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January (Jan 1-31)
Jan 10-12: PRUNE: Dormant trees and deciduous shrubs
Reshape as needed for better structure (i.e. crossing branches.)
Evergreen shrubs, like boxwood and holly, should only be lightly pruned to remove dead or diseased branches.
Do not prune shrubs that flower in the spring or fruit trees.
You can also prune back perennials, if you haven’t already done so, removing any dead or diseased foliage.
Jan 17-19: PREP: Garden tools and equipment
Clean & sharpen your garden tools / replace any that aren’t salvageable
Oil any moving parts on your tools
Tune up any equipment or take to your hardware repair shop to beat the spring rush
Jan 24-26: PREP: Check on your seeds
Inspect any seeds that you overwintered to see if they are still viable
Make a list of any new seeds you will need to purchase
February (Feb 1-28)
Feb 7-9: START SEEDS: Cole crops indoors + Some Flowers
Start your cool-season crops indoors (i.e. broccoli, lettuce, cabbage.)
You can also start seeds for perennial flowers or herbs/flowers that have long germination windows, like begonias and snapdragons.
Feb 14: VALENTINE’S DAY!!
Instead of cut flowers that will only last a few days, consider a flowering plant for all the loves in your life! We recommend orchids, bromeliads, anthuriums, violets, or heart ferns. Westwood Gardens carries a huge stock of Valentine’s-appropriate plants!
Feb 14-16: PREP: Compost Garden Beds
Add a layer of compost, leaves, or other organic matter to your garden beds to help enrich the soil.
Don’t overturn any soil just yet.
Feb 21-23: PREVENT: Pests
Apply dormant oil spray, such as Hi-Yield Dormant Spray, to fruit trees before their buds emerge; tell those pests who have been cozy all winter to “take a hike!”
Feb 28-Mar 2: PLANT: Cool-weather crops outdoors
As the soil begins to thaw and becomes workable, direct sow crops such as peas, spinach, radishes, potatoes, onions, cabbage, broccoli, cauliflower & kale.
March (Mar 1-31)
Mar 7-9: FERTILIZE: Trees and Shrubs
Add Tree & Shrub Food to your soil surrounding your trees and shrubs. Late winter is the best time for this so that your soil is full of nutrients when your woody ornamentals start to wake up and set buds.
Mar 14-16: CUT BACK: Perennials, Shrubs & Fruit Trees
Before new growth starts, typically as the weather begins to warm in late winter or early spring, it’s a great time to trim back any perennials you didn’t cut back in the spring. (Ornamental grasses, sedums, echinacea, etc.)
Cut back stems to about 2-3 inches above the ground.
Avoid cutting back evergreen perennials or those that rely on foliage to protect their crowns during winter. Also, don’t cut back any perennials that grow on old wood (you can do a light trim). That includes lavender, helleborus, bergenia, and clematis.
This is also a good time to prune fruit trees before sap starts to flow and new growth appears.
If you have Panicle Hydrangeas (Hydrangea paniculata) such as Lime Light or Bobo, now is the time to prune before new growth emerges. Prune back to ⅓ of its original size to encourage sturdy growth and lots of blooms.
Similarly, if you have Annabelle-type Hydrangeas (hydrangea aborescens), like Annabelle or Incrediball, cut back to 12-15 inches from the ground. Don’t worry - your hydrangea will grow back just as big but will be stronger!
Mar 21-23: TLC: Houseplants
Longer days and more sunshine mean your houseplants will shift back into grow-mode.
Clean leaves to remove dust so that all the sunlight gets through.
Repot any plants that are running out of space and fertilize all houseplants with an all-purpose plant food, like Miracle Grow, sold at Westwood Gardens.
Mar 28-30: PREP: Raised Beds & Irrigation Systems
Prepare your raised beds with fresh soil and / or compost.
Check your irrigation systems and repair any issues.
Mar 28-30: PLANT: Early Bloomers
Itching to see some blooms in your yard? Plant some of these early spring blooming plants:
Transplant any of your cool-season crops that you started indoors into the garden.
Or come get cole crops we’ve grown at Westwood and are ready to plant!
Apr 11-13: FERTILIZE: Vining Fruits
Fertilize blueberries, raspberries, and blackberries before new growth begins.
It’s also a good time to check your soil pH and adjust as needed for your fruits.
Apr 18-20: PREVENTATIVE PEST CONTROL: Tree & Shrub Drench
Avoid worms, like the dreaded BAGWORMS which eat evergreens and other shrubs for breakfast (literally.) Use Tree & Shrub Drench now as a systemic preventative for these pests.
