A Monthly Checklist for Planting and Maintaining Your Summer Garden

Since many of us are spending the majority of our time at home these days, now is the perfect time to devote extra attention to our outdoor spaces. With summer just around the corner, we wanted to find out how we can be getting our gardens in shape and start planning for the coming season, so we reached out to Gina DeMatteis, creative director at Bethesda, Maryland-based garden center and landscape company A merican Plant, for advice on the outdoor chores we should be tackling now through August. Here, she provides a helpful timeline for keeping our gardens on track.

MAY

Nursery & Garden Solutions:

Enjoy your spring blooms and make a plan for where you’d like to add to your existing plantings come fall.
Apply a fungicide to your roses (DeMatteis likes Safer’s 3-in-1 Garden Spray).
Weed your garden. Remember that it’s easier to remove weeds when they are small and the soil is moist. If hand-digging isn’t an option, DeMatteis recommends using Burnout, an organic herb spray, to eliminate them.

Maintenance Tips for Annuals & Perennials:

Plant annual flowers and use a good planting mix to revitalize the soil.
Once the risk of frost has passed, plant your tomatoes and get your herb garden started. Essential products to have on hand include tomato cages, pruners, Tomato-tone, and
Elevate your container plantings so water can drain.
Weed your gardens regularly, as the weeds will compete with your plants for water and nutrients.

JUNE

Nursery & Garden Solutions:

Now that azaleas are past bloom, trim and fertilize them (DeMatteis suggests using Holly-Tone).
Remove fading rose blooms to encourage more.
Water your plants deeply, but infrequently. A good rule of thumb is to do so thoroughly once a week. A deep watering, five to six inches deep, will help plants grow deeper roots, which makes them healthier. Avoid watering plants from above, which can promote fungal disease; as an alternative, try a watering wand or soaker hose, which can deliver the water to the soil without wetting the leaves.

Maintenance Tips for Annuals & Perennials:

Patrol your basil plantings and remove all the clusters of flower buds that form at the stem ends the minute you see them forming. This will encourage nice bushy plants and a continuing supply of leaves.
Water your lawn and gardens in the morning or late in the day to avoid evaporation.
Remove any dead flowers from your perennials to encourage new growth, and give them a fertilizer boost with Super Bloom.
Fertilize roses using a liquid fertilizer at every watering or a dry rose fertilizer like Rose-Tone.

JULY

Nursery & Garden Solutions:

Give trees and shrubs 1-2” of water once every 7-10 days.
Cut roses back to the first set of 5 leaves after blooming to encourage stronger canes and more flowers.
Keep in mind that mosquito larvae develop in water—even an amount as small as a teaspoon. Patrol your yard regularly, and remove any standing water. For extra support in keeping mosquitos at bay, DeMatteis suggests using Mosquito Beater, an organic mosquito repellent, and citronella candles.

Maintenance Tips for Annuals & Perennials:

As the weather warms up, don’t neglect your watering. Water deeply in the morning and avoid light sprinklings. Water at the roots, not on the foliage.
Remove tomato suckers (small shoots that grow between the stem and a branch) to keep the energy focused on the fruit on main branches.
Fill in blank spaces in the garden with additional annuals and perennials.
Remove any dead flowers from your annuals and perennials to encourage new growth.
Fertilize your roses at mid-month to encourage more flowering.

AUGUST

Nursery & Gardening Solutions:

Prune only to retain the shape of your plants and bushes. Don’t prune spring-flowering shrubs, such as azaleas and rhododendrons, at this time.
Prepare your lawn for seeding in mid-August—the soil temperatures are high, which makes the grass seed germinate faster, giving it a good head start into the fall. Remove weeds, rake up the thatch, and core aerate before seeding.

Maintenance Tips for Annuals & Perennials:

For a gorgeous garden come October, plant fall-flowering bulbs now.
If you have a vegetable garden, it’s likely to require daily harvesting now. Cucumbers, squash, tomatoes, eggplant, and peppers should be picked as soon as the fruits are ready. This not only captures the best flavor, but also makes way for new fruit.
Fertilize roses for the last time of the year.
Keep an eye on your plants in hanging baskets—they dry out faster than those on the ground, and may need more frequent watering.
Cut back the flower stalks of perennials that have finished blooming.

TSG Tip 365 from Gina DeMatteis, creative director at American Plant in Bethesda, Maryland. American Plant is featured in The Scout Guide Washington, D.C.