To-Do List

Garden To Do List for May 2018

May 1, 2018 by Wendy Pettit

GETTING OFF TO A GREAT START

This year the weather is cooperating with Utah’s gardening plans. While the weather is good, it’s a great time to go through this garden to do list for May. Do as much as you can before the heat of summer is here.

You may not need to do everything on this list. Choose what applies to your yard and plan out when you will do it throughout the month!

PLAN and PLANTING

Plot and Plan – If you didn’t get your plot planned or your own yard to-do list in April, do it now. Sometimes there are so many things to do in the yard, if you write down a list or draw a map, your tasks will seem more manageable as you’ll more clearly see what should be done first.

Plant Trees & Shrubs – In the last 2 weeks, Western Gardens has received all the prime plant material they ordered for you. Selection is the best now before certain items sell out. May is a wonderful time to plant. Be sure to ask your Western Garden’s expert or observe store signage if the new plant needs to be hardened off for cooler temperatures.

Save Water and Money by training your lawn to grow deep roots

Article on training your lawn to grow deep roots

TURF CARE (LAWN)

Turf Training – Now is the time to really resist the temptation to flip the automatic sprinklers on your lawn. Fine for pots and flower beds, but you can train your grass roots to grow deep for a healthier lawn that uses less water. Read the article.

Turf Weed Protection – Broadleaf weed control (liquid application) for dandelions, violets, spurge, etc. We recommend Fertilome Weed Free Zone concentrate. It is a newer formula that works really well temperatures above 40 degrees. If our temperatures are going to be in the 70’s, the Fertilome product “Weed Out” will work too. Spot treat or apply to big areas of lawn where needed. ALWAYS follow manufacturer’s application instructions.

Turf Aeration – May is still a good time to aerate. Remember you do not need to aerate new lawns for a couple of years.

Turf Fertilizing – If you didn’t get to it in April, apply that first round of weed and feed fertilizer.

Turf seeding or over seeding – You are not too late if you need to over seed or seed a new lawn. You won’t want to wait much longer as our Utah summer heat isn’t good for starting new lawn. If you can’t do it this month, you’ll want to wait until fall. Here is our good article about over seeding bare patches of your lawn. Visit Western Garden professionals to learn the best way to seed a new lawn and with what drought tolerant seed. It is much cheaper than sod and will give you a better product, but you will need to tend it in the beginning.

Lawn Mowing – Time to get that lawnmower out and going, if you didn’t already! Be sure to set lawnmower height to 2½-3 inches. This allows the lawn to “shade” its soil, making for a healthier lawn.

TREE & SHRUB CARE

Deep soak ALL trees & shrubs – If you didn’t get your trees and shrubs deeply watered, do it now. Your trees will love you, and you’ll love your trees!

Fruit & Shade Trees – If you haven’t already, fertilizing your trees and shrubs is good to do this month. Tree stakes work well, or you can even use a water soluble fertilizer mixed with your hose water.

FLOWER BEDS

Soil Amendments – Perfect time to mix your soil with our gardener’s favorite “Bumper Crop.” Discover for yourself why this is one of our most popular products. You will love the results!

Perennials – May is still not too hot to divide and transplant any of those summer and fall blooming perennials. Share with your family and friends. Do not divide or transplant those that bloom in spring. They won’t like being divided or moved until they are finished blooming.

Annuals & Bedding Plants – After Mother’s Day is the safe time to plant your Petunias, Marigolds, Impatiens, Lobelia, Alyssum, and your summer bulbs such as Calla Lily, Canna Lily, Dahlia, and others.

Bulbs – As your tulips and other spring blooming bulbs finish their display, only deadhead the flower. Leave the green leaves. During the next couple of weeks, the greenery is taking nourishment down to the bulb so you will have color again next spring! Bone meal can also be applied during this time. Do not trim back the greenery/leaves until they are faded and brown. Kids in the Garden Idea: Cutting off the flower stems can be a great job for children who can safely use regular or child scissors. Pay them a penny for each stem they plop into their bucket. They’ll have fun counting their long stems as well. You don’t have to do hardly anything!

daffodils leaves bent over to finish dying

Bent over daffodil leaves waiting to be pulled up after they are faded and brown.

Hyacinth bulb leaves bent over to finish dying. Tied with a long stem.

Gardener’s Tip: After the stiff stems are cut, fold over the leaves of the plant and wrap with a rubber band or other long leaf. The leaves are still attached to the bulb in the ground, but your spring garden will look more tidy and kept. When the clumps turn brown, the clump will easily pull out from the ground, leaving the bulb to sleep until next spring.

