Natural Yard Care Seasonal Maintenance Calendar

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.
• Learn about the "tuna can test" and other tips for watering wisely.

Composting

• Add yard debris to compost pile; water the pile to keep it moist. Place pile in shade or cover to hold moisture.

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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.

Fall is a great time for planting...for many reasons!

• The cool, cloudy days and frequent participation of fall and early winter provide ideal transplanting conditions for many plant species, including evergreens, trees, and shrubs. 
• Fall soil is warm and aerated and many plants actively grow roots during this time. 
• The earlier plants go into the ground in fall, the more time they have to recover from transplant shock, adapt to the site, and expand their root systems before the growing season. 
• They will require less water and grow more vigorously than if they are planted in the spring.

Get ready to put your garden to bed for winter

Check out resources and watch a video recording of our "Put Your Garden to Bed" workshop presented by Tilth Alliance.

Click image above to learn more about natural yard care.

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 from 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.

Put your garden to bed

Check out resources and watch a video recording of our "Put Your Garden to Bed" workshop presented by Tilth Alliance.

Click image above to learn more about natural yard care.