Acknowledgements We hope this publication will become a valuable tool and assist you in scheduling your gardening activities. Its purpose is not to tell you HOW, but to tell you WHEN. Dates are applicable to the Augusta area and will not apply to all areas in Georgia and South Carolina. We would like to thank Columbia County s Trip Williams, area horticulturists, and Master Gardeners for their suggestions and contributions to this local calendar. Brand names used are for educational use only and no endorsement is intended or implied by the Cooperative Extension office. We urge you to call your local Cooperative Extension office with any and all gardening questions. Happy Gardening! G A R D E N I N G C A L E N D A R Local Area Extension Offices Augusta-Richmond County 706-821-2350 Burke County 706-554-2119 Columbia County 706-541-4011 McDuffie County 706-595-1815 Aiken County 803-649-6911 Edgefield County 803-637-3161 Visit the Richmond County website for upcoming News & Events http://www.caes.uga.edu/extension/richmond/ Visit the UGA website for a complete list of available publications: http://www.caes.uga.edu/publications/ Mail or e-mail comments to: 602 Greene St., Augusta, GA 30901-1428 uge3245@uga.edu Written by: Campbell Vaughn, ANR Agent Augusta-Richmond County Revised 11/01/2016
Notes Notes Listen to The Lawn & Garden Show every Saturday morning At 7:00 a.m. on WGAC 580 AM or 95.1 FM (706) 863-5800 Listen to The Lawn & Garden Show every Saturday morning At 7:00 a.m. on WGAC 580 AM or 95.1 FM (706) 863-5800
December Plant shrubbery and trees Renew mulch around shrubbery Continue to spray for winter weeds with post emergent herbicides. In Bermuda and Zoysia lawns use products such as All-in-one Lawn Weed Killer or Weed-B-Gon Max. For Centipede and St. Augustine lawns use products such as Hi-Yield Atrazine or Image January Plant trees and shrubbery Mulch shrubbery Service power equipment such as weedeater, edgers, lawn mowers and pruning equipment Service and test spray equipment Spray winter weeds with post emergent herbicides. Spray wild onions with post emergent herbicide in all lawns with Image Consumer Concentrate. Continue winter clean up in flower beds by removing debris from beds to help prevent disease Continue to plant spring flowering bulbs Mulch tender perennials to protect from frost Prepare rose beds and plant later in the month Lime rose beds as soil test recommends Fertilize pansies with liquid fertilizer such as Green Light super bloom plant food or Miracle Grow super bloom plant food Plant asparagus in late December Make next year s garden plan Continue to harvest fall vegetables Remove debris from garden after crops die down to prevent disease and till garden soil Apply organic matter to garden soils Make garden plan and prepare soil Prepare flats and seed spring vegetables for transplanting in February and March Plant onions, continue to plant asparagus Service power equipment such as tillers Plant fruit trees when available at nurseries. Consult the UGA Cooperative Extension publication page for varieties, pollinators and care of fruit and nut plants at http://extension.uga.edu/ publications/ use the search word Home Garden Prune pears, apples, muscadines, and blackberries Do Not prune peaches or plums Mulch strawberries Plant fruit trees. Consult the UGA Cooperative Extension publication page for varieties, pollinators and care of fruit and nut plants at http:// extension.uga.edu/publications/ use the search word Home Garden
February Plant shrubbery and small trees Cut back overgrown shrubbery & trees Mulch shrubbery Cut back liriope to highest mower blade setting Check camellias for scale and spray dormant oil if insects are present Apply pre-emergence herbicides to prevent summer weeds during last half of month. Do not use weed and feed products. Spray winter weeds with post emergent herbicides * Spray wild onions with post emergent herbicide in all lawns Prune hybrid tea roses and spray to prevent disease Plant new rose bushes Plant hardy annuals such as baby s breath, pansies, poppies, sweet peas and foxglove Plant beets, broccoli, cabbage, carrots, collards, kale, lettuce, mustard, onions, English peas, Irish potatoes, radishes, spinach and turnips Seed flats with tomatoes, peppers, eggplants for growing transplants for April and May plantings Prune apples, pears, plums, peaches, blackberries, muscadines and grapes Prune low hanging limbs on pecan trees Plant blueberries Spray fruit trees with lime-sulfur before blooming for disease control Continue planting fruit trees. Consult the UGA Cooperative Extension publication page for varieties, pollinators and care of fruit and nut plants at http://extension.uga.edu/ publications/ use the search word Home Garden November Continue to plant shrubbery and trees Store fallen leaves for mulch or compost Mulch shrubbery with fresh material Soil Test if needed. Sample every 3 years Fertilize cool season grasses with 16-4-8 Spray wild onions with Imazaquin herbicide. After application, do not mow for at least two weeks Plant spring flowering bulbs: hyacinths, daffodils, & crocus Plant pansies, violas, ornamental cabbage and kale. If planted last month, fertilize with 10-10-10 at the rate of 1 pound per 100 square feet of bed area Soil test Clean garden area of weeds and dead crops Thin carrots, beets, & radishes Inspect vegetables for aphids Soil test Prune apple trees after all the leaves have fallen. Remove any dead, diseased or crossing (rubbing) branches Do not prune peach trees Rake leaves from around fruit trees & compost or destroy
