2009 Gardening Calendar

JANUARY

1. Plant spring-flowering bulbs such as tulips, hyacinths and daffodils. (For bulbs such as these to bloom in Northeast Florida and Southeast Georgia, they must be chilled in the refrigerator. See the November listing for instructions.)

2. Begin transplanting plants in the landscape, keeping them out of the ground as short a time as possible. Water is the difference between success and failure. Keep the plant moist, but not soaking wet. Do not fertilize plants when they are transplanted. Do not prune except to remove diseased or dead material.

3. Plant bare root and balled and burlap-wrapped plants. Be sure to keep them well watered.

4. Avoid pruning spring-blooming plants such as dogwoods, redbuds, azaleas, spirea and fringe trees. Prune dormant shade and fruit trees. Recent research shows pruning paint has no effect on insect or disease attack, so using it is optional.

5. Use a dormant oil spray on dormant fruit trees and woody ornamentals that are having scale problems. Follow label directions, since oil sprays should not be used on some plants.

6. Prune roses in late January. Remove leaves on ground and strip leaves from plant to reduce disease problems.

7. If a hard freeze is predicted, water lawn and ornamental plants 24 to 48 hours before the freeze to increase cold tolerance. Do not attempt the commercial method to safeguard plants during the freeze that requires a continuous, controlled flow of water to ice down plants for cold protection. A layer of ice can give off heat, but if not precisely controlled, could seriously damage plants and lawn. Bank citrus with coarse builder's sand and protect grafted unions. Harvest ripe citrus if temperatures will drop below 28 degrees for four or more hours.

8. Plant seeds indoors or in a greenhouse for March plantings of peppers and tomatoes. Be sure to plant varieties that are adapted to our region.

9. Cold-hardy vegetables to plant now include beets, broccoli, cabbage, carrots, cauliflower, celery, Chinese cabbage, mustard, bunching onions, English peas, potatoes, radishes and turnips.

10. In dry weather, lawns and woody ornamental plants should be watered. Lawns need about 3/4 inch of water every 10 days. Water woody plants once every two weeks at the same rate.

11. Annuals to plant now include carnations, pansies, petunias, snapdragons, delphiniums, larkspur, dianthus and foxgloves.

FEBRUARY

1. Finish transplanting by mid-February. Warm spring weather may make late transplanting unsuccessful because roots are not present to absorb the water demanded by the top of the plant. Keep transplanted plants well watered.

2. Prune roses if that hasn't already been done. Most rose specialists prefer February pruning. Strip leaves from roses if plants are not dormant. Pruning in February delays the first buds, but will give healthier, more attractive plants later this year.

3. Fertilize fruit trees, young ornamental trees and shrubs (except spring-flowering shrubs, such as azaleas) in mid-February. Shrubs: Use 12-4-8 or 16-4-8 at a rate of 0.833 or 0.625, respectively, pounds per 100 square feet of area. Fruit trees: Use 6-6-6 or 8-8-8 fertilizer at a rate of 1 to 2 pounds of fertilizer per inch of trunk diameter measured 4 feet above the ground.

Ornamental trees planted less than three years ago should be fertilized by applying a 12-4-8 or 16-4-8 fertilizer at a rate of 1/2 pound of nitrogen per 1,000 square feet of area. (Mature trees get enough fertilizer from their roots in the lawn area.) Spread the fertilizer under the branches and water it into the soil. Punching holes in the ground around the tree to feed the roots only wastes fertilizer by placing it deeper than the roots that do most of the absorbing.

4. Prune dormant grapes. The method depends on the type of grape. For specific information, contact a county extension office.

5. Prepare the spring garden for planting by spading the ground at least two weeks before planting to give grass and weeds time to rot before seeds are planted.

6. Put raked leaves and grass clippings in a compost pile. As they rot, they make an excellent organic material to add to the soil when planting vegetables and some ornamental plants.

7. Vegetables to plant now include: beets, broccoli, carrots, cabbage, cauliflower, celery, collards, endive/escarole lettuce, mustard, bunching onions, parsley, English peas, potatoes, radishes and turnips.

8. Annuals to plant this month include baby's breath, calendulas, carnations, dianthus, dusty miller, Marguerite daisies, pansies, petunias, snapdragons and statice.

9. February is the month to apply pre-emergence herbicides to control weeds such as crabgrass and sandspurs. These applications should coincide with the blooming of azaleas and dogwoods. Exact timing depends on soil temperature. If we are having normal winter weather, apply in mid-February to early March. Herbicides should not be applied unless a serious weed problem is present. Maintaining a healthy lawn is the best weed control program.