Apr 20: FROST FREE DATE! (Check the forecast)
April 20 marks the average frost-free date for Northwest Arkansas, but check the forecast to be sure – our weather can be unpredictable.
After our last frost, you can begin planting annuals, perennials, trees, and shrubs to your heart’s content; just wait on any warm season veggies as the soil is likely too cold still.
If there are still cooler temperatures in the forecast, you can look to plant any annuals or perennials that are more frost hardy, like pansies and violas.
After the last threat of frost (typically April 10-20), you can start seeds for tomatoes, peppers, and other warm-season vegetables indoors to harden off.
Sprinkle annual flower seeds in your landscaping beds.
May (May 1-31)
May 2-4: SHOP FOR MOM: Mother’s Day is May 11th
Don’t forget to shop for a gift for Mom! Bring her to Westwood Gardens to pick out something perfect for the garden. Or, grab a gift card to let her shop for her favorite plants later.
We recommend Westwood Gardens’s famous hanging baskets as a perfect gift for all moms!
May 2-4: PLANT: Bedding Annuals and Groundcovers
As the soil warms up, it’s a great time to plant bedding annuals and perennial groundcovers.
Getting these guys in the ground early means you have the entire season to let them grow big and take over your beds.
May 9-11: PLANT: Warm Weather Veggies, Herbs, and Flowers
Plant tomatoes, peppers, squash, okra, and other warm season veggies from the seedlings you started inside or from starter plants you can purchase from Westwood Gardens!
If you haven’t already, fill your porch pots with season color - remember the key to eye-catching pots: include at least one thriller, filler, and spiller!
You can also now direct sow beans, squash, cucumbers, and corn plus warm-season flowers and herbs, like sunflowers, marigolds, and basil.
May 9-11: MULCH: Garden and Landscaping Beds
Once the soil reaches around 60 degrees F, lay down a solid layer of mulch to retain moisture and suppress weeds. If you mulch too early, the soil won’t warm up properly.
May 16-18: REFRESH: Perennials and Flowering Shrubs
Look for any perennials that seem to not come back (be sure to check when they should re-emerge; some come later.)
Replace any that need a new planting, or didn’t do well in a particular spot – keep in mind what you first planted may need more / less light and adjust accordingly.
Shrubs that flower in the spring (i.e. forsythia, lilacs, azaleas) should be pruned right after their flowering cycle has ended. This will prevent trimming off next year’s buds.
May 23-25: SUPPORT: Garden Veggies
Stake or cage plants like tomatoes and peppers.
May 30-31: RELOCATE: Houseplants Outdoors
Once overnight temperatures are consistently above 60 degrees, you can move houseplants outdoors to a shady spot for a summer vacation. They will love the warmth and natural light and will show-off with lots of new growth!
Remember, you may need to increase your frequency of watering when they move outdoors.
June (Jun 1-30)
Jun 6-8: PLANT IN WAVES: Veggies
Succession plant beans, cucumbers, and zucchini for continuous harvests. Planting crops in staggered waves will ensure that you have veggies ready for harvest throughout the growing season.
Jun 13-15: FERTILIZE: Warm-season Veggies
Fertilize warm-season vegetables to support growth. We recommend Garden Tone, which we sell at Westwood Gardens.
Jun 15: FATHER’S DAY!
Shop for dad or bring him by Westwood Gardens for the perfect gift for his garden or yard!
Jun 20-22: CHECK FOR PESTS: Treat as Needed
Time to monitor for pests like aphids and squash bugs. No unwanted guests! Apply pest control as needed, such as insecticidal soap or Neem oil, both sold at Westwood Gardens.
Jun 27-29: REMOVE: Spent Buds and Tree Suckers
Deadhead flowers once they are spent to promote continuous blooming.
Keep an eye on the base of your trees for any off-shoots or suckers. Remove these to keep the shape of your tree uniform and to prevent losing valuable energy supply to these rapidly-growing shoots.
Direct sow late-season crops like beans and summer squash.
As you see some of your flowers and plants give up in the summer heat, replace them with more tolerant annuals and perennials.
Annuals: Lantana, zinnias, marigolds, portulaca, celosia, etc.
Perennials: Echinacea, daylily, catmint, yarrow, sedge, sedum, etc.
Jul 11-13: CHECK FOR PEST: Bagworms!
Time to inspect your evergreens such as Arborvitae and Cedar for bag worms. Treat with Spinosad Soap, as needed. Not sure what bagworms look like? Check out our blog post all about bagworms! (add link)
Jul 11-13: WATER: Tis the Season
Water deeply during dry spells; ensure container plants and hanging baskets are watered daily.
Jul 18-20: PRUNE: summer-blooming Shrubs
Once your summer-blooming shrubs, like butterfly bush and Rose of Sharon, finish blooming, you can prune them back.
