Gardening Throughout The Year 1

I found an old gardening calendar that has things that you can do every month of the year. In this article I will tell you what you can do each week of the month in the year so that you can be the best gardener you can and have many crops in one planting season. You will want to know when to lime and fertilize, plant what seeds when, take care of your strawberries, prune fruit trees and vines, make a high tunnel and much more.

For the convenience of reading and remembering I will break this down into three months each.  This part of the article is January through March.

January

January is a pretty cold month, you would think, but there are many things that you can do in the house that is garden related.  

Houseplants need care and this month you will need to increase humidity for them in your house. There is a simple way of doing this. Just get a large tray or plant saucers that are two sizes too big and fill it up with pea gravel.  Then fill that up to the top with water.  As the water evaporates it will humidify your plants. Also set your poinsettias in a sunny location.

Draw you plans for this year's garden. Review what has been done last year and make revisions if necessary. Rotating crops is good for the soil as it doesn't deplete all the same nutrients in the one location. This also stops erosion.

As far as outdoors, you will need to watch where you put that salt and chemicals. Make sure that it stays where you need it and not run off into the areas that you have your lovely plants. Salt and chemicals will damage any plant that it comes in contact with.

You will want to make sure all your gardening and power equipment is serviced and ready to go come planting time.  

If you haven't done so already you will need to order your lime and fertilizer for your lawn and gardens.

Did you know that lime kills fleas too! Spread it throughout the areas your pets are in. Please make sure they do not step on it until it has been washed into the soil or it will burn their pads on their paws.

February

One more month towards Spring!

This month there is a lot more to do in your lawn and preparations for your gardens.

The first week you will want to lime and fertilize your gardens. Mix the lime and the 10-10-10 fertilizer together and spread in all the areas you are planting or have grass. The snow and rain will soak it into the ground for you. One less thing you have to do come spring!

Order your fruit trees for planting when they come. Remember that Garden Plan you worked on last month, here is where you start putting into effect.. When the trees come you know where you are planting them, right. You will want to make sure because you will need to plant them as soon as they arrive.

Around the second week go ahead and order you High Tunnel. You can also make one of steel poles, plastic pipe or anything the bends. Just cover this with clear plastic and you are ready to go. You can make it as big as you want. Don't worry about the ends, you can either let the plastic hang there or make it into a door. Either way you will need to be able to open it when it gets really hot. This keeps the humidity inside so your plants will not dry up as much. You can also put tables in there with many different plants in them and use a drip watering system. This high tunnel can be moved around and taken down during the months it is not in use.

Grow some Herbs on your windowsills, seed Head Lettuce, Celery, Cauliflower indoors before Valentines day. After Valentines Day you seed Broccoli and Cabbage indoors, Seed Peas outside and start Onions and Greens in a cold frame.

Prune your Grapes, Deciduous trees, Shrubs and Blueberries around Mid-month. Apply dormant spray to your fruit trees at the end of the month.

March  

There is more to do this month and it is finally Spring at the end of the month! Are you getting anxious to plant stuff yet! I know I am.

Okay the first week you will need to seed you Kholrabi indoors, plant Onion sets, order your Strawberries, plant your broad leaf evergreens and prune Raspberries and your fruit trees. Now you can build your high tunnel!

2nd and 3rd weeks of March you will want to seed indoors: Leaf Lettuce, Spinach, Peppers, Swiss Chard, Eggplant and Turnips.

Also plant non flowering trees, shrubs and roses.

The last two weeks of March you will need to plant Peas, set out your Head Lettuce, Asparagus, Turnips, Radishes, Strawberry plants and Rhubarb.

Remember to fertilize your spring flowering bulbs, your Rhubarb and Asparagus beds.

Use row covers to help prevent freezing of your tender plants.

Now you can start controlling your dogwood with anthracnose at the end of the month.