Containers/Planters – Sift out old roots from the year before. Amend your soil with Bumper Crop (one of our client’s and our favorite products).

VEGETABLE GARDEN

Planting Outside Schedule – You can begin planting your vegetables. At our garden centers, we put out a sign for those tender plants that need protection from the cold. You can always ask one of our experts too.

Here is a schedule of a few favorites:

Until May 15th: onions & peas

After last frost until June 1st: dry beans, snap beans, eggplant, peppers

After last frost until June 10th: watermelon & winter squash

Until July 1st: cauliflower, parsley, swiss chard

Until July 15th: beets & broccoli

After last frost until July 20th: cucumbers and summer squash

Until Sept 1st: radishes

and so much more…. Come in and see us!

Seedlings – When your seeds have sprouted and are up a few inches, thin them to allow vegetables to develop into larger produce. You are giving the strongest starts the room to grow. This is most important for those root veggies like carrots and radishes. However, even zucchini, pumpkins, cucumbers, etc. need to be thinned out so that the healthiest plant can have room to spread out as it grows.

Article for Kid Friendly DIY Garden Grow Box

Raised Beds / Grow Boxes – Pull out any dead debris you missed in the fall. Amend your soil with some good “Bumper Crop” if you didn’t get to it in April. Your bed is ready for planting.

Vertical Gardening – Be adventurous and try some “vertical” gardening.

Garden Tools – Add one new quality tool to your arsenal of garden tools. Our gardeners can give you some worthwhile advice.

PEST CONTROL

Snails and Slugs – Continue the war against your snails and slugs. They can devour several newly planted marigolds in one night. Read this article of some ways to control snails and slugs. If you are persistent this month, you will have less plant damage during the season.

Grasshoppers – Best controlled when they first hatch. May is the time to watch for them! Once they are bigger, it’s almost impossible to rid them from your crops, except with a shoe smashing when you can catch them. On the first sighting of these little ones, we recommend sprinkling Nolo Bait (a biological Insecticide) strictly as directed on the package. It takes time to take affect on the grasshopper, so apply it early on the first sight of those seemingly cute little beasts. A little of Nolo Bait goes a long way.

Insecticides – Closely follow directions on labels when using insecticides as not to harm bees.

WEED CONTROL

Remove or spray for weeds – especially Bind Weed (aka Morning Glory) and Puncture Weed (Goat’s Head) – Be on the lookout for when they are just beginning to grow. These two are the most difficult to rid from your garden and yard. Be vigilante and use “KillzAll” on their leaves to kill their roots. It may take several applications if you let them begin to spread. Do NOT use KillzAll on your lawn. It kills any greenery it touches. Use “Weed Free Zone” for the lawn broadleaf weeds.

Gardener’s Tip: Mix up a regular squirt bottle of KillzAll. When you go on “weed patrol”, you’ll have it with you so you won’t be tempted to “pull” the weed, because it will just grow back. Plus you won’t have to remember later where you saw it. Carefully follow the instructions for mixing, divide the amount of product to water for the size of squirt bottle you have. DO NOT MIX ANY OTHER PRODUCT in that squirt bottle and clearly label it for safety. You can do the same squirt bottle method for Kill Free zone for the lawn. Label bottle clearly and do not mix anything else in the bottle, even the KillzAll. Keep the products separate in their own squirt bottles, or even larger pump sprayers.

HOLIDAY GIFT GIVING

Mother’s Day – Mother’s day is just about here. Western Gardens has beautiful planters already for you to surprise her with. Or maybe getting her own hand pruners would make her day. Put her name on them! We have expert experienced gardeners to help you know what tools are worth your time and money.

Father’s Day – Keep dad in mind of what he would enjoy in the garden.

shop local independent garden center in Utah

Buy from your local independent experts! They ARE gardeners!

SUPPORT REPUTABLE INDEPENDENT GARDEN SHOPS – Why? Because they give you the best service and knowledge. Plus they take care of their product, rather than letting them die in the cold. Sometimes plants perk up after a cold or even snowy night, but they are very stressed and less likely to give you success. Your local independent shops own the product and take care of them so you can have the best chance at success. Also, your dollars spent will stay within the local economy, rather than off to a distant corporate office.

MAY’s MOST IMPORTANT TASK – Work hard on this garden to do list for May, but along the way, enjoy the satisfaction of beautifying your little spot on earth.

Garden To Do List for April 2018

March 30, 2018 by Wendy Pettit

Early Color & Turf Care – “Plan” is Part of Planting

If you’re excited to work in your yard or garden, but not sure where to start now that Spring is here, then you’ve come to the right place! We’ve put together a garden to do list for April 2018 of things to do throughout the month. Don’t feel overwhelmed, there is always a bit more in the beginning of the season.

