Plant Care Calendar

January | February | March | April | May | June | July | August | September | October | November | December

January Monthly Tips

• Look for spots to add plants for winter bird food and cover.
• Recycle your Christmas tree using boughs and greens as mulch for evergreen groundcovers and shallow rooted perennials.
• Brush snow off evergreen shrubs and trees, but do not touch ice-covered shrubs and trees as you may cause damage to the plants.
• Prune shade and ornamental trees (except maple, birch and walnut).
• If temperatures are mild for a few days spray evergreens with anti-desiccant (Wilt-Pruf) to prevent winter burn.
• Keep salt away from plants and planting beds.
• Check rodent bait stations set out in fall.
• Plan your spring landscape design with your McKay representative.
• ENJOY YOU WINTER LANDSCAPE!

February Monthly Tips

• Prune fruit trees.
• Cut pussy willows and other early spring blooming plants to force inside for a bit of early spring.
• Check rodent bait stations set out in fall.
• Plan your spring landscape design with your McKay representative. For best inventory selection, order now.
• ENJOY YOU WINTER LANDSCAPE!

March Monthly Tips

• Finalize any planting plans for spring planting.
• Start spring pruning this month.
• Clean up any leftover foliage and stems on perennial plants.
• If needed, move any dormant plants this month.
• Unwrap trees wrapped in late fall.
• Cut back ornamental grasses at the end of the month.
• Avoid pruning spring flowering plants until after they bloom.
• Fertilize trees and shrubs.
• Just before buds open, spray dormant oil for scale and over wintering insects.
• ENJOY YOUR SPRING LANDSCAPE!

April Monthly Tips

• Start of spring planting season.
• Finish spring pruning this month.
• Transplant and separate any perennials, if necessary.
• Work in compost, bone meal and soil amendments such as mushroom compost.
• Lightly re-mulch beds, if needed, to conserve moisture and discourage weeds.
• Stake tall and heavy perennials.
• Remove any winter protection.
• There is still time to do your next landscape project-call your local representative.
• ENJOY YOUR EARLY SPRING LANDSCAPE!

May Monthly Tips

• Spring planting month, plant new McKay trees and shrubs.
• Prune spring flowering trees and shrubs after they finish flowering.
• Cut off old blossom stems on tulips and daffodils.
• Cultivate flower beds and shrub borders, fertilize plants, if needed.
• ENJOY THE SPRING COLOR!

June Monthly Tips

• Continue planting this month or start planning for early fall planting.
• Prune hedges and new growth on foundation shrubs and evergreens.
• Prune spent flowers from perennials to encourage new growth.
• Apply plant food to flowers and vegetables.
• Fertilize roses monthly and watch for disease and insects. Use rose food with systemic insecticide.
• Allow bulb foliage to ripen and wither before removal.
• ENJOY THE EARLY SUMMER COLOR!

July Monthly Tips

• Prune all evergreens and shrubs for shape early this month, as needed.
• Trim off old blossom heads from small spireas to promote a second bloom in August.
• Keep beds free from new weed growth.
• This is your last chance to fertilize evergreens, shrubs, and trees until late fall.
• Deep-water your trees and shrubs during times of extreme heat or drought.
• Start planning for fall planting season and order nursery stock form McKay.
• ENJOY THE SUMMER COLOR!

August Monthly Tips

• Watering in dry spells relieves stress on plants. New plantings need approximately one inch of rain per week. Supplement by watering if Mother Nature doesn't. Check soil before watering to avoid over-watering.
• This is a great month for transplanting iris.
• Remove spent blossoms on perennials.
• Meet with your McKay representative to plan the next phase of your planting.
• ENJOY THE LATE SUMMER BERRIES AND BLOOMS!

September Monthly Tips

• Start of fall planting season.
• Container grown and balled and burlapped plants can be planted now.
• Think about planting plants for bird food this fall.
• Do any minor pruning on shrubs and hedges, if needed.
• Divide and move perennials, work in compost, bone meal and soil amendments.
• Plant bulbs for spring color.
• Protect flowers and vegetables against early frost.
• ENJOY THE FALL COLORS!

October Monthly Tips

• Another great fall planting month.
• Bare-root plants are available starting later this month for fall planting, as well as container and balled and burlapped plants.
• Start cleaning up perennial beds. Do not cut back ornamental grasses until March or April. Many perennial seed heads catch winter snows and attract birds.
• Mark late emerging perennials to avoid damage from spring cultivating.
• This is the ideal time to transplant and divide peonies and iris, amend soil with bone meal.
• Dig and store dahlia, canna and gladiola bulbs.
• ENJOY THE FALL COLORS!

November Monthly Tips

• Continue fall planting as weather allows with freshly dug trees from McKay.
• Wrap trunks of young shade trees, fruit trees and crab trees with tree wrap.
• Good time to prune dormant trees, especially fruit trees.
• Protect delicate plants, like tea roses, from winter damage.
• Finish cleaning perennial garden, put off pruning perennials with winter interest until spring.
• Make sure evergreens go into winter with good moisture.
• Spray evergreens, especially broadleaf's, with anti-desiccant (Wilt-Pruf) to prevent winter burn.
• Protect shrub roses by mounding hardwood mulch over the plants
• ENJOY FALLS FINAL COLORS!

December Monthly Tips

• Plan your landscape design with your local McKay representative for spring. Order now for best inventory selections.
• Create Christmas decorations with trimmings from overgrown evergreens, berries from Viburnum Americana, and accenting them with perennial seedpods.
• Use Christmas lights on landscape plants for holiday appeal. Avoid using extremely large bulbs that might damage plants with their intense heat.
• Give McKay gift certificates as Christmas gifts.
• ENJOY YOUR WINTER LANDSCAPE!