Please send comments on the Garden Guide to [email protected]. to Guide Garden the on comments send Please Printed 2012 Printed Inside photos by Harriet Wise, Frederick County Master Gardener Master County Frederick Wise, Harriet by photos Inside

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regard to race, color, gender, disability, religion, age, sexual orientation, orientation, sexual age, religion, disability, gender, color, race, to regard For guidelines by county, see http://www.mde.state.md.us/programs/Land/ see county, by guidelines For

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Sep. 21 Sep. Hancock May 21 May Hancock

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Oct. 7 Oct. Frederick April 29 April Frederick

Oct. 7 Oct. Denton April 29 April Denton

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The Gardener’s Guide What To Do & When

Seasonal Garden & Lawn Guide for Maryland Homeowners & Communities

prepared by the Master Gardeners of Frederick County The Gardener’s Guide: What To Do & When USDA Plant Hardiness Zones for Maryland — 5a, 5b, 6a, 6b, 7a, 7b, 8a

• 2nd best time to seed lawns: late February–April • Mulch 2-3 inches & keep away from trunks • Earthworms mean healthy soil • • State Tree: White Oak (Quercus alba) • Don’t work wet soil—wait until it crumbles in your hand • Last frost date—see back cover • March April May • Gently clean up the garden. • Gently clean up the garden; add • Directly after blooming, prune • To control crabgrass, apply 1 inch of compost. flowering shrubs and vines. pre-emergent herbicide to lawn • Plant trees, shrubs, perennials; this is • After the last frost date, plant warm- (when forsythia blooms drop). a good time to plant evergreens. season annuals and tender bulbs • Prune non-flowering trees and • Ticks are very active now. (calla lilies, dahlias, gladiolus) in the shrubs before new growth. • Put up birdhouses. ground and in containers. • Cut perennials and over-wintering • Earth Day—April 22 • After the last frost date, plant warm- ornamental grasses to 2 inches • Arbor Day—last Friday in April season vegetables (squash, peppers, above ground. • After spring bulbs bloom, let leaves tomatoes, corn, beans). • Plant cool-season crops (potatoes; turn yellow and die before trimming. • New fruit plants—keep watered spring lettuce; peas; root crops; and cole • Take an inventory of pots and their first spring, summer and fall. crops, including spinach, kale). containers; clean or replenish potted • Mow grass at 3 inches and leave the soil. clippings on the lawn.

• Want to grow your own fruits and vegetables? See www.growit.umd.edu • • Water the ground under trees at least as far out as branches spread • State Flower: Black-Eyed Susan (Rudbeckia hirta) •

June July August • Remove spent lilac and • Prune foundation shrubs and trees • Cool season lawns go dormant in rhododendron blossoms. to be no closer than 1 foot from the hot, dry weather—Do Not Water. • Pinch buds of fall-blooming plants house. • Harvest leaves of herbs used in (asters, mums, Joe-Pye weed). • Prune and thin shrubs that have cooking (rosemary, basil, sage) in • Prune azaleas directly after already flowered. the early morning, for best flavor. blooming. • Plant heat-tolerant vegetables • At the end of the month, begin (Malabar spinach, Swiss chard). planting cool-season vegetables (turnips, carrots, beets, spinach, Chinese cabbage, kale, Brussels sprouts). summer

• Best times to fertilize/seed bluegrass/fescue lawns: Sept.–Oct. • Destroy brown marmorated stink bugs in a jar of soapy water • • Compost kitchen scraps (ONLY vegetable & fruit scraps—NO animal products or chemicals) • First frost date—see back cover •

September October November • Labor Day weekend—perfect time • Harvest most fruits before frost. • Continue removing diseased leaves. for seeding the lawn. • Continue removing diseased leaves. • Mulch or compost healthy leaves. • Remove fallen, diseased leaves. Put diseased leaves, pesticide-laden • Continue planting hardy, grass clippings and weed seeds out for • Mulch or compost healthy leaves. spring-flowering bulbs. recycling rather than the compost pile. • Continue planting cool-season Check your local recycling guidelines • Trees and shrubs can be planted vegetables; plant garlic now (see back cover for web links). until ground freezes. through the end of October. • Mulch or compost healthy leaves. • After blooming, cut mums back to • This is a good time to have • You still can have vegetable garden 6 inches above ground. vegetable garden and landscape and landscape soils tested. • Dig hole now if you will be planting soils tested (see http://hgic.umd. • From mid-October through November, a “live” Christmas tree. fall edu/content/soil.cfm). plant hardy bulbs for spring flowering. • Mid-month, pot amaryllis for winter • Apply fertilizer and lime to turfgrass • For readying Christmas cactus holiday bloom. based on soil tests and UME and poinsettia for holiday • Clean out pots; store non-frost proof recommendations (see http://hgic. blooming, see http://www.hgic. containers in garage or basement. umd.edu/_media/documents/ umd.edu/faq/popularQuestions. hg103_002.pdf). cfm?questionid=21988 and http:// hgic.umd.edu/_media/documents/ hg30.pdf.

• Feed birds throughout winter months • Remove leaves from lawn before snow • Gently sweep snow/ice off shrubs • • Pot hyacinth, amaryllis & paperwhite narcissus for indoor bloom • Never fertilize from Nov. 15 to Mar. 1 • December January February • Moderately prune evergreens, • Start to browse seed catalogs • Start pepper seeds indoors. especially hollies, for indoor and dream. • Start lawn seeding. decorating. • Prune damaged branches. • Check indoors for termites and • For care of holiday plants and trees, • Hand-pull visible weeds. winter ants. see http://hgic.umd.edu/content/ • Keep bird feeders clean and filled. • Hardy spring bulbs begin to emerge onlinepublications.cfm; select (crocus, snowdrops, daffodils, “Seasonal and Indoor Plants.” • Sharpen and replace tools as needed. tulips). winter