MARCH

1. Decide on a maintenance plan for your St. Augustine lawn this year. If you have another lawn type, call your local extension office for information. For a moderate maintenance plan, apply a complete fertilizer in March and September. Apply a slow-release nitrogen in May and apply iron in July. For a low-maintenance lawn, drop the May application and apply iron in June.

2. Rake dead grass to allow new grass to grow. This will increase the effectiveness of fertilizers and pesticides applied to the lawn.

3. Prune and fertilize azaleas as soon as they finish blooming. Use an acid fertilizer, such as azalea-camellia-gardenia special, and follow label directions.

4. Transplant azaleas after they finish blooming.

5. Prune any cold weather-damaged plants after new growth appears. If the plant is pruned before new growth begins, too much may be removed and it will take longer to recover.

6. Begin heavy pruning of hedges anytime after mid-March. To encourage bushy growth, prune just prior to bud swell. To retard growth, prune just after growth flush, once leaves have fully expanded.

7. Start planting tender annuals and vegetables. Be prepared to protect these plants from late-season frost. Use straw or newspaper. Cover with plastic for hard-freeze protection.

8. Vegetables to plant this month include snap beans, pole beans, lima beans, beets, cantaloupes, carrots, celery, collards, corn, cucumbers, eggplant, endive/escarole, kohlrabi, lettuce, mustard, okra, bunching onions, parsley, English peas, Southern peas, peppers, potatoes, sweet potatoes, pumpkin, radishes, summer squash, winter squash, tomatoes, turnips and watermelon.

9. Annuals to plant this month include ageratum, alyssum, amaranthus, asters, baby's breath, balsam, begonias, browallia, calendulas, calliopsis, celosia, coleus, cosmos, crossandras, dahlias, dusty miller, exacum, gaillardias, gazania, geraniums, hollyhocks, impatiens, kalanchoe, lobelias, Marguerite daisies, marigolds, nicotianas, ornamental peppers, pentas, phlox, rudbeckias, salvia, strawflowers, streptocarpus, sweet William, thunbergia alata, torenias, verbenas, periwinkles and zinnias.

10. Plant poinsettias in landscape during late March to early April. Cut back pant to within 12 to 18 inches of ground level. Pinch back new growth every four weeks until Sept. 10. Fertilize monthly from May to September.

11. Fertilize palms every two months starting in March and continuing through September. Use 1 pound each application of a 2N-1P-3K-1Mg ratio fertilizer that contains micronutrients. The nitrogen (N), potassium (K) and magnesium (Mg) in the fertilizer should be in water insoluble form. Broadcast under canopy of palms.

APRIL

1. Repair dead or damaged spots in the lawn with sod, plugs or seedlings. Keep lawn watered well if the weather is dry.

2. This also is the month to begin mowing lawns in North Florida and South Georgia. Grass mowed too low has a short root system and is more easily damaged during dry weather. It's also weaker and more likely to have serious weed problems. As a rule of thumb, St. Augustine grass should be mowed at 2 (dwarf varieties) to 3 (standard varieties) inches, Bahia at 3 to 4 inches and centipede at 1 1/2 inches.

3. Sand may be applied to uneven areas of a lawn for leveling. The sand should not be more than 1 inch thick, or it may damage the lawn.

4. Begin watching roses for black spot fungus disease -- small black spots on the leaves that quickly worsen. Control it by spraying every seven to 10 days with a fungicide.

5. If the weather is dry, water your lawn. Apply approximately 3/4 to 1 inch of water at each watering as needed. Water only when blades fold. The water should be applied no more than two to three times per week. The best time is between 4 a.m. and 9 a.m., before temperatures rise and water evaporates in the air.

There are a lot of variables on water needs because of differences in soil type, shade and other factors. When grass blades fold in late afternoon, water the next morning. To detect dryness in woody plants, pay special attention to azaleas. When their leaves droop, it's an indication that soil is drying out, and they need watering. Water woody plants no more than once per week.

6. Vegetables to plant include snap beans, pole beans, lima beans, cantaloupes, corn, cucumbers, eggplant, kohlrabi, Southern peas, peppers, sweet potatoes, pumpkins, summer squash, tomatoes, turnips and watermelons.