You must do everything on this list! April Fools! – In reality, you may not need to do everything on this list. For example, if you don’t have shade trees to fertilize or transplants to harden off, skip those items on the list. Just pick what applies to your yard and plan out when you will do it all throughout the month!

Photo by Felipe Santana on Unsplash

PLAN and PLANTING

Plot and Plan – If you don’t have one already, get a spiral notebook or anything you want and create a Garden Journal. (Or at least take out a piece of scratch paper.) Sit down and plot out or list the tasks you need to do specifically in your yard. ie. Where you are going to transplant certain plants? What new material you want to add to your yard this season?

Plant Trees and Shrubs – You can plant trees and shrubs anytime your ground is not frozen. Be sure to follow your garden expert’s procedures for a successful planting of your material. It truly can make a big difference in your success.

Photo by Pixabay

TURF CARE

Turf Training – Now is the time to train your lawn’s roots. Do not water your lawn! Mother Nature is taking care of that for us this month and into May. We highly recommend reading our ARTICLE for details on how to properly train your lawn. Depending on your soil type and seed type, it is possible to eventually water your lawn once every two weeks or less. If you live in Utah, this post is a must — Learn how – Train Your Lawn article.

Turf Weed Protection – If you haven’t already, apply pre-emergent or weed blocker. The blooming Forsythia bush is your guide for timing. Spurge & Crabgrass get started now, so you be vigilant at eradicating it early.

Turf Aeration – now is a perfect time to aerate your lawn. Watch out for the sprinkler heads! Also, Snow Mold can be an issue if you’ve had a lot of snow piled in certain areas of your lawn when the warm days hit. Read this article on how to prevent or deal with snow mold.

Turf Fertilizing – Apply the proper spring fertilizer. Follow the directions explicitly. Good time to apply is just before a rain storm so Mother Nature waters it in for you!

Turf seeding or overseeding – Our April weather is ideal to seed a new lawn or fill in patches. Come ask us about our new product of drought tolerant lawn seed and steps on how to properly do it yourself for success! Here is a good post of step by step instructions to reseed bare patches.

Lay Sod, if you can find it. It is safe to lay now.

TREE & SHRUB CARE

Deep soak ALL trees & shrubs – Deeply water if rainfall has been inadequate. You may have to turn your water off again if our temperatures drop below freezing, so watch the weather. Your trees will like a very good drink. Remember we do live in a mountain desert!

Fruit Trees – If you haven’t already done so AND your tree hasn’t begun to bloom or bud, you can still apply the dormant oil spray. Some trees have already passed the time, i.e. apricots

Shade Trees – Now is fertilizer time. Use the correct tree and shrub fertilizer for the type of plant material; ask our experts.

Plant your trees and shrubs – You can plant anytime the ground is not frozen. Plants LOVE to get their roots settled in the spring. Also, your best selection of trees and shrubs are when the first shipments arrive at the garden center. If there is a particular tree or shrub you are looking for, visit your garden experts at Western Gardens and ask if they will be getting some in or if they can find it from their growers.

Photo by Kiki Siepel on Unsplash

A gardener’s favorite! Bumper Crop! Photo by WensLens

FLOWER BEDS

Soil Amendments – Now is the time to prepare your soil. A good practice by most expert gardeners is to mix in or just over-dress your beds with our favorite product “Bumper Crop”. Your plants will love you and you will love your harvest!

Perennials – Time to divide and transplant any of those summer and fall blooming perennials. It’s fun to share with others. Do not divide or transplant those that bloom in spring. They won’t like it until they are finished blooming.

Annual color – If your ground is not still frozen, plant those pansies or other spring cool tolerant annuals.

Bulbs – Spring bulbs that are blooming are absolutely gorgeous. Remember to only deadhead the flower when done blooming. Leave the greenery. During this time, the greenery is taking nourishment down to the bulb so you will have color again next spring! Bone meal can also be applied during this time. Do not trim back the greenery/leafs until they are brown. Gardener’s Tip: Fold over the leaves of the plant and wrap with a rubber band. The leaves are still attached, but your spring garden will look more tidy and kept. They the clumps turn brown, the clump will easily pull out from the ground, leaving the bulb to sleep until next spring.

Containers/Planters – Sift out any dead roots from last fall. Loosen soil. Remove about one-third of your old soil and mix in our favorite product “Bumper Crop” to amend your soil. Your plants will love you and you will love your masterpiece in a bit!

