JANUARY & FEBRUARY

Buy or order seeds. If you plan to use seeds saved from previous years, See Seed Storage and Germination Requirements TIP: Keep notes during the growing season on what you like and don't like about each variety you planted. It's hard to remember exactly which one stored well or produced the most in your garden if you wait. Also check out Selected Vegetable Cultivars for Nebraska Start seeds indoors for spring-blooming annuals Cut back on fertilizing houseplants (do not feed dormant houseplants) Sow seeds for cool-weather vegetables like lettuce, radishes and beets, spinach, other salad greens, and cole crops (brocolli, cabbage, cauliflower kohlrabi, and brussels sprouts) (February) Start perennials indoors to get blooms the first year Apply dormant oil sprays to control overwintering insects and mites on trees and shrubs (February)

MARCH

Plant bare root trees. Also check out how to care for newly-planted trees Sow seeds indoors for spring-blooming annuals Cut back on feeding houseplants (do not feed dormant houseplants) Sow seeds for cool-weather vegetables like lettuce, radishes and beets, spinach, other salad greens, cole crops (brocolli, cabbage, cauliflower kohlrabi, and brussels sprouts), peas, onions and parsnips. Start perennials indoors to get blooms the first year Start seeds indoors for slow-growing warm-season veggies like tomatoes and peppers Select variety and seed new cool-season lawns Clean up lawn. Mow short and remove debris to your compost pile Begin home orchard fruit spray schedule Insect worries got you down? Find ways to attract beneficial insects that will eat your "bad" bugs or you can cheat by purchasing "good" bugs. Here's a list of suppliers to get you started.

APRIL

Set out frost-tolerant annuals Rake or remove winter mulches from all flower beds. Sow seeds for cool-weather vegetables like, radishes and beets, spinach, other salad greens, peas, onions, carrots and parsnips. Sow seeds of warm-season annuals Set out summer-flowering bulbs (allium, lillies, cannas, gladioli, tuberous begonias & dahlias) and plant fall-blooming bulbs (autumn-flowering crocuses, dahlias, lycorises & sternbergias) When growth has begun, uncover strawberry beds and keep them well watered. TIP:Don't fertilize strawberries in the spring. This is when the leaves are developing, and you'll get lush growth and few, soft berries. Wait until blossoms appear. Plant blackberries, raspberries, strawberries, grapes, gooseberries and fruit trees. Fertilize cool-season lawns and loosen thatch (if necessary). Mow Kentucky bluegrass to a height of 1.5 to 2.0 inches. Tall fescue lawns should be mowed to 2.5 to 3.0 inches. Plant seedlings of cool-weather vegetables like cole crops (cabbage, cauliflower, broccoli, brussels sprouts), onion, and lettuce Sow seeds for fast-growing warm-season vegetables, start seeds indoors for slower growing warm-season veggies Plant container and bare-root roses Uncover roses for spring and apply dormant spray & plant new roses at this time TIP: If you want to increase their fragrance, surround them with parsley Plant balled-and-burlapped, container, and bare-root trees, shrubs and vines Check out how to care for newly-planted trees Divide summer- and fall-blooming perennials, including delphiniums, irises, chrysanthemums, daisies, and phlox. Apply pre-emergence herbicides for crabgrass, foxtail etc. Corn gluten meal is a natural product that will also control these weeds. Inspect pine & spruce for pine needle scale crawlers, treat with insecticidal soap if necessary

MAY

Plant cole crops (cabbage,cauliflower, broccoli, brussels sprouts) Set out seedlings of warm-season annuals and vegetables Set out summer-flowering bulbs (allium, lillies, cannas, gladioli, tuberous begonias & dahlias) and plant fall-blooming bulbs (autumn-flowering crocuses, dahlias, lycorises & sternbergias) Divide and replant crowded winter-and spring blooming bulbs after leaves have yellowed Plant balled-and-burlapped, container, and bare-root trees, fruit trees, and also shrubs and vines Control dandelions and other broadleaf weeds Plant, feed, and aerate cool-season lawns and loosen thatch Plant seedlings of cool-weather vegetables like cole crops (cabbage, cauliflower, broccoli, brussels sprouts), and lettuce Set out herbs Sow fast-growing warm-season vegetables like cucumbers & squash Divide and replant spring-blooming perennials after bloom Plant container roses Plant summer-blooming shrubs and vines Row covers for vegetables will help obtain early yields and protect from insects

JUNE

Set out seedlings of warm-season annuals and vegetables Mow bluegrass lawns to 2.5 to 3.0 inches for maximum resistance to hot, dry weather Thin out small green fruits on apple, peach and plum trees to one every 6 inches on the branch Dust potato plants to prevent infestations of potato beetle Set up trellises or stakes to support viney plants like tomato, pole beans morningglories, and cucumbers. Remove newest shoots from geranium plants to encourage fuller plants Divide and transplant overcrowded spring-flowering perennials when they are finished blooming Protect cole crops (cabbage, broccoli, etc) from egg-laying cabbage white butterflies with an insect-barrier cloth Remove new flower buds from chrysanthemums and carnations to coax bigger blooms