7. Annuals to plant now include celosia, coleus, coreopsis, crossandras, dusty miller, exacum, gaillardias, gazanias, geraniums, hollyhocks, impatiens, kalanchoe, lobelias, Marguerite daisies, marigolds, nicotianas, ornamental peppers, pentas, phlox, portulacas (moss rose), rudbeckias, salvia, streptocarpus, sweet William, thunbergia alata, torenias, verbenas, periwinkles and zinnias.

8. Recycle grass clippings by not catching them when the lawn is mowed. Removing the clippings carries off fertilizer that has been applied to the lawn. Grass clippings do not cause thatch to build up if only the top third of grass is removed when mowing. Almost all yard trash can be used as mulch or in a compost pile.

9. Divide overcrowded fall flowering perennials and bulbs.

And dont forget to sign up for GSN, Tony's new social network for gardeners.

MAY

1. For the moderate lawn maintenance plan, fertilize lawn with 1/2 pound of nitrogen per 1,000 square feet. Nitrogen fertilizers include ammonium nitrate, ammonium sulfate and urea. Be sure to water these fertilizer materials into the soil, or the lawn may be burned.

2. Begin watching for chinch bug damage in St. Augustine lawns. The damage usually occurs in sunny locations near the street, sidewalk or driveway. The grass dies in patches and turns straw brown. Damaged areas do not recover and must be plugged or sodded. Treat damaged areas with an approved insecticide or ask a pest control company to treat them.

3. Keep ripening vegetables harvested to lengthen the time the plants produce.

4. If the weather is dry, water the lawn when grass blades fold or every three days at 3/4 to 1 inch per application.

5. Peaches, nectarines and plums begin ripening in late May. Harvest them as soon as they mature -- before squirrels and birds get them.

6. Using a coring-type aerator, aerate the lawn to allow better drainage, improve grass root growth and reduce thatch build-up. Allow the cores to dry and then mow them to scatter the soil back over the grass. Caution: Aeration may allow more weeds to grow in the lawn.

7. Mole crickets are the No. 1 lawn pest problem in Northeast Florida and Southeast Georgia. If controlling them with Oftanol, apply it during May or early June. Only one application of Oftanol should be made each year. Making more than one application can give very poor results by allowing bacteria to build up in the soil and feed on the insecticide. Oftanol should be watered into the soil with 1/2 inch of water.

8. Vegetables to plant this month include lima beans, eggplant, okra, Southern peas and sweet potatoes.

9. Annuals to plant this month include celosia, coleus, coreopsis, crossandras, exacum, gaillardias, gazanias, hollyhocks, impatiens, kalanchoe, marigolds, nicotianas, ornamental peppers, pentas, portulacas (moss rose), salvia, thunbergia alata, torenias, verbenas, periwinkles and zinnias.

10. Fertilize palms. (See March listing.)

And dont forget to sign up for GSN, Tony's new social network for gardeners.

JUNE

1. For lawns on a low-maintenance plan, apply iron to encourage greening. Use ferrous sulphate (2 ounces in 3 to 5 gallons of water per 1,000 square feet) or a chelated iron source. Watch for chinch bug damage in St. Augustine lawns. (See May listing).

2. Fertilize trees and shrubs in mid-June if you want to encourage new growth. (See February listing).

3. Blueberries begin ripening about June 1.

4. Continue harvesting vegetables as soon as they ripen.

5. Check mulch around ornamental plants to be sure it's

2 inches thick and add mulch as needed to help keep weeds down and conserve water. Keep mulch 1 to 2 inches away from trunk or stem.

6. Remove old blooms and flower spikes from annuals. This is called "dead heading" and makes the flowers bloom longer. Fertilize monthly.

7. Those who plan to use Oftanol for mole cricket control and did not apply it in May should apply it by mid-June. (See May listing).

8. Vegetables to plant this month include lima beans, eggplant, okra, Southern peas and sweet potatoes.

9. Annuals to plant this month include celosia, coleus, crossandras, exacums, hollyhocks, impatiens, kalanchoe, nicotianas, ornamental peppers, portulacas (moss rose), salvia, torenias, periwinkles and zinnias.

And dont forget to sign up for GSN, Tony's new social network for gardeners.

JULY

1. For a moderate lawn maintenance plan, apply iron to encourage greening. Use ferrous sulfate (2 ounces in 3 to 5 gallons of water per 1,000 square feet) or a chelated iron source.

2. If mole crickets are damaging the lawn, begin applying mole cricket bait. Oftanol is not effective in July. Baits should be applied late in the afternoon when there is no chance of rain. When watering, don't allow baits to soak into the soil, since water destroys the product.