Photo by Marjorie Carter

VEGETABLE GARDEN

Planting Outside Schedule – Be sure to follow a planting schedule of when it is safe to plant outdoors in Utah, or know your area. At our garden centers, we display a sign for our customers about those tender plants that need protection from the cold. You can always ask one of our experts too.

Seedlings – If you already started seeds indoors during February or March, now is the time to thin out your seedlings. Choose the healthiest and leave it to continue growing.

Hardening Off – Harden off transplants and seedlings while we are transitioning out of winter. Move seedlings to a cool place like a garage for two or three days before planting them outside, next month for most plants!

Second Planting of Cold Crops – Examples are lettuce & radish. Plant first crop if you didn’t in March.

Raised Beds / Grow Boxes – Time to prepare these for planting. Kid-friendly grow box building project. Mix in our favorite product “Bumper Crop” to amend your soil. Your plants will love you and you will love your harvest!

PEST CONTROL

Snails and Slugs – NOW is the best time to rid your yard of snails and slugs. They are just coming out of dormancy, looking for food, and laying their eggs for hundreds little baby snails. If you are persistent this month, you will have less plant damage during the season. See our experts for some very good products and for some organic alternatives. Here is an article of 3 ways to rid your yard of snails. Just remember, consistency is your best friend and the snails worst enemy!

Puncture Weed – Photo by WensLens

WEED CONTROL

Remove or spray for weeds when they first appear; don’t let them set seeds. This will cut down on future weeding work! Past article on tips for weed control.

Bind Weed and Puncture Weed – Be on the look out for Field Bind Weed and Puncture Weed. These can make your yard and your life miserable if you let them take over. They are tough to eradicate, but again begin early and be consistent.

SONY DSC

SUPPORT REPUTABLE INDEPENDENT GARDEN SHOPS

Why? Because you don’t want to purchase plants that have already been stressed before you ever buy them. Next time it snows this spring, go by a big box store and see how many poor little plants are buried in snow and will definitely die, or if they bounce back, they are very stressed by the time you get them. Independents take care of their product because they own it until you purchase it. Big box stores don’t own the product, therefore, not as much TLC is given those plants. Read Article about spring experience 2017

WINTER TOOLS

Sno-blower – Time to drain the old gas and put away until next season.

Snow Shovel – Keep a shovel around for those little spring snows we Utahans enjoy!

HOLIDAYS APPROACHING

Mother’s Day is just a few weeks away next month. Ask your local expert about a good tool that will help your loved one in the garden. We have expert gardeners to help you know what tools are worth your time and money.

Father’s Day will be in a couple of months. Keep your eye out for something Dad would enjoy in the garden.

GARDEN TOOLS

Assess Your Garden Tools – Time to pull them out of the shed if you haven’t already and dust them off.

Add one new tool to your garden work this year. Eventually you will have just what you need and want.

Visual Satisfaction Idea – Purchase a new fresh pair of garden gloves. If you have had a problem in the past with family members taking your gloves, mark them with a sharpie. Faithfully use these gloves throughout the season. By the end of harvest next fall, you’ll have a pair of well used gloves to serve as a visual reminder of the time you spent to get such a wonderful garden.

ENJOY NATURE

Be sure to enjoy the more frequent days we can wear just a t-shirt and work in the yard.

Help a friend – Share this garden to do list for April 2018 with a neighbor!

Gardening To-Do List for November 2017

November 1, 2017 by Wendy Pettit

Welcome gardening friends, thanks for stopping by!

If you’re excited to work in your yard or garden, but not sure what to do in the chilly November weather, then you’ve come to the right place! We’ve put together this Gardening to-do list for November.

You may not need to do everything on this list. For example, if you don’t have upright bushes to tie or snow tools to inspect, skip over those items on the list. Just pick what applies to your yard and plan out when you will do it all throughout the month!

Photo by Russ Hendricks

November Gardening To-Do List

➺Tie Upright Bushes like junipers and arborvitae with burlap strips to keep the
snow load from spreading their branches during winter. You can use twine if loosely tied around the branches

➺Cut Back And Mulch perennials as they go dormant. Time to finish putting those late fall bloomers to bed. Later in the month, ROSE BUSHES may like being mulched for winter. It is like a winter blanket for the rose roots. Mound DRY leaves around the base of the rose. Make it about 8 inches deep. The leaves act as a blanket for the roots of the rose. By spring, the leaves will be mostly broken down.

➺DEEP SOAK trees, shrubs & flower beds. Moisture will actually help them when the soil is frozen this winter.

➺Fertilize lawn if necessary, according to your schedule

➺Store Away Tools that are still out. You won’t want to find them in the spring all rusted from being covered with snow!

