Gardening - which measures at which time of the year?

the essentials in brief

Those who sow in March / April can already harvest the first vegetables in May
Weeds are removed all year round
In summer, you have to water a lot and mow the lawn more often
In autumn the compost heap is turned over, leaves are collected and trees are planted

Gardening through the year

This article provides detailed advice on when certain gardening tasks should be done during the year. However, do not be too slavish when it comes to implementation, because the actual weather conditions at your location have the greatest influence on when certain activities can be completed - or when it is better to wait. Planting out too early, for example, does not make sense if it is still frosty outside and your plants have no chance of survival - even if the calendar shows the first day of spring. Let yourself be guided by the weather conditions on site and see this garden calendar only as a suggestion, then you have the best chance of success.

Gardening in spring

In spring the days get longer again, the temperatures rise and the garden awakens to new life: the trees show new leaves and shoots and flower bulbs hidden in the ground bring out a lively blaze of color after the gray winter. Gardeners have a lot to do now, because it has to be sown and planted, cut and fertilized. But be careful: don't be fooled by the early onset of spring, because in these changeable months, Father Frost can report back again. Even if the weather seems friendly enough for planting, it is best to keep paying attention to the forecasts - a sudden late frost can destroy young plants in one fell swoop.

general tasks

The following table shows which general gardening work awaits you in early spring:

task	execution
Fertilize	Fertilize plants that have been cut back in winter and apply a generous layer of mulch.
Mulching	Mulch borders and paths provided the soil is moist and weed-free.
Dig up	Prepare the soil for planting by digging.
Weeding	Remove perennial weeds from the beds. Clean driveways and paths.
Water	When the weather is getting warmer and there is no rain for a long time, you need to ensure adequate irrigation during this most important growth phase.

March

The garden year begins in March. Start the new season by first tidying up the garden and tidying it up after the winter:

Cut back withered and dead plant parts.
Rake the beds and borders vigorously.
Remove any fallen leaves or mulch (€ 213.00 at Amazon *) from the previous year.
Cut back plants such as roses and other flowering plants.
Perennials are also cut back vigorously.
Fruit trees can now also be cut.
Chop up the clippings and compost them.
Check your garden plants for diseases and pests.
Treat them if necessary.
Replace damaged planters.

The perfect time to cut a rose is traditionally the forythia flower. Summer bloomers such as clematis, hydrangeas or lavender can now also be pruned. Pay more attention to diseases, as the plants weakened by the winter are now particularly vulnerable. Remove infected parts of the plant and dispose of them with household waste.

If you haven't done it yet, you can now prune your fruit trees. Only peaches and sweet cherries are pruned in summer after the harvest. Prepare everything for the coming harvest by preferring frost-sensitive vegetables like tomatoes, peppers and cucumbers on the windowsill. On the other hand, more robust plants such as early radishes, kohlrabi or radishes can be placed directly in the cold frame, which you sow or put in the ground as pre-grown plants.

Annual summer flowers such as sweet peas or snapdragons can also be brought forward now and then planted as young plants in the bed from April. The sooner you can enjoy the pretty flowers.

Berry bushes such as gooseberries can now be planted, and the strawberry patch must be prepared for the new season. Remove wilted and dead plant parts (preferably with sharp scissors!), Weed, loosen the soil and work in some composted manure as fertilizer. Alternatively, you can also use berry fertilizer.

The lawn is happy about this maintenance work in March:

Rake and re-seed over bald or expired spots.
Lime if necessary.
Weed weeds, fertilize the lawn and apply moss killers if necessary.
Once the grass begins to grow on established lawns, it is time to mow.

April

In April the preparatory work is done, now the gardening really starts. Fertilize all garden plants that need it - this applies above all to perennial shrubs and perennials, but also to bulb flowers and vegetable plants. The plants need a fresh supply of nutrients, as this is when they have the greatest growth spurt and accordingly need energy and nutrients. Plants that are malnourished in spring will only develop poor growth, as well as insufficient flowers and few fruit.

Sufficient watering is also important now, especially if it rains little in April. But there can be many hot days that put the plants under stress. It is best to water early in the morning, which is particularly important in gardens that are increasingly threatened by snails - you should definitely not water here in the evening, as this only attracts the animals.

