Master Landscape, Inc. - Landscape Care Calender

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JANUARY

•Be aware of the snowfall amounts. If the month is dry then watering will be necessary 2-3 times on the nice days of the month. Watering should only be done when temperatures are in the 40-50’s.

FEBRUARY

•The same as January.

MARCH

PERENNIALS

•Usually by the middle of March we can start uncovering our perennials.

•Sedum- (Kamschaticum, Vera Jameson, Matrona, Neon) can all have their dead flower heads and stems from the previous year removed now. You will see the new growth starting to appear and that is a good sign that the time is right. Many of the dead branches will swipe away with a rake. It is also a good time to trim the tops of that new growth on the Matrona and Neon with a quick shear or clip to cause more branching to occur. It doesn’t need to be done neatly. The plant will quickly recover from it by doubling in size. This trimming will help alleviate the flopping over from the weight of the flower heads later in the season.

•Hosta- will appreciate their old leaves and flower stalks removed at this time also. You will see the “pips” of the hosta start to show through now. It is important to leave a little mulch up close to the pips for frost protection at this time; they will poke through it when the temperatures warm up.

•Asters, Rudbeckias, Coreopsis, East Friesland Salvia, Blue Wonder Catmint, Paprika Yarrow, White Bomb Leucanthemum can all have their old growth removed at this time. They all come back up from the ground with new growth every spring so there is no reason to keep any of the dried leaves and stems from the previous year.

SHRUB CARE

•Powis Castle, Blue Mist Spirea are both considered “Sub shrubs”. They are almost always hardy to the roots, but depending on the winter low temperatures the tops will die back to various extremes. As a general rule we want to cut back to at least the point at which the stems are green. (Get rid of all dead wood) After most winters you will want to wait until they appear to be putting out new growth and then prune about 2/3 of the dead tops off. This will create further branching during the growing season.

•Potentilla, Spirea (Fritschianna and Goldmound) can all be pruned fairly heavily in March. One can gather the branches in one hand and cut with the other leaving approximately 10-12” at the base. As the plant grows every year the amount that you leave at the base becomes more. These are all early bloomers.

•Crimson Pygmy Barberry can be pruned at this time of year. Usually pruning not more than 1/3 of their size is a good rule of thumb. Barberries also don’t like to get too dry. If they lose their leaves from being too dry they usually don’t recover.

•Pee Gee Hydrangea can be pruned this time of year, as it is a late summer bloomer so blooms will be formed during this growing season. You will only want to prune this once.

•Boxwood, Burning Bush, Coral Beauty Cotoneaster Densi Yew can be shaped this time of year. Because they don’t have obvious blooms the pruning time is not as critical. Prune early to encourage new growth.

•All grasses can be cut back to 4-6”. Because the Karl Forester is a cool-season grass you will want to try to cut it back prior to it putting on lots of new growth. Pennisetum and stipa grass can be cut back to 4-6” also.

•Pre-emergent weed control can be applied to the beds at the end of March. It is also a good time to apply a thin layer of fresh mulch if necessary.

APRIL

•Prune Weigela, Viburnum after they have bloomed. Pruning can be fairly aggressive, 2’ or more off of the tops if necessary to encourage basal branching.

•Sedums Neon and Matrona can be pinched again anytime between now and July 4th for encouraging branching and more blooms.

•Junipers can be pruned at this time, usually 4-6” removed.

MAY

•Spireas can be trimmed again after they are done blooming. Don’t cut back as hard this time, pruning 4-5” at this point.

•Blue Globe spruce can be pruned slightly at this time. Prune 3-4” at the most to encourage new growth and keep the plant bushy.

JUNE

•Watering is most critical as you move into the summer months. Usually 2X per week

JULY

•Watering is critical. Can need 3X per week at hottest points of summer. Very little pruning necessary on anything as not much growth is occurring.

AUGUST

•Again, watering is important. Remulch if necessary.

SEPTEMBER

•Boxwood, Burning bush can be pruned again at this time to encourage new growth.

•September is also a good time to remulch for the winter. It is not a good idea to prune most things past September as encouraging new growth when going into winter is never a good idea.

OCTOBER

•Be aware of soil moisture as you move into winter. Supplement with irrigating as needed.

•Leaving growth on your perennials, sedums and grasses for the winter helps to hold a few leaves and mulch around their bases through the winds of winter, helpful for good survivial.

NOVEMBER- DECEMBER