➺Cover Beds With A Frost Blanket or Dried Leaves for an added layer of protection for your perennials. (optional – depending on what you have planted and need extra protection.) This is not real common here along the Wasatch Front. Usually we just don’t plant material that is not cold hardy for our winters.

➺Large Pots/Containers Left Outside can be covered with a large black plastic bag. This prevents those thaw and freeze periods to potentially crack your pot. Be sure to remove all plant material; you can leave in the dirt. A rock on top is helpful to not blow away the bag in wind storms. In the spring, pull off the bag, freshen up the soil and plant again!

➺Snow Shovel and/or snow blower should be checked and in good repair…..before you need them. Don’t get caught in that first snow storm that some years come earlier than we anticipate!

➺Check Ice & Snow Removal Products and replenish if necessary, before it snows. We offer a good ice melt that is friendly to nature and protects concrete. Not harmful to lawns shrubs and trees. No dangerous chemicals.

Be sure to check back for December’s to-do list!

October Garden List 2017

October 3, 2017 by Wendy Pettit

Welcome gardening friends, thanks for stopping by!

Excited to work in your yard or garden, but not sure what should be done in the cooler fall weather? Here is our October garden list of tasks to do that will help you be successful in your Utah garden. You may not need to do everything on this list. For example, if you don’t have summer blooming bulbs to dig up or stone fruit trees to spray, skip over those items on the list. Simply pick those that apply to your yard and get started; winter is around the corner!

October Garden List 2017

OR

➺Planting –

Planting in the fall is an excellent time. It gives your plants a great start in the spring on their own timetable.

Trees & shrubs – come see Western Gardens for quality plant material during their seasonal fall sale.
Pansies add fall and spring color. Sometimes you will even have color throughout winter, depending on the weather.
Spring Blooming Bulbs – Purchase quality bulbs from your local nursery. Remember a gardener’s rule of “The bigger the bulb, the bigger the bloom!” Plant them to the proper depth with a complete fertilizer.
Inside bulbs – purchase and plant bulbs like Paper Whites for color inside the home.
Perennials – plant healthy new perennials found at Western Garden Centers!

The october garden list includes dividing and transplanting perennials, trees and shrubs.

Photo credit: Tante Tati at Pixabay

➺What To Dig Up –

Dig Tender Bulbs (Summer Blooming Bulbs) – After the first hard frost, carefully dig up cannas, dahlias, gladiolus, etc. They will not survive Utah’s winter temperatures. Store them in a cool dry place. You’ll be able to plant them again in the spring!
Perennials – Fall is excellent time to divide and transplant perennials after they have finished blooming. Good time to build friendships by sharing with neighbors too!
Unfavorable Plants – Dig up and discard any plants you discovered you just don’t like. Clean up the yard so you can start anew next spring!

In october you can also cut your lawn shorter, and even reseed spots of grass.

Photo Credit: WensLens

➺Lawn Care –

Mow lawn to 1 1/2 inch height. This won’t “scalp” the roots, but will help prevent diseases caused by snow build up over the winter.
Aerate lawn – only well established lawns. You don’t need to aerate the first couple of years with a new lawn.
Fertilize lawn according to the expert schedule. Western Gardens again can help you be successful.
Spray lawn for weeds until daytime high temperatures drop below 55 degrees. Most plants really slow down their growth in the fall, but weeds seem to just continue to thrive! Weed-Free-Zone is a great product you can find at your independent garden center like Western Gardens.
New Seeded Lawn – The first week of October can still be a good time to spread new lawn seed. You should have enough time to keep the seeds moist in the cooler temperatures. The seedlings will pop before the winter sets in. See our experts to help you know how to have success. You can do it!

The winterize your garden in October list includes cleaning up the leaves and debris from flower and vegetable beds.

Photo credit: Jazzment at Pixabay

➺Clean up –

Dead plant material and debris – Remove from vegetable and flower beds after the first killing frost.
Weeding – Make another effort to control Field Bindweed (aka Wild Morning Glory). Clean out all you can now, so it will be easier to see new starts in the spring.
Blow out flower beds or rake up leaves. Leaves make a great compost. Pile them in a corner of your yard and in time, you will have the best soil. However, destroy Walnut tree leaves and Aspen leaves. They are toxic or often diseased.
Clean out rain gutters. The rain is coming!

