HI Everyone ! Welcome to the first phase of ” Homeowner’s Learn to do it your self “… Blog . I hope you take info from this blog and start to build yourself some real and practical knowledge of gardening and how to maintain your own yard !
First let’s start with a schedule that I created to help you quickly learn the gardening seasons on Vancouver Island . Next month Phase two I will be teaching you techniques and machines you might want to have around your garage to make your gardening life much easier ! See you soon Good luck !
December and January
January
Turf―A dry winter day is a good time to mow a dormant, warm-season lawn. This grooms the lawn and removes fallen leaves and pine needles. It also allows you to inspect your yard for winter weeds. Control them by spraying when the weather warms in spring. Planting―This is a good time to plant new shrubs and trees. Evaluate your landscape, remove unattractive plants, and replace them with others that you prefer.
Add Lime to Your Soil
–
Heavy rainfalls can leach the
soil of nutrients, making the soil acidic. To balance this out,
sprinkle lime on your garden beds. (Coarse dolomite is a good
source of lime.) Avoid areas where you will plant potatoes, straw-
berries and blueberries. These plants prefer an acidic soil. You
can lime your soil anytime in the winter and early spring.
Feed Your Soil
–
Winter is a great time to build up your
soil. Add mulches that will create rich, natural humus,
which plants love. Natural mulches include shredded leaves,
grass clippings, straw and seaweed
Clean up the Garden. Pick up dead leaves in the winter vegetable garden and harvest whatever is ready.
Weeds, Weeds, Weeds. Enjoy a rare sunny day by weeding! Try raking any leaves missed in the fall, cleaning up storm debris, and turning compost.
Water Sprouts. Prune fruit trees by removing water sprouts (the branches that grow straight up) and tangled branches that restrict light and air into th
e center of the trees.
Trim Your Trees. Give a hair cut to deciduous bushes that are out-of-bounds or a tangled mess. Remove the oldest or longest branches at ground level or at the trunk where they emerge. Thin tangles by cutting out whole branches. Be gentle with spring bloomers because flower buds may be removed in the process.
Get Organized. Organize seeds, supplies, and the potting shed.
Top Notch Tools. Clean and sharpen tools for more efficient use. Wooden handles are easier on the hands if they are sanded and oiled.
Fill in Bald Spots. Look through seed and nursery catalogs for plants to fill bare spots in the flowerbed. Find a new lettuce or squash variety to try in the vegetable garden.
Feb
Weeding and Feeding.
Lawns Will Be Lush. Mow the grass high (3-4 inches) and leave it where it lies to feed the soil that nourishes it.
April
* Apply a slow-release organic lawn fertilizer for healthy grass all spring and summer. Sharpen the mower blade before the first mowing. For strong, thick grass, mow the grass high, 3-4 inches tall. Leave the clippings where they fall to add nitrogen and organic matter to the so
Lawn Aerating – Letting oxygen into the lawns.February Pruning―Except for maples and birches, now is a good time to prune trees. If limbs are more than an inch in diameter, use the three-step method for removing branches. Make the first cut on the underside of the limb around 6 to 8 inches away from the trunk. Cut about half the thickness of the branch. Go to the top of the limb, and cut off the limb halfway between the underside cut and the trunk. The resulting stub should then be cut within 1ž2 inch of the trunk.Lawns―Winter weeds are evident in dormant warm-season turf now. Apply spot applications of post-emergence herbicides or hand pull to control. When selecting a post-emergence herbicide such as Purge, Weed-Stop, or Weed-B-Gon, make sure you follow label directions, and that the product is approved for your particular grass type. Otherwise you may injure or kill it.Cut branches―When forsythia, quince, star magnolia, and saucer magnolia buds show a touch of color, they are easy to force into bloom indoors. Cut branches, taking care not to destroy the natural shape of the plant. They should be in full bloom several days after you place them in a vase of water indoors.
March Lawns―As warm-season turf begins to green up in your area, it’s time to think about liming your grass. If your soil is acid, you need to do this every couple of years. The best way to tell if you need lime is with a soil test, which will let you know exactly how much to apply. But if you’re not able to get your soil tested, use the general guideline of 15 to 20 pounds of lime per 100 square feet of lawn area. Pelletized lime is less messy and easier to apply than the white-powdered kind.Azaleas―As this Southern classic comes into bloom, be sure to mark the color of each plant if you haven’t planted them by color. For maximum impact, group azaleas in masses of one color or in layers of color. It is okay to move them while they are blooming. But if you wait until they finish, they can be rearranged, pruned, and shaped for a better show next year.
April Mulch―Now that winter is gone, remove and replace mulch around such plants as azaleas, roses, and camellias because disease spores and insects may have overwintered in this material. If you think disease or insects are not a problem, just freshen your mulch.Lawns―It’s time to start cutting warm-season turf such as Bermuda, St. Augustine, and centipede. Be careful not to scalp your lawn. Adjust the blade height so that the turf looks cut when finished, but you can’t see spots of soil. A good rule of thumb for spring cutting: Remove only about the top third of the grass blades each cutting. During periods of fast growth, try to cut your lawn at least once a week.Herbs―Once the frost period has passed, it’s time to plant herbs. Culinary herbs are easy to grow, but be sure that you’ve planted enough of the ones you frequently use. As a general rule, it takes twice as many fresh herbs as it does dried ones to equal the same amount of flavor in cooking.
