Garden Care: Annuals

The following chart lists the various gardening tasks to be done each year. When they should be done depends on the climate in your area.

With regular monthly maintenance, monkey flower will provide a great splash of color to any garden.

This month-by-month chart indicates when each task should be performed based on the different average annual minimum temperatures in North America. Because conditions can differ, and dates of first and last freezes of the season vary each year, these are only approximate guides, but they will provide you with a general outline for your garden year.

Tasks to Be Done by Average Annual Minimum Temperature	-50°F to -30°F	-30°F to -10°F	-10°F to 10°F	10°F to 40°F
1. Plan garden for coming season*	NOV/DEC/ JAN	DEC/JAN	JAN	JAN/AUG
2. Order seeds*	FEB	FEB	JAN	JAN/AUG
3. Buy seed starting supplies*	FEB	FEB	JAN	JAN
4. Take cuttings*	MAR	MAR	FEB	JAN
5. Start slower-growing seeds indoors*	APR	MAR	MAR
6. Prick off seedlings	APR	APR	MAR
7. Start faster-growing seeds indoors*	MAY	APR	APR
8. Prick off later seedlings*	MAY	APR	APR
9. Lay out new beds	APR	APR	APR	FEB
10. Take soil samples if not done in the fall	APR/MAY	MAR/APR	MAR	JAN
11. Adjust pH if not done during the winter	MAY	APR	APR	FEB
12. Add conditioners to soil	MAY	APR	APR	FEB
13. Add fertilizers to soil as recommended by testing lab	MAY	APR	APR	FEB
14. Till soil	MAY	APR	APR	FEB/SEPT
15. Purchase and plant nontender bedding plants	MAY	APR/MAY	APR	FEB
16. Harden off home-grown bedding plants*	MAY	MAY	APR
17. Lay mulch on beds for bedding plants. (See step 24 for direct seed sowing.)	MAY	MAY	APR	MAR/SEPT
18. Sow seeds directly in outdoor beds. Feed as needed until seeds sprout. (Do not allow them to become dry.)*	JUNE	MAY	APR	MAR/SEPT/OCT
19. Purchase tender bedding plants	JUNE	MAY	APR	MAR
20. Pinch and plant tender bedding plants	JUNE	MAY	APR	MAR
21. Plant out tender bulbs	JUNE	JUNE	MAY	APR
22. Sprinkle pre-emergent weed killer on soil between bedding plants. (Caution: Do not use with direct-sown seeds or young plants.)	JUNE	JUNE	MAY	APR
23. Thin seedlings from direct-sown seeds*	JUNE	JUNE	MAY	APR/OCT
24. Lay mulch when seedlings reach 4 to 6 inches.	JUNE	JUNE	MAY	APR/OCT
25. Put in plant supports	JUNE	JUNE	MAY	APR/OCT
26. Deep water as needed	JULY	JULY/AUG	JUNE/JULY/AUG	MAY/JUNE/JULY/ OCT/NOV/DEC
27. Fertilize with general plant food (sidedress or water on)	JULY	JULY/AUG	JUNE/JULY/AUG	MAY/JUNE/JULY/ OCT/NOV/DEC
28. Weed as needed	JULY	JULY/AUG	JUNE/JULY/AUG	MAY/JUNE/JULY/ OCT/NOV/DEC
29. Remove dead flowers, as needed	JULY	JULY/AUG	JUNE/JULY/AUG	MAY/JUNE/JULY/ OCT/NOV/DEC
30. Control pests and diseases, as needed	JULY	JULY/AUG	JUNE/JULY/AUG	MAY/JUNE/JULY/ OCT/NOV/DEC
31. Plant biennial seeds for next year*	JULY	AUG	AUG	JULY
32. Take cuttings	JULY	AUG	AUG	JULY
33. Pick flowers for drying	AUG	SEPT	SEPT	JULY
34. Harvest mature seeds	AUG	SEPT	SEPT	JULY
35. Pot plants to bring indoors for the winter	AUG	SEPT	SEPT
36. Protect beds from early frosts	AUG	SEPT	SEPT
37. Dig and store tender bulbs	SEPT	SEPT	OCT	JAN
38. Pull out dead plants; destroy or compost	SEPT	OCT	OCT
39. Make notes for next year's garden	SEPT	OCT	OCT
40. Apply mulch to depleted and bare spots for winter	SEPT	OCT	NOV
41. Take soil samples	SEPT	OCT	NOV
42. Clean and sharpen tools; store for winter	OCT	NOV	DEC	DEC
43. Adjust pH according to soil test recommendations	OCT	NOV	DEC

*Applies only to those plants that are started from seed. Does not apply to purchased bedding plants.

Annual flowers will not survive winter, but there are ways that they may still be prepared for next year's garden. Read more about how to get the most of your annuals in the next section.

Want more information on gardening? Try:

• Garden Care
• Annuals
• Gardening