Photo credit: Hans at Pixabay

➺Winterizing –

Garden Tools – Inventory and inspect for damage. Oil shovels, pruners, etc and make any necessary repairs or replacement. Consider the gift giving season that is approaching. Quality tools make wonderful useful gifts.
Sprinkler System – Drain and winterize sprinkler system.
Garden Hoses – Wind up garden hoses and store in an easily accessible place for spring.
Lawn Mower – drain or add fuel stabilizer. Change oil and store for the winter. TIP: Use the remaining gas in your mower to run the mower over the leaves you have raked up. This mulches the leaves smaller so they can be composted quicker! When the mower is out of gas, you are done!
Patio Furniture – cover or bring into storage to protect from Utah’s harsh winter winds and snow.

Our October garden list tasks to do include trimming evergreens and other trees and shrubs.

Photo credit: Estella Guerrera at Pixabay

➺Trees & Shrub Care –

Stone Fruit Trees – If you had problems during this past season, spray for Coryneum blight after leaves fall.
Do NOT prune fruit trees until January or February. You may prune out dead or broken limbs.
Evergreens – Trim to shape. Wrap those bushes that could break from winter snow.

Take time in October to evaluate your yard and note changes for spring.

Photo credit: K.Riemer at Pixabay

➺Assess Your Yard

Take a moment to sit, survey, and jot down changes to make next year. Some items you can do now, i.e. transplanting. Maybe you want to plant a specific maple in a specific location, or try a new perennial in the spring. Quality plants can be found in your local independent nursery during fall sales, however, they are limited to their stock on hand. Drop by Western Garden Centers and tell them what you are looking for. If they are sold out, the nursery stock manager/orderer possibly can look for and bring into the store your specific tree or shrub for the spring.

Doing these tasks on our October garden list will help make November all the more enjoyable. And come spring, you will have a good head start on getting your gardens ready for spring.

Garden To-Do List for September

August 31, 2017 by Wendy Pettit

Welcome friend, thanks for stopping by!

Aw! It’s September and you may be feeling excited to work in your yard or garden. We’ve put together a garden to-do list for this cooler month along the Wasatch Front in Utah.

You may not need to do everything on this list. For example, if you don’t have roses, then you won’t need to worry about letting the hips form. Just pick what applies to your yard and plan out when you will do it all throughout the month!

Garden To-Do List for September

➺Spend Labor Day Enjoying your garden. You’ve put in a lot of effort and now enjoy!

➺Plant Trees & Shrubs – Fall is a great time to plant container nursery stock. Plus take advantage of fall sales.

➺Watch Reports For Frost Warnings and cover tender crops if necessary.

➺Work Mulch & Organic Matter into your garden and flower beds. Grass clippings or shredded leaves by the lawn mower work well.

➺Stop Dead-Heading roses and let hips form.

➺Purchase and Plant Spring Bulbs from your local nursery. Ex: Tulips, daffodils, crocus, etc. Remember quality makes a huge difference. Bigger bulb means bigger bloom. Be sure to plant at proper depth with a complete fertilizer.

➺Plant Pansies & Primrose along with your spring bulbs for earlier spring color!

➺Launch a Final Battle Against Snails and Slugs – Fall is the best time to take care of them before they lay eggs and they go into hibernation for the winter. {check out THIS article for 3 simple ways to control snails!}

➺Last Treatment for peach twig borer

➺Treat Lawn Weeds with weed spray.

➺Lay Seed for a new lawn, or lay sod.

➺Divide & Transplant Spring and Summer Blooming Perennials – if necessary. May divide fall blooming perennials once they are done blooming.

➺Visit State Fair for some true inspiration from fellow citizens and gardeners.

➺Start Feeding Wild Birds, if you stopped in the spring.

➺Don’t let Fallen Leaves Accumulate on your Lawn – Rake them up, pile them elsewhere and use them as mulch in your next year’s garden. Leaves left on the lawn can invite disease if not kill your grass.

Be sure to check out October’s Gardening To-Do List too!

2017 August Gardening To-Do List

August 1, 2017 by Western Gardens

Welcome gardening friends, thanks for stopping by!

AUGUST GARDENING THOUGHT….

It is hot in August and with family vacations, it is more challenging to get out in the yard. However, here are some August gardening to-do tasks that garnish some attention during this sunny and sweltering month! Choose those items that apply to your yard and skip over those that don’t. Enjoy your months of past labor and stay cool!

2017 August Gardening To-Do List

➺PEST CONTROL: Keep after those spider mites, use water hose to power-squirt them off or use insecticide; Control worms in apples, last spray; Pick hornworms off tomato plants; Watch for and treat Peach Tree Twig Borer affects apricots, cherries, nectarines, and peaches; Grasshoppers are bigger and hungrier, use Nolo bait; Yellow jackets now want meat and have established nests, may need control. Come in for organic products.

