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Natural Yard Care Seasonal Maintenance Calendar
March - May
Flower and Vegetable Gardens
- Prepare new planting beds and gardens by mixing in 1-3 inches of compost.
- Pull weeds when they first start growing, while soil is moist and roots are short, before they go to seed.
- Buy plants that resist disease and use less water.
- Pest problems? Call the Garden Hotline at 206-633-0224 for advice, or visit www.gardenhotline.org.
Tree and Shrub Beds
- Prepare new tree and shrub beds by mixing compost into the entire bed (not just into the planting holes). Or plant trees in native soil and mulch well.
Lawns
- Start mowing, about 2 inches high for most lawns, or 1 inch for bentgrass lawns. "Grasscycle" (leave the clippings on the lawn) to serve as free fertilizer.
- For lawns in poor condition: aerate, overseed, and top-dress with 1/2 inch of compost.
- Fertilize lawns if needed in May with "natural organic" or "slow release" fertilizer.
Watering
- Prepare sprinkler systems by testing, adjusting, and repairing leaks.
- Lay out soaker hoses in beds, and cover with mulch.
- Check soil moisture at plant roots before watering. Don't water until they need it.
Composting
- Harvest compost from your bin. Throw any uncomposted sticks or stalks back in for another cycle.
June - August
Flower and Vegetable Gardens
- Mulch flower and vegetable beds with compost or grass clippings to conserve water and control weeds.
- Use fabric row covers to keep pests off sensitive vegetables.
- Identify bugs before you spray, squash, or stomp. They may be "good bugs" that eat pests.
Tree and Shrub Beds
- Mulch shrub and tree beds with wood chips, leaves, or bark once a year to conserve water, reduce weeds, and feed the soil.
Lawns
- Mow regularly, and leave the clippings on the lawn.
- Keep mower blades sharp to reduce lawn damage and brown tips.
- Consider saving water by letting some lawn areas (ones that don't get heavy traffic) go brown and dormant until fall.
Watering
- Start and re-check watering systems, and adjust for weather. (Don't water when it rains.)
- Water lawns 1 inch per week, or let go brown and dormant (but water enough to moisten root zone once a month).
- Water at dawn or in evening to reduce evaporation.
Composting
- Add yard debris to compost pile; water the pile to keep it moist. Place pile in shade or cover to hold moisture.
September - November
Flower and Vegetable Gardens
- Pull emerging weeds in beds when ground is moist and before they develop deep roots.
- Mulch garden beds with leaves or compost to reduce winter weeds and feed the soil. Or plant winter cover crops in open beds.
- Prepare new planting areas by digging in compost.
Tree and Shrub Beds
- Mulch shrub and tree beds with leaves, wood chips, or bark.
- Plant trees, shrubs, and many perennials in early fall to give them a good start.
Lawns
- Improve thin areas of lawns in September - October by aerating, overseeding, and top-dressing with compost.
- If you missed fertilizing in spring, fertilize lawns with "natural organic" or "slow release" fertilizer in September to develop healthy roots and crowd out weeds.
- Plant new lawns September 1 - October 15 to give them the best start before next summer.
Watering
- Reduce watering for cooler weather in September.
- When rains come, shut off and drain watering systems.
- Put away exposed soaker hoses, or re-cover with mulch if left out.
Composting
- Clear out annual garden growth and compost it for spring. Keep pile as moist as a wrung-out sponge.
December - February
Flower and Vegetable Gardens
- Rake winter leaf mulch back onto beds of winds blow it off.
- Weed beds once during winter to prevent weeds going to seed.
Tree and Shrub Beds
- Prune fruit trees and other woody trees and shrubs while they're dormant (December - February).
Plan for Spring
- Tune up yard equipment; sharpen mower blades.
- Plan drip irrigation or soaker hoses for beds and containers to conserve water.
- Check storage areas for unwanted chemicals and dispose of safely. Call the Household Hazardous Waste line at 206-296-4692 for information or visit www.hazwastehelp.org.
- Plan to replace plants that have disease or pest problems.
- Call the Garden Hotline at 206-633-0224 or visit www.gardenhotline.org to ask questions and request free brochures to start planning for spring.