October Spray shrubbery to control tea scale with systemic insecticide (Imidacloprid) Collect leaves for mulch Plant shrubbery and trees Plant rye grass as over seeding for existing lawns. (If pre-emergence herbicides were applied in September you will not be able to over seed this fall.) Apply pre-emergence herbicide for winter weed control in early October if not applied in September Divide and transplant day lilies and liriope Cut back faded annual flowers Plant fall bulbs in late October Dig caladium tubers before frost Plant pansies, violas, ornamental cabbage and kale at mid to late October Remove old crops as soon as harvest is completed to help reduce establishment of future disease, insect and weed problems Spray cabbage, broccoli, cauliflower & collards with Thuricide to control caterpillars Begin making a compost pile Apply lime to fruit trees if needed. Soil Testing every 2 to 3 years is the only way you know if lime is needed Do Not prune peach and plum trees March Prune overgrown shrubbery Plant, fertilize with (10-10-10) and mulch shrubbery Apply pre-emergence herbicides, if not applied in February. Do not use weed and feed Delay fertilizing Bermuda, Zoysia, and St. Augustine until soil temperature reaches 65 (about mid-april) Don t fertilize Centipede until May 1 st Top dress lawns if needed, using a composted material and do not use pure sand Fertilize bulbs (10-10-10) & remove dead flower heads from existing annuals Treat and fertilize roses using an All-in-one Rose and Flower Care Prepare plan for spring and summer plantings of annuals Plant perennials and hardy annuals Prune butterfly bush to 1/3 original size to promote growth Prepare soil for vegetable garden Start sweet potato plants from slips indoors Remove weeds after emergence by tilling or hand-pulling Plant (direct seed) sweet corn from the 15 to the end of month Do not spray fruit trees with products containing insecticides during bloom Fertilize fruit trees according to soil test recommendations Plant strawberries Spray apple and pear trees for fire blight with agricultural streptomycin when in bloom Prune fig trees in late March Fertilize pecan trees with fertilizer (10-10-10 containing zinc)
April Prune flowering shrubbery such as quince, azaleas, spirea, & forsythia after they have finished blooming Check junipers, cedars, & arborvitae for bagworms and remove by hand Check shrubbery for tea scale, azaleas for lace bugs, and gardenias for whiteflies; control if necessary by using Safari by Green Light or Bayer Advanced Establish by sodding or sprigging Centipede, Zoysia, Bermuda, & St. Augustine lawns Fertilize Zoysia, Bermuda, & St. Augustine lawns according to soil sample recommendations Control broad-leaf weeds Watch for signs of disease and winter kill Inspect irrigation system to make sure it is functioning properly Plant summer flowering bulbs Prepare beds for annual flowers by removing winter annuals and tilling in new composted growing mix Fertilize roses using three tablespoons per plant of 16-4-8 or 12-4-8 fertilizer each month from April through September. If a disease is present, treat and fertilize with Bayer Advance All-in-one Rose and Flower Care Divide perennials Plant tomatoes, beans, cucumber, squash, butter peas, eggplants, peppers, and southern peas Plant okra, peanuts, and sweet potatoes in late April Thin fruits if set is too heavy Remove strawberry flowers on newly planted plants that set this spring. Wait until next year for harvest Fertilize pecan trees, if not done in March with fertilizer (10-10-10 containing zinc) September Prune shrubbery for shape only Begin gibbing camellias in early September. (Gibbing is a practice used to force early blooms of camellias. Each bud needs to be treated with gibberellic acid between August 15 and September 15. Not all varieties will respond in the same way to the treatment, but some blooms can be expected within 40 to 45 days.) Check lawns for disease, treat with Pillar G or Headway products Apply pre-emergence herbicide in late September consisting of 0-0-7 with pre-emergent. NOTE: It is important to note that the pre-emergent should be changed every two years. Over use of pre-emergent can cause resistance to develop amongst weeds. Treat fire ants with applications to turf and beds with granular baits ( Amdro, Extinguish Plus, etc.) Make LAST application of lawn fertilizer containing Nitrogen NO LATER THAN September 15th Fertilize roses early in the month, this is the last application until spring. Formulation is usually a 6-6-4 Divide and transplant day lilies and irises Delay planting pansies outside until October Fall produce possibilities include broccoli, cabbage, cauliflower, collards, kale, turnips, radishes, spinach, lettuce, beets, and onions. Some vegetables can be purchased as ready-to-transplant seedlings. For example onions in October Plant cover crop of buckwheat, rye, clover, and winter peas to build soils organic matter Set strawberry plants from September 15 to November 1 Spade or disk in 3 pounds of 10-10-10 premium grade fertilizer (contains micronutrients) per 100 square feet of bed. Prune peaches and plums forming the framework for a bowl or vase.
