Alex's Monthly Tips

Alex's Monthly Landscape Tips

Tips, Advice, & To-Do List

With so much to do in Spring, Summer and Fall and with so many questions of when the best time to complete these jobs, I broke up my landscape tips into months. These are all just recommendations and it is up to you of when/how to actually do these tasks. I tried to keep them short, simple and to the point for easy understanding. I have been getting a lot of good comments from people saying these tips have been very helpful. If you would like more information about any of these tips, feel free to email me. I hope all these help you get the most out of your landscape! - Alex Uhlenhake

These tips are recommendations, not requirements. Enjoy!

Winter - December, January, February

Clean, sharpen, and service all your landscaping tools and mower.
Plan ahead. Schedule your landscaping jobs for the year ahead.
Design landscape and garden plans.
Educate yourself. Attend gardening or landscaping classes. Take online courses or read informational articles.
Buy any needed landscape/garden tools and supplies.
Enjoy your time off from outdoor chores! Take a vacation!

March

Dormant Prune any trees or shrubs that are getting to big in your landscape. March is the best time before the new leaves come out. Don't take off no more than 1/3 of a plant at one time. Evergreens should be left alone.
Clean-Up your landscape beds and lawn from any leaves from last fall.
Apply Crabgrass Preventer with fertilizer on your lawns. This will help jump start your grass and keep away unwanted weeds.
Spread weed preventer in your beds & gravel areas such as Preen. This helps reduce spraying for weeds in the future.
Rake-Up any grass that is matted down from this winter's snow.
Prune Knock-Out Roses down to 12"-24". Trim ornamental grasses down to 3"-6". Trim down dead from perennials.
Uncover any plants that were mulched in last fall before winter. Such plants include roses, hydrangeas, and perennials.

April

Seed grass in new lawns or bare spots. April is the second best time to begin growing new grass. Work soil/level soil, apply seed, apply fertilizer, apply light layer of straw, and water to keep soil moist.
Fertilize trees and shrubs depending on soil tests. As new leaves emerge, plants are absorbing the most nutrients from the soil.
Install new trees and shrubs. April/May are the better months to install new landscapes before the summer heat.
Water new trees and shrubs if there is a lack of rain.
Begin mowing your grass. Keep your blades sharp and mow not more than 1/3 of the grass blade off at a time.

May

Plant annuals to add color to your landscape. Usually around Mother's Day is the best time and the threat of frost is gone.
Install new trees and shrubs. April/May are the better months to install new landscapes before the summer heat.
Edge all landscape beds before mulching. Trench edging adds a neatness factor to your landscape by separating the mulch from the grass. Most edging can be done with a spade or machine. Usually 2-4 inches deep.
De-Weed all landscape beds. This is a weekly battle so best to clean all beds before mulching. Keep weeds pulled or sprayed there after.
Water new trees and shrubs if there is a lack of rain.

June

Trim most shrubs and trees in the landscape. This is usually done after the new growth is fully emerged and before new mulch is laid down. Waiting till June helps makes sure you don't have to trim the shrubs again later in the summer.
Mulch. Add 1-3" thick layer of fresh mulch in plant beds and around trees. Don't let the mulch touch the tree trunk and never let the mulch accumulate to more than a 4" depth. Mulch not only makes planting areas look neat, but also helps to retain moisture in the soil, and it keeps the roots cool in the summer and insulates them in the winter. As mulch decomposes, it adds organic matter to the soil.
Water newly planted shrubs and trees. Ohio summers can be dry so keep up on the watering.
Deadhead certain flowers such as roses, hydrangeas, daylilies, and other perennials. Not all flowering plants need deadheaded.
Re-apply weed preventer to certain beds if weeds are persistent.
De-Weed all landscape beds. This should be a bi-weekly activity. Spraying round-up carefully around shrubs works best.

July

Test your soil in your lawn and landscape. Testing can actually be done any time of the year. Test your soil once every few years to make sure it has the proper pH balance and mix of nutrients. Careful not to test your soil right after fertilization.
Water newly planted shrubs and trees. Ohio summers can be dry so keep up on the watering.
Deadhead certain flowers such as roses, hydrangeas, daylilies, and other perennials. Not all flowering plants need deadheaded.
Re-apply weed preventer to certain beds if weeds are persistent.
De-Weed all landscape beds. This should be a bi-weekly activity. Spraying round-up carefully around shrubs works best.

August

August can be a great time to think about installing hardscapes such as pavers or flagstone. Also begin thinking about any fall planting you would like done.
Deadhead certain flowers such as roses, hydrangeas, daylilies, and other perennials. Not all flowering plants need deadheaded.
Re-apply weed preventer to certain beds if weeds are persistent.
De-Weed all landscape beds. This should be a bi-weekly activity. Spraying round-up carefully around shrubs works best.
Water newly planted shrubs and trees. Ohio summers can be dry so keep up on the watering.

September

Install new landscape plants. Fall is a great time to plant trees, shrubs, and perennials. Cooler temperatures allows for less watering and faster growing roots.
Seed grass in new lawns or bare spots. September is the best time of the year to begin growing new grass. Work soil/level soil, apply seed, apply fertilizer, apply light layer of straw, and water to keep soil moist.
Water newly planted shrubs and trees. Continue watering through the fall allows for good root growth.
De-Weed all landscape beds. This should be a bi-weekly activity. Spraying round-up carefully around shrubs works best.

October

Around October 1st is the common deadline to seed grass before winter. The sooner you get any grass seeded and watered, the better chance to have the new grass survive an early frost.
Aerate lawns. The grass needs to be actively growing and green with good soil moisture. Aerating brown dormant grass may cause more harm than good.
Fertilize any shrubs or trees. The fertilizer feeds the growing roots this time of year. Early November is the best time of the year to fertilize grass. Use a balanced fertilizer when broadcasting over the root base.
Install new landscape plants. Fall is a great time to plant trees, shrubs, and perennials. Cooler temperatures allows for less watering and faster growing roots.
Water newly planted shrubs and trees. Continue watering through the fall allows for good root growth.
Plant your spring bulbs in the fall before the ground freezes.

November

Water newly planted shrubs and trees. Continue watering through the fall allows for good root growth.
Install new landscape plants. Fall is a great time to plant trees, shrubs, and perennials. Cooler temperatures allows for less watering and faster growing roots.
Spray for weeds in lawns. Any time after the first heavy frost in October is the best time to kill weeds within the grass. The herbicide is carried down to the root this time of year.
Clean-Up your landscape beds and lawn from any leaves fallen. Keep leaves cleared off the grass to prevent smothering.
Cover up the bases of roses, hydrangeas, and other tender perennials with mulch, compost, or soil. This will protect them from the cold winter winds.
Fertilize your lawn. November is the best time of the year to apply fertilizer. The fertilizer will build grass roots instead of top growth.

Take a look at my top 4 guidelines for all landscape plants. Helpful tips to keep your landscape alive and thriving.

Landscape Plants Guidelines

If you have any questions about your landscape/lawn, feel free to email me at uhlenhakelandscapes@gmail.com. Thanks!

Sincerely,

Alex Uhlenhake

Owner/Manager

Uhlenhake Landscape & Design LLC

Here are some Videos with Helpful Tips:

Spring Tree Inspection

In this episode of Talking Trees, Davey expert and ISA Certified Arborist Jim Houston tells you what you should look for when inspecting trees this spring.

How to Plant Your Tree at the Proper Depth

In this episode of Talking Trees, Davey Expert and ISA Certified Arborist Jim Houston provides free information on one of the most common tree planting mistakes - planting a tree too deep.For more...