In addition, vegetables that are not sensitive to frost can be sown directly into the bed from April. However, be careful not to plant all the seeds at the same time, but rather to plant them in the soil at different times. In the end, you will not harvest the vegetables all at once (and will be flooded), but gradually. Even robust perennials can now be planted and summer flowers (provided they are not sensitive to frost) can be sown. Be sure to work in compost beforehand so that the plants have sufficient nutrients available.

If you haven't finished your lawn in March, you should now at the latest

lime and fertilize (of course time-shifted)
Scarify and remove felt and dead material
Re-sow bald spots

May

In May you can look forward to the first harvest - provided, of course, that you have sown and planted accordingly early. Radishes, spring onions, spinach, lettuce and Swiss chard can already be harvested. Kohlrabi and radish are also ready sooner. Furthermore, May is the month of wild garlic: Do you have the aromatic herb in your garden? If not, then it is high time to cultivate it!

In May it is also often exciting again in terms of weather, because the ice saints often cause another cold snap in the middle of the month. If this is over, however, you can now bring cold-sensitive plants outside. This not only applies to potted plants such as bougainvillea, oleander, geraniums and Co., but also many popular vegetables such as tomatoes and peppers. Beans, zucchini and cucumber are also quite sensitive and are only allowed outside now. The same applies to many herbs that you have optimally preferred and that are now being added to the bed.

However, even after the ice saints, make sure to give sensitive plants protection from the cold and cover them with a fleece, for example.

Otherwise you now have the same maintenance tasks as in April:

fertilize (if not already done)
ensure an adequate water supply
Weeding and preventing weeds (e.g. by mulching)
Loosen the soil in the beds

It is also important to carefully search the garden plants for aphids. These pests spread in the garden quite early in the year, which is why an early control makes sense - the less you have to worry about a real pest later. Snails are also to be collected regularly and the beds are to be protected from the voracious animals by suitable measures.

Tips

Don't forget to prick out your seedlings now so that the young plants have enough room to grow.

Gardening in summer

As temperatures rise, economical use of water and the necessary irrigation of all plants become the main concern of the gardener. Think about how your plants will survive your upcoming vacation. For example, place potted plants in the shade and, if possible, arrange mutual garden maintenance with a gardener.

General activities

In general, these tasks are waiting for you in summer:

task	execution
Plant tubs	Now at the latest you should plant your planters or put them outside.
Remove what has faded	Regularly remove any that has faded to encourage new flower growth and prevent disease.
Water	Water your plants regularly, especially in dry periods. Pay more attention to signs of drought stress, such as: B. rolled leaves, falling or withering shoots and leaves.

June

There is still a lot to do in the garden in June:

for many plants the second fertilization is due (organic or slow-release fertilizer)
weed weed
watering plants
mow the lawn once a week
Harvest the sweet cherries and then cut back the tree
Sow annual and biennial flowers
quickly create a herb bed (if not done yet)
divide plants if necessary

In addition, June is the high season for many pests such as scale insects, gall mites, black weevils, whiteflies and the dreaded boxwood moth and fungal diseases. Check your plants regularly for signs of this and take countermeasures in good time. Lure useful insects such as ladybugs or lacewings into the garden by setting up an insect hotel (€ 8.87 on Amazon *). Keep collecting snails regularly.

Digression

When is the right time to cut cuttings?

In addition, June is the perfect time to cut cuttings - at least if the plants are to be propagated from soft or semi-woody cuttings. Cut the pieces of wood and put them in nutrient-poor potting soil. In the following year, the resulting plants can finally go outside.

July

In July, one thing is especially important: pour, pour and pour again. Preferably water your plants early in the morning, making sure to put the water directly on the soil. The leaves and flowers of the plants should not get wet if possible! Otherwise there is a risk of fungal diseases. In addition, do not water daily in small doses, but rather vigorously every few days - this is the only way for plants to develop deep roots and are less sensitive to drought.

August

The most important work in August continues to be the adequate supply of the plants with water as well as regular weeding and mowing of the lawn. In addition, August is the month when you can harvest plenty of vegetables - so you have your hands full to finally reap the fruits of your labor.

You can either sow or plant the harvested beds with winter vegetables such as lamb's lettuce or short-term crops such as lettuce and radishes, or - if further use is not desired - sow with green manure plants. Various types of clover are particularly suitable for this, as they not only provide insects with plenty of food in autumn, but also collect nitrogen in their roots and thus enrich the soil. Winter rye or phacelia are also very suitable for fallow vegetable beds.

