General Garden Calendar

Perhaps the single most confusing aspect of gardening is learning when you should do something, and when you should not. The best way to learn this is with the help of a garden calendar. However, not all garden calendars are going to be applicable everywhere throughout the world. That is, unless the calendar is a very general one which will allow you the necessary breathing room to customize it to your specific needs. To that end, here is a fairly general garden calendar that you can use as a starting point for your own gardening endeavors.

• January. January is usually the best time to begin doing some simple repairs for the coming spring. This means that you should begin looking at your tools, furniture, irrigation equipment, and power tools all looked at. Repair what needs to be repaired, and take your power tools or equipment in for servicing.
• February. For many parts of the country, February is usually a fairly wet time. During this month, take the time to begin preparing your lawn by adding limestone. This is also the ideal time to begin pruning your fruit trees, as well as making any soil mixes that you plan on using to start off your garden.
• March. In many ways March is a continuation of February, so use it as a time to prepare those spots that really need it. Usually this will mean it is time for spring clean up, and transferring those plants that you have already begun indoors. This is also the ideal time to begin any lawn renovation that needs to be done, such as getting rid of thatch, and applying fertilizers.
• April. If you are planning on doing any serious landscaping jobs, then April is the month that you should begin. At this time, you should also begin checking any masonry you have in your garden, and make any repairs that are necessary. For those that are thinking of planting new trees or shrubs, then get to it during this month. The longer warm, though still cool, weather in April is usually the best time for projects such as these.
• May. Typically May is a month that you can set aside for lawn maintenance and garden control. It is usually during this month that the diseases and other problems that can afflict a garden will pop up. Due to this, May can be a very busy month if you are not careful.
• June. Since it is such a warm time of the year, June is usually a fairly slow month. This usually means that you simply need to sit back and maintain what you have in place already. Adjust your lawn mowers so that there is about two inches of clearance at this time to allow a longer blade which will shade the sod and protect the lawn better.
• July and August. If there is one time during the year that gardening isn't really as much fun as it should be, then it is during the hot summer months of July and August. During these months you will need to pay close attention to the moisture needs of your garden since it will be extremely easy for the plants to become dehydrated. At the same time, this is when you need to be most worried about using some post-emergent treatments to help keep weed and insect problems in check.
• September. Once September hits, the fun begins to come back into your gardening. The reason is that the cooler temperatures start to return, and it is time to begin harvesting your vegetables. As you harvest the vegetables, remove old plants, and begin preparing for next growing season.
• October. If you haven't already begun preparing your lawn and garden for the coming winter, now is the time to do it. October is usually the last of the warm days, so you really need to take advantage of it while it lasts. Complete any major tasks or projects while you still have time.
• November. November is usually the time when you absolutely need to prepare for the coming winter. This means that you should be raking up any leaves that are still on the ground, begin your mulching and composting projects, and ensure that you have properly winterized your irrigation system.
• December. Unless you are a serious winter gardener, you don't really need to worry about December as a gardening month. Sit back, relax, and enjoy the holidays with your friends and family. Take the time off, you have certainly earned it by now.