May Lawns―Once your brown turf has turned green, it is time to fertilize on a regular basis. Some warm-season grasses, such as hybrid Bermuda and Zoysia types, like high-nitrogen-based lawn fertilizers. Some turf, such as centipede, needs little or no fertilizer and minimal amounts of nitrogen. Remember high-nitrogen fertilizers always have a large first number in the ratio listed on the bag. Be sure to apply according to label directions to prevent burning your lawn.Pruning―Once plants have leafed out, it is time to make a final pruning to remove winter damage. Always cut the limb or shoot back to live wood. If the damage to the plant is severe, you might consider replacing it.Annuals―It’s time to finish planting your summer annuals, such as petunias, marigolds, salvia, and impatiens. If the plants are in pots or trays, make sure the roots are not so matted they can’t expand outward into the soil easily. If they are, gently pull the roots apart. June Water―Pay attention to hanging baskets and containers, because they dry out more quickly with the warmer temperatures. Irrigate plants at dawn and dusk to reduce water loss from evaporation. As you make additions to your garden, you will need to water them more than established areas.Houseplants―Place houseplants outside in a shady location to enjoy the fresh air and rejuvenate. Water regularly, and feed with an all-purpose (20-20-20) water-soluble fertilizer to encourage growth.Mulch―Apply extra pine straw or shredded bark mulch around newly planted trees and shrubs to better transition these plants into your garden. The extra mulch will reduce water loss and heat stress to the new roots. July Lawns―Raise the cutting height of your lawnmower 1 to 1.5 inches to help your grass survive drought and heat. Tall turf shades the soil, slows evaporation, and reduces weeds.Birdbaths―Relocate birdbaths to a shaded spot to slow evaporation and keep water from becoming too hot. Placing the bath near a small tree or large shrub provides shelter for the birds and encourages use.
August Vegetables―It’s time to plant fall vegetables in the Upper South. Set out transplants of broccoli, cauliflower, and collards. Sow seeds of beets, lettuce, English peas, spinach, turnips, and mustard.Lawns―If your grass is dry, do not mow until you have watered or until it rains. Mowing a dry lawn will further stress the turf and expose it to the drying effects of the wind and sun.Iris and daylilies―Now is a good time to divide these spring-blooming perennials. Dig clumps that have become crowded and that have not been blooming as fully as in past years. Divide tubers and roots, and trim dead portions. Use younger, vigorous sections for replanting. Prepare new beds by amending soil with composted pine bark and sphagnum peat moss to a depth of 8 to 10 inches.
September Fall planting―Begin planting trees and shrubs this month. Planting in autumn allows them time to grow roots and transition into the garden.Water―As temperatures begin to cool, plants need less water. Adjust your watering schedule for lawns, borders, and containers. Pay close attention to containers as they tend to become waterlogged.
October Turf―Overseed warm-season grasses such ascentipede or Bermuda with annual ryegrass for a green lawn during the upcoming winter months.Color beds―Remove spent summer annuals,prepare the soil, and plant cool-weather annuals now. Add a balanced slow-release fertilizer, organic matter such as composted pine bark, and then tillthe bed before planting.Fall greens―It’s not too late to sow seeds of mustard, collards, turnips, and lettuce for a fall garden.In the Upper and Middle South you may want to use transplants of lettuce for best results.
November Compost―Cleaning up the garden will yield plenty of fallen leaves and plant debris for compost. In an out-of-the-way corner of the garden, mix green and dry materials with a shovelful of soil and an optional handful of fertilizer (any kind except a weed-and-feed product). Sprinkle with water weekly if there is no rain. You’ll have compost by spring, sooner if you turn the pile.Lawns―Fertilize tall fescue and other cool-season lawns in the Middle and Upper South with a quality lawn fertilizer, such as 30-2-4 or 29-3-4, that contains timed-release nitrogen to prevent burn. It will continuously feed your lawn until time for a spring feeding.
December Lime―If the soil is acidic, your landscape probably could benefit from an application of lime. Broadcast using a fertilizer spreader, or apply by hand. Always wear gloves and distribute evenly. Because lime takes a long time to react with the soil, winter applications help the spring garden. Apply at the rate of 15 to 20 pounds per 100 square feet. If you are unsure ofhow much lime your soil needs, have a soil test performed.Irrigation―If your automatic watering system stays on all year, it’s time to adjust the amount of watering during each cycle. Many dormant plants require lower amounts of water in colder months. A good rule of thumb is to reduce irrigation time by half when night temperatures remain in the 40s or below. Turn the system off in rainy periods to reduce costs and prevent overwatering.