This is also a time to check in on your perennials. If they are getting leggy, it’s okay to thin them up to half their size to prevent overgrowth.
If you have Mophead or Lacewing Hydrangeas (hydrangea macrophylla), such as Nantucket Blue or Endless Summer, prune lightly once flowering has ended. Don’t remove too much as these hydrangeas will bloom next year on old wood.
Jul 25-27: HARVEST: Check those Veggies!
The beginning of harvest season is upon us! Start checking your garden regularly, preferably in the morning hours.
August (Aug 1-31)
Aug 1-3: START SEEDS: Fall Crops
Start seeds indoors for fall crops like kale, broccoli, and cauliflower.
Aug 8-10: MONITOR / REMOVE: Weeds
Keep an eye on weeds in your garden beds. Control weeds before they go to seed to avoid even more problems next year.
Aug 22-24: HARVEST & CLEAR: Summer Crops
Harvest remaining summer crops and clear spent plants from garden beds.
If you had pest or disease problems, be sure you don’t throw those in your compost or let them die into the soil.
Aug 29-31: COMPOST: Nourish your Garden Soil
Add compost to rejuvenate soil for fall planting.
September (Sep 1-30)
Sep 5-7: PLANT: Fall Veggies & Seasonal Color
Direct sow spinach, lettuce, and radishes for fall harvest.
Plant fall annuals like pansies and violas.
Refresh your porch pots for fall with mums, ornamental cabbages, pansies, violas, dusty miller, or ornamental peppers.
Sep 12-14: BACK INSIDE: Houseplants
Move any houseplants that have been enjoying the summer outside back indoors.
Be sure to give the plant a good hose-off before moving inside, including saturating the soil. Most insects who have lodged in the soil for the summer won’t harm the plant (think: spiders, ants, etc.), but you don’t want them escaping inside your home.
Sep 19-21: MULCH: Protect Tender Roots
Mulch around perennials and overwintering vegetables to protect roots.
Sep 26-28: TRANSPLANT: Perennials
Many perennials need to be divided and transplanted after a few seasons of growth. Anything that flowers in the spring should be divided and transplanted in the fall (and vice versa for fall blooming perennials.)
Cut-back plants to reduce stress on the plants and nourish them with compost in their new location.
October (Oct 1-31)
Oct 3-5: PLANT: Bulbs
Plant bulbs for spring flowers like tulips and daffodils as well as garlic and onions.
Oct 10-12: MULCH: Garden Beds
Add a final layer of mulch to garden beds to protect against winter freezes.
Oct 17-19: HARVEST: Cool-season Crops
Finish harvesting cool-season crops like kale and carrots.
Oct 24-26: WINTERIZE: Garden Supplies
Remove and store garden stakes, trellises, and containers for winter.
November (Nov 1-30)
Nov 1-2: CLEAN & RESET: Tidy the Garden
Clean out remaining garden debris and discard any diseased plant materials.
Nov 7-9: RAKE: All the leaves!
Rake and compost fallen leaves; use as mulch for garden beds.
Nov 14-16: WINTERIZE: Irrigation
Drain and store garden hoses and irrigation lines to prevent freezing. Empty bird baths and rain barrels to keep dry for the winter.
Nov 21-23: PORCH POTS: Winter Refresh
Revamp your porch pots for the winter with evergreens, berry sprigs, birch poles, and pinecones.
December (Dec 1-31)
Dec 1: HOLIDAY PARTIES: Hostess Gifts and Presents
As you head into the holiday season, don’t forget to shop for seasonal gifts. A Christmas Cactus, Amaryllis bulb, or Poinsetta makes a great hostess gift.
Westwood Gardens also carries a wide variety of holiday-themed giftware and home decor!
Dec 5-7: PROTECT: Container Plants
Protect container plants by wrapping them in burlap or moving them indoors for the winter.
Dec 12-14: MULCH: As Needed
Apply winter mulch around roses and tender perennials.
Dec 19-21: CELEBRATE: Gardening Gifts
Treat yourself or loved ones to a gardening journal or new tools as a holiday gift!
Dec 25-31: PLAN: Next Year’s Garden
Escape the cold in your mind as you daydream and plan next year’s garden layout.
Notes for Year-Round Care
Frost Dates: Average last frost is April 10-20; average first frost is October 20-30.
Mulching: Maintain a consistent 2-3 inch layer of mulch year-round for moisture retention and soil health.
Pests and Diseases: Regularly inspect plants for early signs of pests and treat promptly.
This detailed timeline helps Northwest Arkansas gardeners stay on track, ensuring a productive and beautiful garden all year long!
