Ebert's Greenhouse Village

Garden Calendar - Spring

Late Feb-Early March

• To avoid damaging soil, wait until soil thaws and dries before walking around gardens and shrubs.

• Inspect the base of trees and shrubs for rabbit and vole damage. Hopefully you've checked them throughout the winter months and applied wrap or hardware cloth to protect stems.

• Prune dead branches from trees and shrubs following instructions from Ebert's 'Basic Pruning Guidelines' and 'Calendar Guide to Pruning' handouts. Also remove browned and dead branches on evergreens. Many shrubs benefit from pruning each spring before they leaf out - don't prune flowering shrubs that bloom on last year's growth like lilacs and forsythia unless you can tolerate not having blooms this year. Also prune fruit trees. Check out 'Basic Pruning Guidelines' and other available Ebert's handouts for more information.

Late March-April

• Wait until temperatures stay consistently at or above freezing before removing evergreen boughs and extra mulch from semi-hardy plants, perennials and rose bushes -- usually around April 15th.

• For Roses, mid-April is a great time to uncover extra soil/mulch mounded around the base of roses. Prune to shape and remove winter-damaged canes, etc. Water thoroughly and fertilize with Rose Tone or Osmocote slow release fertilizer.

• Rake leaves off landscape beds before new growth begins. Avoid doing this too soon because cold nights and frost can harm tender new growth.

• Weeds are very visible and can easily be pulled in spring. Also remove invasive species.

• Do not trim or prune trees once buds begin to open! Wait until mid-summer or next late winter/early spring. Refer to Ebert's 'Calendar Guide to Pruning' handout.

• Cut down perennials that had remained for winter interest and remove dead foliage to avoid moisture problems during a wet spring. Divide fall blooming perennials if necessary.

• Cut ornamental grasses down to about 3- 6" according to their height.

• Add compost and organic material such as Mushroom Compost or Bumper Crop.

• Apply pre-emergent for crabgrass to lawns by mid April to prevent weed seeds from germinating in landscaped areas. (Note: It will prevent flower seeds from germinating.) Also apply Preen in mulched areas or prior to adding new mulch.
Break up mulch so it's not compacted. Apply new mulch over planting beds, if necessary. Apply about 2" mulch on flower beds, such as cocoa bean/rice hull mix. (Beware that Cocoa bean mulch is highly poisonous to dogs and cats if they ingest it). Apply about 3" shredded bark or hardwood mulch on tree and shrub beds, if needed.

• Water plants lightly during dry spring weather when there are warm sunny days.

Pruning: Wait until late winter to begin pruning deciduous and evergreen trees. Refer to the Garden Calendar-Spring section.

May

• Fertilize trees, shrubs, perennials and bulbs as soon as there are signs of new growth. Use Tree Tone, Flower Tone, and Holly Tone for evergreens and Bulb Tone.

• Apply Root Stimulator to plants planted last fall or plants showing stress.

• Refill baskets, containers and window boxes with new soil before planting.

• Plant cold hardy annuals such as pansies for early blooming enjoyment as soon as ground can be worked. (Often near Memorial Day or after fear of frost.)

Garden Calendar - Summer

• Maintenance and weed control are top priority.

• Plant annuals in beds and containers. Fertilize hanging baskets every 7-10 days. Fertilize container and bed plants every two weeks throughout the summertime.

• Continue planting trees, shrubs and perennials as long as you can supplement with regular watering. Use Root Stimulator, compost and mulch.

• Deadheading: This encourages reblooming, keeps the plant healthier and stops it from reseeding out of control.

• Pinching back: Early June you can trim off ½ of the following plants to allow them to grow stronger stems and prevent them from getting leggy and flopping: Becky daisy, Asters, Russian sage, Autumn Joy sedum, and Annabelle Hydrangea.

• Prune spring flowering shrubs that had just bloomed.

• Disease and pest control: Identifying a problem right away is the easiest way to control it. Come into Ebert's where we can assist you with solutions.

• Fertilizing: Annuals, perennials, trees and shrubs all require different fertilizers.
Remember to stop all fertilizing by Aug. 1st so you don't push new growth before fall.
Come into Ebert's where we can help you choose the best fertilizer for your needs.
Annuals - use Daniels Plant Food, Jack's Bloom Booster, Bud and Bloom or Flower Tone, etc.
Perennials - use Daniels Plant Food, Flower Tone, Osmocote, etc.
Roses - use Rose Tone, Bayer 2 in 1 Rose and Flower Care, etc.
Hydrangeas - use Garden Sulfur, Aluminum Sulfate, Hydra Blue, etc.
Trees and shrubs - use Tree Tone, Holly Tone, etc.

