples, peaches, plums, pears, everbearing strawberries and raspberries, blueberries, grapes.
• Harvest green tomatoes before a killing frost.
• Remove spent blooms on annual and perennial flowers.
• Remove declining annuals and replace with fall mums, ornamental kale or cabbage, and pansies.
• Pull vegetable plants when done bearing and add to the compost pile. Clean up gardens as you go.
• Removal of dead plants decreases the possibility of over-wintering pests and diseases that will infect your garden next year.
• Divide or transplant iris rhizomes, peony plants and most spring and summer blooming perennials.
• Early September is a great time to establish or renovate lawns. If the season was hard on your lawn, prepare for reseeding or overseeding towards the end of this month. Make sure you can water your grass seeding until the grass has emerged and started to grow. Wilson's has several free 'how to' sheets on these topics.
• On September 20th start your Poinsettia plant on a strict light/dark schedule to make it flower and color-up for the holidays. Keep you plant in light from 8am to 5pm -- then place it in the dark (absolutely no light--a closet or under a bucket) from 5pm to 8am. The keys to success is to follow this strict light/dark routine very carefully, everyday, through December 1st. Continue to water regularly during this time.
  

October

• Houseplants should be brought back inside at the beginning of this month.
• Plant trees, shrubs, spring flowering bulbs, perennials and rye seed for a garden cover crop. Cover crops will control weeds this winter and plowing them in next Spring will provide good organic matter.
• Harvest late varieties of apples, grapes, winter squash, pumpkins, gourds, dry onions, sweet potatoes, potatoes and Brussels sprouts.
• Dig and store tender bulbs in a cool dry place till next spring. Dig up after first frost.
• Remove dead mum blooms, pull annual flowers, rake leaves and pull all garden plants that are done bearing to prevent over wintering pest/diseases.
• Cut back unsightly perennials to the ground as they decline. Leave most foliage on to protect crowns of the perennials through the winter.
• Compost all plant materials as long as they are not diseased.
• Divide/transplant daylilies and iris early this month.
• Continue with the strict light/dark schedule that you started in September to make your Poinsettia flower and color-up for the holidays. Keep you plant in light from 8am to 5pm -- then place it in the dark (absolutely no light--a closet or under a bucket) from 5pm to 8am. The keys to success is to follow this strict light/dark routine very carefully, everyday, through December 1st. Continue to water regularly during this time.
• Keep mowing grass as it grows.
• Clean up tools, sharpen blades, oil moving parts. Apply a light coat of oil to prevent rusting.

November/December

Fresh Greens Pillow		Poinsettias In Rows		Winter Garden

• Apply fall/winter lawn fertilizer (STEP 4) to encourage root development in your lawn. Your lawn will thank you by greening up much more quickly in the Spring.

• Houseplants:

  During the shorter days of winter, the growth rate of most houseplants slows. Reduce fertilization and water until late April or May when new growth resumes. Most plants should not be watered until the soil feels dry. Water thoroughly, let the water soak in, then water again until water drains into the saucer. Empty the saucer within 1 hour, otherwise the sitting water can cause root rot. If you cannot lift your plant to get the saucer, try using a baster to remove the excess. Soil pulled away from the pot rim means inadequate watering and can result in root problems. It would be difficult to add sufficient water overhead to rewet the soil, so soak the pot in a sink or bathtub, then drain thoroughly.

• Pesticide Storage:

  Store pesticides in a frost-free location away from food and out of reach of children & pets. If the pesticide is in a paper (cardboard) container, put the whole package in a plastic container and seal it (this keeps moisture from penetrating the contents). Be sure all bottles and cans are tightly sealed and well labeled. Store liquid pesticides where temperatures will not fall below 40 degrees F. Too low a temperature may result in a breakdown of the chemical. If the liquid should freeze, there is danger the container will break, scattering chemical in the storage area.

• Evergreens:

  If fall rains are scarce, water landscape evergreens thoroughly once every week until the ground freezes. Sending them into winter well watered reduces the potential for damaged foliage. Broadleaf and tender evergreens need to be shaded on the south and southwest sides to reduce moisture loss and foliage damage. Apply Wilt-Pruf to broadleaf evergreens before the air temperature drops to a constant 32 degrees; this helps keep moisture loss to a minimum during the winter months.

• Amaryllis Bulbs:

  Amaryllis bulbs may not bloom if they are in too large a pot. There should be no more than one inch of space on each side of the bulb. At least 1/3 of the bulb should be above the soil line.

• Shade Trees:

  Newly planted shade trees, especially those with smooth bark, are often injured by temperature fluctuations and strong winter sunshine. Prevent sunscald by wrapping the tree with tree wrap.

• Roses:

  Clean up rose beds. Be sure all diseased leaves are raked up and destroyed. Spring (before the plants start active growth) is the preferred season for pruning.

• Live Christmas Trees:

  If you are planning on a live, balled & burlapped Christmas tree, dig a planting hole now before the ground freezes. Fill the hole with straw to keep it from freezing. Store the soil in a garage or shed so you will have workable soil when you need it for planting the tree after Christmas.

• Poinsettias:

  Continue with the strict light/dark schedule that you started in September to make your Poinsettia flower and color-up for the holidays. Keep your plant in light from 8am to 5pm - then place it in the dark (absolutely no light-a closet or under a bucket) from 5pm to 8am. The keys to success is to follow this strict light/dark routine very carefully, everyday, through December 1st. Continue to water regularly during this time.
• Apply mulch after the ground has frozen to maintain consistent soil temperature.
• Take care of our feathered friends by providing food, shelter, and water.
• Drain hoses and put away.