3. Watch for chinch bug damage in St. Augustine lawns. (See May listing).

4. Watch annuals, pyracantha and junipers for spider mite damage. These small pests are almost invisible and feed on plants by sucking juice out of the leaves. They generally live on the underside of leaves, and when the population gets large, there's often a webbing material going from leaf to leaf. These pests reproduce quickly and can go from egg stage to egg-laying adult stage in seven days. If plants are being damaged, spray with malathion or insecticidal soap two to three times, seven days apart. Follow directions on label.

5. Keep lawn mower blades sharp. This reduces some disease problems and gives the lawn a neater look when it is cut.

6. People living in the Beaches area should watch for cabbage palm caterpillars in late July. These are the caterpillars that drop out of palms in large numbers and try to find a place to make a cocoon. They usually make cocoons out of old palm fronds and can stain siding and damage lawn furniture, doormats and other fibrous materials. If they get indoors, they can damage drapes, carpet and upholstery. To control, spray palms with Dipel or Sevin and be sure the house is sealed tightly to keep them out.

7. Remove seed heads and old flower spikes from crape myrtles. This will encourage them to put out more blooms.

8. Vegetables to plant include lima beans, eggplant, okra, Southern peas, peppers and watermelon.

9. Annuals to plant include celosia, coleus, crossandras, exacum, impatiens, kalanchoe, nicotianas, ornamental peppers, portulacas (moss rose), torenia, salvia and periwinkles.

And dont forget to sign up for GSN, Tony's new social network for gardeners.

AUGUST

1. Watch for sod webworm and army worm damage. These are lawn caterpillars that feed on grasses and usually are a problem on Bermuda and St. Augustine lawns. They will attack all types of lawns if the population is high enough. The grass will look as if it has been mowed very low. Treat damaged areas with an approved insecticide. It may not be necessary to treat your whole lawn for the worms. Spot-treating reduces the amount of insecticide being applied to the environment. Lawns on the high-maintenance plan need another 1/2 pound of nitrogen per 1,000 square feet of lawn.

2. If mole crickets are damaging the lawn, apply mole cricket bait. (See July listing.)

3. Watch for chinch bug damage in St. Augustine lawns. (See May listing.)

4. Begin planting a fall garden of tender vegetables -- such as beans, eggplant, peppers, squash and tomatoes -- in early August. Don't wait too late, or an early frost may reduce the yield.

5. More tolerant vegetables to plant include snap beans, pole beans, lima beans, broccoli, cauliflower, collards, corn, cucumber, bunching onions, Southern peas, peppers, pumpkin, summer squash tomatoes, turnips and watermelons.

6. Annuals to plant include coleus and salvia.

And dont forget to sign up for GSN, Tony's new social network for gardeners.

SEPTEMBER

1. Make the fall fertilizer application to the lawn in mid- to late September. Use a complete fertilizer. Both moderate- and low-maintenance plans use 1/2 pound of nitrogen per 1,000 square feet of lawn.

2. If mole crickets are damaging your lawn, apply mole cricket bait.

3. Watch for chinch bug damage in St. Augustine laws. (See May listing).

4. Watch for sod webworms and army worm damage in lawns. (See August listing.)

5. Watch for brown patch fungus disease, which attacks lawns when the weather is cool and wet. It is most commonly found in St. Augustine, centipede and Bermuda lawns. The grass dies in roughly circular areas that may be 5 to 6 feet in diameter. In St. Augustine grass, the leaf blades rot where they attach to the runners. Apply an approved lawn fungicide according to label directions.

6. Fertilize shrubs and young trees for maximum growth and cold hardiness. (See February listing.)

7. Vegetables to plant this month include: snap beans, pole beans, beets, broccoli, cabbage, carrots, cauliflower, endive/escarole, lettuce, cucumber, bulbing onions, bunching onion, radishes, summer squash and turnips. Tender vegetables must be planted in very early September.

8. Because this is a month of change from warm to cool, the only annual recommended for planting is digitalis.

9. Fertilize palms. (See March listing.)

And dont forget to sign up for GSN, Tony's new social network for gardeners.

OCTOBER

1. If winter weeds were a problem last year, apply a pre-emergence herbicide to the lawn in early October. Be sure the herbicide is safe for the type of grass in your lawn. Read and follow all label directions. Lawns treated with pre-emergence herbicides cannot be over-seeded with rye grass, because the herbicide will stop the rye grass seed from germinating.