➺PLANT: Starting mid-August plant your cool fall garden veggies like kale, spinach, lettuce, broccoli, cauliflower, etc. Until September 1, plant radishes!

➺DEEP WATER: Shrubs & trees

➺HARVEST: Know when to harvest vegetables at the peak of quality; Pick cucumbers regularly for better flavor and stronger production; Harvest herbs before they flower and early in the morning; Begin placing excess zucchini on neighbor’s front porch!

➺MAINTENANCE: Check sprinklers for even coverage and damaged heads. Keep up on weeding; don’t let weeds set seeds.

➺EATING YOUR GARDEN: Discover new recipes for zucchini

➺FERTILIZE: Roses, last time for the year; lawn, see below.

➺FRUIT TREES: After harvest, cut back on watering.

➺TURF/LAWN: Fertilize lawn with “Basic Training” (see our store for product). Continue to water according to the stress test. (Turn off sprinklers after good rain storms.) Expect winds to disturb sprinkler coverage.

➺GARDEN DIARY/NOTES: It’s hot out there! Now is a good time to sit and relax in the shade to evaluate your gardens. While it’s fresh in your mind, write notes of which plants you want to move around in the fall. What plants do you wish to add to your landscape in the fall or spring? Which plants need to be moved to a better location for more success next year? Make the list NOW rather than wait until winter passes and you possibly forget the details of your yard plans.

➺SHOWTIME: Exhibit your garden successes at county and state fairs. Invite family, neighbors, and friends over for some fresh strawberry lemonade in the evening whens it cools off!

➺ENJOY your yard; you’ve worked hard!

Be sure to check out September’s list!

June Gardening To-Do List

June 8, 2017 by Western Gardens

Welcome gardening friends! So glad you stopped by!

Do you love to work in your yard, but aren’t sure of all the things you should be doing? Then you’re in luck! We’ve put together a list of things to do in June!

You may not need to do everything on this list. For example, if you don’t have a cherry tree, you won’t need to worry about treating for Cherry Fruit Flies. Just pick what applies to your yard and plan out when you will do it all throughout the month!

June Gardening To-Do List

➺Plant shrubs, trees and evergreens

➺Fertilize vegetables every 4 weeks with a slow-release fertilizer, and
fertilize roses

➺Watch For Insects show a sample in a clear plastic bag to a garden expert if you suspect a problem

➺Fertilize Lawns and apply iron sulfate if needed (to green up your grass)

➺Watch For Insects like grasshoppers, potato bettle, squash bug & spider mites. If you suspect a problem, take a sample in a clear plastic bag to a garden expert.

➺Thin Out fruit trees for a better yield

➺Control Powdery Mildew on apples, apricots, cherries, peaches, nectarines,
grapes, peas, roses & euonymous

➺Treat For Cherry Fruit Fly when cherries begin to turn pink, unless already
using fruit tree spray

➺Control Peach Twig Borer once a month with spinosad

➺Watch For Slugs & Snails control with bait or other techniques

➺Adjust Sprinklers if needed, for increasing heat

➺Move And Replant Bulbs if the foliage has died down

➺Watch For Lawn Insects and treat as necessary

➺Prune & Fertilize flowering shrubs

➺Watch For Signs Of Lawn Disease take a sample to a garden expert if you
suspect a problem

➺Control tobacco budworm on geraniums & petunias

➺Control Weeds before they set & disperse seed

➺Plant Outside
Until June 15th: carrots & endive
Until July 1st: cauliflower, parsley, swiss chard, rutabaga
Until July 15th: beets & broccoli
Until Sept 1st: radishes

*This is not an exhaustive list. If we’ve overlooked something important, feel free to leave a comment and we will add it to the list!

If you’re local to the Salt Lake area, come in to any of our locations with questions or samples!

May Gardening To-Do List

May 2, 2017 by Western Gardens

Hello Gardening Friends, thanks for stopping by!

If you’re excited to work in your yard or garden, but not sure where to begin, then you’ve come to the right place! We’ve put together a list of things to do throughout the month.

You may not need to do everything on this list. For example, if you don’t have bare patches to reseed or Spring bulb foliage to cut back, skip over those items on the list. Just pick what applies to your home and yard and plan out when you will do it all throughout the month!

May Gardening To-Do List

➺Train your Lawn – Turn Sprinklers On only when needed – Let the lawn tell you when it needs watering. Click here for more details.

➺Lawn Watering – Use a “moisture meter” probe to determine adequate moisture.

➺Water Conservation – Conserve water by watering before 10:00 am or after 6:00 pm.