August May Watch for bagworms on junipers & other narrow leaf evergreen shrubs Fertilize hollies if berry set is heavy Prune shrubbery. Do not prune azaleas and camellias now Remove old crape myrtle flowers as soon as their color fades Spray pyracantha for lace bugs with systemic insecticide Scout for spider mites Water during extreme drought Fertilize lawns if needed Control disease and insects Replace dead patches in lawn if necessary Scout for chinch bugs in St. Augustine grass Continue to spray roses for insect & disease control at weekly intervals Fertilize roses Stake dahlias Check marigolds for mites Renew mulches in flower beds Plant iris Plant cabbage seeds, collard seeds, beet seeds, broccoli seeds bush snap beans, Chinese cabbage, turnips, kale & mustard Prune out old fruiting canes in blackberries Fertilize peach trees in late August Continue disease spraying Plant shrubbery, but plan to water regularly Mulch shrubbery and trees but don t over mulch; 2-4 inches is sufficient Fertilize shrubbery with (14-14-14 Tree & Ornamental Fertilizer) Remove suckers on trees Spray gardenias to control white flies and sooty mold if necessary Watch for development of powdery mildew on crape myrtle and dogwoods and treat if necessary Fertilize Centipede grass after complete green up, according to soil sample recommendations Establish by sodding or sprigging Centipede, Zoysia, Bermuda, and St. Augustine lawns Check lawns for disease treat if necessary * Check lawns for insect problems and treat if necessary Treat for fire ants with baits such as Amdro Fire Ant Bait or treat mounds with Orthene Fire Ant Killer Core aerate lawn if needed Begin scouting for chinch bugs Prune climbing roses after they bloom Plant dahlias & other summer flowering bulbs Plant summer annuals Fertilize roses using three tablespoons per plant of 16-4-8 or 12-4-8 fertilizer each month from April through September. Plant all warm season vegetables Thin fruit on fruit trees
June Prune azaleas and camellias in early June Spray crape myrtles with insecticides for aphid control Take cuttings of broad-leaf evergreen and deciduous shrubbery for rooting Do touch up pruning when new shrubbery growth reaches twelve inches Scout for lace bugs, whiteflies, and aphids Plant grass where needed Fertilize lawns if needed Apply second application of pre-emergence herbicide for crabgrass and broad-leaf weed control Check lawn for disease and insect damage Treat for mole crickets in late June to early July Scout for chinch bugs in St. Augustine lawns Continue to plant marigolds, zinnias, salvia, annual vinca, begonias, and dahlias Pinch terminals of flowers to promote branching Spray roses for insect and disease control Fertilize roses Harvest vegetables at peak quality Make a second planting of beans, sweet corn, squash, okra, & cucumbers Spray tomatoes with calcium chloride to correct blossom end rot Fertilize tomatoes every four to six weeks Thin fruit where set is too heavy Make second application of fertilizer to blackberries and apples Spray fungicide for disease prevention & control Apply insecticide where needed or on a schedule July Fertilize shrubbery Divide and transplant liriope Watch shrubbery carefully for water stress, keep adequate water applied, water shrubbery under trees more often Check shrubbery for insects and control where necessary Check gardenias for whiteflies Fertilize lawns if needed Treat for mole crickets in early July Scout for chinch bugs in St. Augustine lawns Spray iron on Centipede Keep lawn mower blades sharp Mowing height for turfgrass varieties: Centipede - 1-2 inches Zoysia - 0.5-2 inches Bermuda - 0.5-2 inches St. Augustine - 2-3 inches Remove spent flower heads on annuals Fertilize annuals and perennials Seed biennials and perennials Fertilize roses Plant beans during the first half of month for continued production Prepare fall garden plan Continue timely application of insecticides and fungicides