JULY

Add one last planting of gladioli bulbs for flowers into fall Harvest veggies as soon as they're ripe to encourage further production Harvest sweet corn when silks are brown and punctured kernels produce a milky juice Prevent blossom-end rot on tomatoes by providing plants with at least an inch of water each week Let melons ripen on the vine--this is where they will develop their best flavor Start fall garden transplants from seed Petunias, coleus and other summer annuals might be leggy by now. Pinch them back just above a leaf to encourage bushy growth and Fertilize your houseplants frequently to ensure vigorous growth. Extend the indoor life of your cut flowers by putting them in a solution that is one part water, one part clear soft drink (such as 7-Up, Sprite, etc.), and a few drops chlorine bleach. Snip off the old flower clusters from rambler roses to encourage them to bloom all summer. Don't water your melons at the base of the stems. Doing so can cause rot. Build up a little earth around the stems to keep water away. Once melon vines have set three or four fruits, remove any new blossoms. The remaining fruits will be larger.

AUGUST

Lift, divide and transplant perennials Order peonies for fall planting Divide and transplant bearded, Japanese and Siberian irises soon after bloom Start moving houseplants and other tender plants indoors to acclimatize. Wash them thoroughly before bringing them in to rid them of any pests and eggs. This is also a good time to take cuttings. Blanch tomatoes for freezing and canning by boiling them for just a few minutes and slipping off the skins Plant fall-blooming crocus and colchicum for late-season flowering Prepare beds for planting bulbs and divide any existing bulbs that might be overcrowded Build up weather resistance of trees and shrubs with deep waterings now throughout the fall Compost should be watered during dry periods so that it remains active. Mid-August through September is a good time to transplant any shrubs that you've purchased with root balls wrapped in burlap. Do not fertilize until the second year, when the feeding roots have become established. Lawns or bare spots reseeded with grass now will have a chance to get established before winter sets in. Water often and mulch with straw. Two or three leaves should be left when cutting gladioli, so that the bulbs can ripen. Hardy lily bulbs may be planted in the ground and left to overwinter outdoors. Cut back the flower stalks of perennials that have finished blooming. Maximum flavor of herbs for drying is achieved by cutting them just before their flowers open. Make sure that potatoes are not escaping into the sunlight. Hill or mulch them if they are. Remove dead pea vines, bolted lettuce, and other plants that have gone by and add them to the compost pile. If they show signs of disease, however, burn them. Separate melons from the ground with a thin board to prevent decay or damage from wireworms. Prune raspberry and blackberry canes that have just finished fruiting.

SEPTEMBER

Plant garlic Plant perennials Clean and restock birdfeeders Plant spring-blooming bulbs; refrigerate those you intend to force Set out bareroot peonies a href="http://www.ianr.unl.edu/pubs/forestry/g1195.htm">Young trees should be staked to prevent the roots from being pulled by fall and winter winds. As perennials fade away, mark their locations with small sticks. This will help prevent damage when you cultivate next spring. Dig up your rosemary, basil, tarragon, oregano, marjoram, English thyme, parsley, and chives to grow them inside as houseplants. Keep them in a cool, sunny spot, and allow the soil to dry out before watering. Onions are nearly ripe when the tips of the leaves turn yellow. Cider made from blemished apples, known as drops, will be fine, but avoid apples with bruises or open wounds. If rot has already set in, it will affect the taste and longevity of the cider. If you have unripe tomatoes still on the vine and frost is fast approaching, pull out the vines by the roots and hang them upside down in a cool, dark place. Transplant rhubarb, strawberries, and raspberries well before the first light frost so that some root development may take place. Sunflower seeds are best dried on the plants. Cover the heads with cheesecloth if you need to protect your crops from the birds.

OCTOBER

Buy and plant winter- and spring-blooming bulbs Divide and replant crowded fall-blooming bulbs after leaves yellow Plant container and balled-and burlapped trees and fruit trees Be sure to care for these newly-planted trees Cut back on feeding houseplants (do not feed dormant houseplants) Sow seeds for frost-tolerant perennials Divide and replant summer- and fall-blooming perennials after bloom Protect roses for winter Plant summer-blooming shrubs and vines

NOVEMBER & DECEMBER

Buy and plant winter- and spring-blooming bulbs Divide and replant crowded fall-blooming bulbs after leaves yellow Cut back on feeding houseplants (do not feed dormant houseplants) Protect roses for winter Prechill tulips and hyacinths for forcing indoors

	In Dixon County

Gardening Monthly To Do List