• Watering: Watering is crucial during the summer, especially during dry spells. Newly planted plants should be watered every 2-3 days depending upon your soil type. Clay holds moisture but sandy soil can dry quickly between watering. Be careful not to over-water as well because roots that stand in water will become diseased and rot. (Please see Ebert's handout 'Soil Analysis Quick Tips' for help).

The best way to tell when soil needs watering is to stick your fingers into the soil. If it's dry below the top few inches it's time to water. Most plants require at least 1" of water per week. To monitor this you can place a clean, empty tuna can in your planting bed as an indicator of how much rain water your plants have received during the week.

To water landscaped areas or planting beds, use a soaker hose. Trickle water under the canopy of trees or use a low steady-stream sprinkler. Do not use overhead or oscillating lawn sprinklers for trees and planting beds because this causes too much moisture on twigs and leaves and may cause disease and mildew problems.

Another forbidden method for watering trees and shrubs is the 'walk around the yard with a garden hose and watering trees by hand' method. It may be enjoyable and people like watering this way because it's relaxing but this doesn't allow time for the water to soak down to the roots where it's needed most. Remember to use a low stream of water or a low sprinkler for watering.

• Dividing/Transplanting: Not a good idea during the hot summer months. It creates a tremendous amount of stress on the plant. It is best done in Spring or Fall, unless it's absolutely necessary.

• Weed control: Keeping up with weeds can be a tedious chore, but the health of your garden depends on it. Weeds not only steal moisture, sunlight and nutrients from your plants, but they harbor many diseases and insects. It's always best to pull weeds when they're young and small. If the weeds do get established and out of control, chemical sprays may need to be used. Espoma 4 in 1 Weed Control and Killzall Weed & Grass Killer are just some of the products at Ebert's that may be used. Directions need to be followed closely so you don't damage desirable plants. Always follow health precautions and label directions on all chemicals used. Come into Ebert's where helpful employees can assist you making the right choices for your needs.

Garden Calendar - Fall

Winter preparation for beds and plants: Planting, transplanting, dividing and seed collection is part of your main focus this time of year. A little effort in fall will make life much easier in spring and your landscaped areas will not only be healthier, but they'll look nicer and give you interest you can enjoy throughout the winter.

• Plant Cleanup and Prep: Proper care of your plants in fall will help your plants survive the winter and prosper from year to year. Annuals, of course can be pulled and removed as soon as they wither after the first frost or freeze. Many annuals can be dug up and repotted and brought indoors as house plants, especially begonias and foliage plants - low light/shade plants. Cold hardy mums, ornamental annual grasses, and other cold hardy plants may be placed in gardens and containers for fall interest.

• Lift summer flowering bulbs and store in a cool, dark place for the winter.

• Perennials: Perennials need a little more care. It's healthier for the plant if you wait until spring before cutting them back. This provides the enjoyment of winter interest and allows you and the birds to enjoy your garden longer. Be sure to allow ornamental grasses to be part of your winter landscape because they provide interest and color. Allowing newly planted perennials to stand without pruning gives them extra protection during the winter.

If diseases such as mildew or black spots on leaves are present, cut back and rake up diseased foliage and remove it from your garden.

Adding a little extra mulch around tender perennials will help alleviate the heaving of soil that occurs during freezing/thawing cycles each spring.

Before heavy snow and when the ground is frozen, evergreen boughs can be placed around perennials. Many times you can wait until the Christmas season is over. You can remove and 'recycle' the Christmas tree branches back into your garden.

• Woody perennials such as Butterfly Bush, Russian Sage, Blue Mist Shrub, etc. should be left alone until spring.

• Bed cleanup and Prep: Remove excess debris that can harbor insects and disease. This material can be composted along with leaves you've raked in fall be added back the following year to revitalize your soil and plants. Be sure to rake your mulch and break it up to improve air circulation. This helps combat fungal problems. Top dress your bed with soil supplements, if needed. Bone meal, blood meal, and gypsum can all be used to organically improve your soil condition. After clean up, pull out any weeds that have been hiding all summer - they're easy to spot. Also remove invasive plants now.

If you're going to mulch your plants and beds, wait for a good freeze. This usually doesn't need to be done until January. Make sure you use clean hay (weed free) or pine boughs. Do not use leaves or peat moss from this season's fall. These two items can harbor disease and trap moisture which can lead to plant/root rot.

• Planting/Transplanting/Dividing: Fall is a great time for planting and transplanting trees and shrubs because they are less stressed and require less water. However, they do use a lot of energy to pull food reserves back to the roots before dormancy. Perennials and bulbs can be transplanted and divided. The only rule of thumb is: Spring flowering plants should be transplanted and divided in fall, while fall flowering plants should be transplanted and divided in spring. Summer flowering varieties can be done in spring or fall. Divide Iris by the end of September. Always use Root Stimulator for better success when transplanting and dividing product.