➺Lawn Aeration – Its not too late if you haven’t already.

➺Set Lawnmower Height to 2½-3 inches. This allows the lawn to “shade” its soil making for a healthier lawn.

➺Lawn Broadleaf Weed Control (Liquid application) – for Dandelions, violets, etc. Weed-A-Lawn is a great product. Spot treat or apply to big areas of lawn where needed. Follow manufacturer’s instructions.

➺Lawn Crabgrass and Spurge – Second application of pre-emergent granular (6 weeks after the first application).

➺Fertilize Lawn with a weed-killing post-emergent granular fertilizer —do NOT water in—apply it to a moist lawn and let it sit for a day

➺Seed Bare Patches in Your Lawn unless you’ve already used a pre-emergent, in which case, wait until September to seed bare patches. Click here for more.

➺Weed, Thin Out & Mulch newly planted seedlings

➺Plant Your Favorite Annuals for beautiful color—most can be safely planted after frost danger has passed (some are hardy enough to be planted earlier, check with your local nursery)

➺Spring Bulbs – Remove Spent Flower Heads (aka dead-heading) and AFTER foliage fades and turns brown, cut back leaves.

➺Summer Blooming Bulbs – Plant dahlias, day lilies, and gladiolus. Click here for instructions.

➺Plant Trees, Shrubs, and Perennials – Early spring or late fall are great times to do this. Click here for tips.

➺Divide and/or Transplant Perennials – Summer bloomers: early in the month. Spring bloomers: after blooming is done.

➺Flowering Shrubs – Prune after they finish blooming.

➺Pest Control – Boxelder bugs are a nuisance. Grasshoppers are best controlled when they first hatch. Watch for Leaf roller on boxelder trees. Try to stay ahead of those slimy slugs and snails. Closely follow directions on labels when using insecticides as not to harm bees.

➺Plant Outside
Kohlrabi, parsley, parsnips, potatoes,
Until May 15th: onions & peas
After last frost until June 1st: dry beans, snap beans, eggplant, peppers
After last frost until June 10th: watermelon & winter squash
Until July 1st: cauliflower, parsley, swiss chard
Until July 15th: beets & broccoli
After last frost until July 20th: cucumbers and summer squash
Until Sept 1st: radishes

and so much more….

If you liked learning these tips from the experts, here is another good tip – come in and visit us!

Be sure to check out our June Gardening To-Do List too!

*This is not an exhaustive list. If we’ve overlooked something, feel free to let us know in a comment below!

utah gardening to-do list in April

April 2, 2017 by Wendy Pettit

Feeling overwhelmed with so much to do in your yard? Wondering where to start? lawn? vegetable garden? flower beds? Check out our helpful Utah Gardening To-Do List in April for the Wasatch Front in Utah. If you live in a similar growing season, this list can work for you too.

Realize that you may not need to do everything on this list; skip over those that do not apply to your yard.

Take the entire month to do the list. None of us can do it all in one day off. Enjoy the process of being out in your yard and digging in the soil. In other words, stop to smell the roses or other blooms this month.

If you need some inspiration, stop by your local independent garden center like Western Gardens in West Valley or Salt Lake City. We would love to show you our #1 quality material, expert knowledge, and friendly personal service to inspire and help you be a satisfied and successful gardener. Your success is our success.

Press HERE for the April Gardening To Do List.

Here are a few blooms at Western this last week.

Drop in and see more!

December Gardening To-Do List

November 5, 2016 by Western Gardens

Welcome gardening friends, thanks for stopping by!

If you’re excited to work in your yard or garden, but not sure what to do in the cold December weather, then you’ve come to the right place! We’ve put together a list of things to do throughout the month.

You may not need to do everything on this list. For example, if you don’t have Christmas lights to hang or snow to remove, skip over those items on the list. Just pick what applies to your home and yard and plan out when you will do it all throughout the month!

December Gardening To-Do List

➺Check Ice & Snow Removal Products and replenish if necessary, before it snows

➺Make Sure your snow shovels and/or snow blower are in good repair, before you need them

➺Hang Christmas Lights Outside if you decorate with them, be sure to connect only 3 strands together—more than 3 can overload the circuit

➺Decorate Indoors with beautiful poinsettia plants

➺Buy An Amaryllis Bulb as a gift for your favorite gardener

➺Buy A Fresh-Cut Tree early in the season for the best selection

➺Impress Your Friends when you tell them your well-watered fresh-cut Christmas tree is less flammable than an artificial tree

➺Watch Trees during/after big snow storms, they may need snow knocked from their branches to avoid breakage

Don’t miss the list for January!