2. Watch for brown patch fungus disease in lawns. (See September listing.)

3. Watch for chinch bug damage in St. Augustine lawns if the weather stays hot. (See May listing.)

4. Lawns may be over-seeded with rye grass for a green lawn during winter. Mow the lawn closer than normal to allow the seed to come in contact with the soil. Spread the seed at a rate of 3 to 4 pounds per 1,000 square feet of lawn, and water the lawn twice a day until the seed has come up.

5. Watch for sod webworm and army worm damage in lawns. (See August listing.)

6. If mole crickets are damaging the lawn, apply a mole cricket bait if the weather is warm.

7. Begin planting strawberries in mid to late October. In Northeast Florida and Southeast Georgia, they grow through the winter and produce berries in the spring.

8. To get a Christmas cactus or poinsettia to bloom for Christmas, be sure it is not getting light at night. Starting about Oct. 1, put the plant in a dark area that receives no light from 5 p.m. to 8 a.m. This is how the plant knows when to set its flower buds. Keep putting it in the dark at night for one month for the cactus, six to eight weeks for the poinsettia. Between 8 a.m. and 5 p.m., it can be put in its normal growing area so that it gets sufficient light.

9. Vegetables to plant this month include beets, broccoli, cabbage, carrots, cauliflower, Chinese cabbage, collards, kohlrabi, bulbing onions, bunching onions, radishes, spinach and turnips.

10. Begin planting winter and spring annuals for best growth and flowering. Be sure to plant hardy annuals that will take winter weather in Northeast Florida and Southeast Georgia. Choices include digitalis, pansies, petunias, shasta daisies annual varieties of poppies, annual hollyhocks and snapdragons. Make sure to keep seeded areas moist to ensure germination. Also plant garden mums for fall color. Although not cold hardy, marigolds also provide good fall color.

And dont forget to sign up for GSN, Tony's new social network for gardeners.

NOVEMBER

1. Buy spring bulbs such as tulips and refrigerate them for eight weeks. This will help meet their chilling requirements to produce blooms in spring.

2. Watch for brown patch fungus disease in lawns if the weather is rainy. (See September listing.)

3. Plant strawberries before mid-November. (See September listing.)

4. In dry weather, water the lawn to keep it healthy during the winter. During cool or cold weather, a lawn needs to be watered no more than once per week with 3/4 to 1 inch of water.

5. Plan how you will protect lawns and landscape plants from cold temperatures. Lawns and shrubbery should be watered 24 to 48 hours before the freeze occurs for best cold protection. (See January listing.)

6. Those who planted rye grass but did not fertilize it when planted can apply some 16-4-8 fertilizer now at a rate of 3 pounds of fertilizer per 1,000 square feet of lawn to give the grass a dark green color.

7. Hardy vegetables to plant include beets, broccoli, cabbage, carrots, Chinese cabbage, collards, kohlrabi, bulbing and bunching onions, radishes and spinach.

8. Hardy annuals to plant now include carnations, digitalis, pansies, petunias, shasta daisies, snapdragons, bishop's weed, upright verbena, violas and flowering kale and cabbage.

And dont forget to sign up for GSN, Tony's new social network for gardeners.

DECEMBER

1. Watch for brown patch fungus disease in lawns (See September listing.)

2. Have soil tested in December for a spring lawn or garden. Testing every three to four years usually is enough to tell if lime is needed. A good sample should be about the top 3 or

4 inches of soil taken from eight to 10 areas. Put it all together in a large bucket and mix it up well. Take 1 pint of this soil to a county extension office. This sample will give an overall view of what your lawn and garden needs.

3. Late December is the ideal time to begin transplanting plants if the weather has turned cool. If there hasn't been much cold weather, do not begin transplanting until the plants are dormant. Prune roots four to six weeks before digging by severing roots with a spade just inside the intended root ball to generate new root hairs and reduce transplant shock. Be sure to keep plants out of the ground as little time as possible. (See January listing.)

4. During dry weather, keep the lawn watered well to withstand winter freezes. See November for cool season irrigation rates.

5. Vegetables to plant this month include beets, broccoli, cabbage, carrots, Chinese cabbage, bulbing and bunching onion and radishes.

6. Annuals to plant this month include carnations, digitalis, pansies, petunias, shasta daisies and snapdragons.

And dont forget to sign up for GSN, Tony's new social network for gardeners.

Compiled by the horticultural staff at the Duval County Extension Office.
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