• For the most part, don't prune trees, shrubs or evergreens until late winter, with the exception of maples. They do well with late fall pruning - after they go dormant. Don't prune from Labor Day until February even though it's very tempting to do so. Please refer to Ebert's 'Calendar Guide to Pruning' handout. Evergreens will especially dry out during winter wind and sun if pruned at this time.

• Most roses and shrub roses don't require covering or pruning. It's best to mound up soil over the graft to protect it and leave the canes on- no pruning until April.

• Plan for next year: This is a good time to plan for additions and changes to next year's landscaping project. Look to add or change an accent, fill in bare spots, add winter interest, include new varieties and ornamental grasses, etc.

• Apply Wilt Prof to the greenery of arborvitaes, boxwood, holly, rhododendron, Russian Cypress and yew, etc. This is recommended to avoid the drying out of evergreen leaves or needles of tender evergreens during winter months. Wait until the first frost and follow directions on the label.

• Apply Root Stimulator during early fall to plants if needed, because they still have remaining time to send out new roots to help the plant survive winter and come back successfully in spring.

• Protect trees and shrubs from critters once weather is consistently below freezing so that critters don't hide and hibernate in mulch and burlap. You may need to protect trees, shrubs and roses with fencing or deterrents for the cold, snowy wintery days ahead.

Garden Calendar - Winter

Perennials: It's beneficial to perennials to mulch them in winter to alleviate some heaving of soil that occurs with the freezing/ thawing cycles each spring.

• Apply evergreen boughs after we've had several hard frosts (so as not to attract rodents) and up until we've had snow cover. This can be done in January by 'recycling' your Christmas tree branches back to the garden. Marsh hay also works well. (Leaves tend to mat down and once they are wet and frozen - they stay wet and don't insulate, thus rotting off the crowns of plants.)

• Do not cut down your perennials or grasses. It provides great winter interest and helps to attract seed-eating birds while protecting them from harsh winds. The old foliage also acts to hold snow around the base of the plant providing insulation.

• Snow is a great insulator and cover for perennials and ornamental grasses, but don't shovel snow into landscape beds if you use de-icers on your sidewalks. This may harm plants because most perennials, shrubs and trees are not salt tolerant. Please see Ebert's 'Salt Tolerant Plants' handout for a list of salt-tolerant plants.

Don't shovel snow or snow-blow snow onto shrubs, hedges, evergreens, or ornamental trees, as the added heavy weight of snow will break branches.

Deciduous Trees and Shrubs: Wrap the trunks of young, smooth-barked trees such as Maples, Lindens, etc., in early winter. Sudden temperature fluctuations can result in frost cracks (vertical cracks on the tree bark - usually on the south or west side of the tree where the bark suddenly cools off after the sun sets).

• Fruit trees, Hawthorn, Newport Plums are susceptible to rodent damage. Rabbits and voles can girdle a tree by chewing around the bark, which results in the death of the tree. Install wire mesh or plastic tree wrap around the tree burying it below the surface. Apply Ropel, a spray-on product that can be applied to the trunks of trees - it tastes bad and will deter pests.

• Shrubs that rabbits most enjoy are Purple-leaf Plum, Burning Bush, Viburnums, Amelanchiers, Willows, Dogwoods and Spireas, etc. In severe winters (with lots of snow cover) rabbits and voles will attack most any plant. Check your plants weekly for signs of damage.

• Products such as Liquid Fence, Messina Deer, Rabbit & Squirrel Repellents, etc., can be helpful.

Evergreens: Arborvitae, Boxwood, Holly, Rhododendron, Dwarf Alberta Spruce, Russian Cypress, Upright Junipers, White Pine, Yews, etc. are susceptible to winter-burn and moisture loss from sun and wind. Moisture is pulled from the foliage when the ground is frozen and the plant isn't able to replenish it. This will result in browning or burnt orange needles. To minimize this be sure to water evergreens thoroughly all the way until December or as ground freezes. Anti-transpirants such as Wilt-Pruf should be applied now, unless you already applied it after late fall. Always follow label directions. Burlap can also be wrapped around a plant to minimize winter wind sun and wind exposure.

Broadleaf- Evergreens: These evergreens are more susceptible to winter burn. This group includes Boxwood, Holly and Rhododendron. It is important that they are planted in a protected spot away from north-west winter winds, etc. Feel free to ask any Ebert's employee in Perennials, and Trees and Shrubs for assistance when purchasing broadleaf evergreens.