If possible, fertilization is now no longer carried out or, at the latest, by mid-August with a fertilizer containing potassium. This should especially harden the sensitive shoots of the roses in good time before winter. So the flowers survive the cold season better. In addition, now is the right time to cut back the “queen of flowers” and thus prevent fungal diseases. With the so-called summer pruning, you mainly remove diseased parts of the plant and dead flowers.

Tips

So that you can enjoy the splendor of their flowers in autumn, you should now plant autumn crocus and cyclamen in the beds. They are also suitable for shadier places.

Gardening in the fall

Even if the days are getting shorter and the plants in the garden gradually dwindling, autumn is in many ways a beginning and not the end of the garden year. Planting bulbs, roses and woody plants is a forward-looking job at a time when most gardening activities revolve around cleaning up and removing dead or rotting plants.

General activities

“A garden is not just about spring blooming and summer splendor!”

The most important work in autumn can be found in this table:

task	execution
Turn the compost pile over	Turn the compost heap over to better mix the individual ingredients.
Spread the rotted compost	Spread ripe compost on beds and borders as winter protection.
Dig up heavy clay soil	Dig up heavy clay soil and leave the lumps unbroken. This work is done by the winter frost and thus improves the soil structure.
Pick up leaves	Gather fall leaves to turn into deciduous compost.
Relocate sensitive plants to winter quarters	Plants sensitive to frost belong in winter quarters by October at the latest.
Remove annual plants	Annuals that have faded can now be removed. Gather their seeds for re-sowing next year.
Plant trees and bushes in late autumn	It is best to plant new trees just before winter rest.

September

Cucumbers, zucchini, beans, salads, potatoes, leaf, root and tuber vegetables as well as numerous cabbage vegetables: you can still harvest plentifully in the garden in September. Make sure that the vegetables - with the exception of a few types such as Brussels sprouts, which do not mind the cold - are stored or otherwise preserved or processed in good time before the first frost. The last tomatoes - even if they are still green - can also be serious and ripened in a fruit bowl embroidered with apples.

Think about the next year of gardening and collect vegetable and flower seeds, which are best kept in small paper bags in an airy and dry place. Only cold-germinating plants now have to be applied, as they need a cold stimulus to germinate: day lily, phlox, torch lily, monkshood or lady's mantle have to go into the bed in autumn. Incidentally, this also applies to most early-blooming bulb flowers such as tulips, crocuses and daffodils. You should put these in the bed no later than October.

Perennial garden perennials such as delphinium, margarite and lupine are best propagated now by dividing them; many trees can also be cut back from the end of September. The lawn continues to be mowed.

October

In October you will harvest the last of the vegetables and late fruits such as quinces. In addition, you should now catch up on the work that may have been left in September:

Dig up harvested beds
Sow green manure
Planting bulbs
Sow cold germs
Plant trees
Bring potted plants to winter quarters
Mulching beds and borders

Furthermore, it is now important to remove leaves regularly. This is particularly important on lawns, as rot can develop under the thick layer of leaves. However, you do not have to dispose of the leaves, you can make valuable leaf humus from them. Simply put the leaves on top of the compost, either alone or with other garden waste.

Now is also the right time to cut back dead perennial plants and grasses and to pile up the roses.

This video shows very nicely what work is required in October:

Youtube

November

Even in November, clear away leaves so that the plants below do not suffocate. Finally, make the garden ready for winter by pulling weeds one last time and then at the latest now distributing compost and mulch in the beds and protecting sensitive plants from the cold. It is best to overwinter container plants in a cool winter quarters without frost.

In November you can also plant many fruit trees and bushes and prune back existing fruit trees. You should also put rings of glue around the trunks to prevent insect pests from overwintering. This measure should not be neglected, especially with apple trees.

Digression

How do you optimally prepare the garden pond for winter?

Remove the water pump in late autumn. Clean and maintain them, then store them in a frost-free place until next spring. Also, get rid of dead leaves. In winter you can float a plastic ball on the water surface to keep the area free of ice.

Gardening in winter

Protection is the gardener's main concern in winter. Frost, snowfall, storms and hail pose a threat to the plants in the garden. Make sure that they are adequately protected. You can also use the time to plan for the next year.

Now there are planning and preparations for the coming gardening year, as the following video shows:

Youtube

frequently asked Questions

I suffer from back pain, which is why I find it difficult to work in the bed. How can I make gardening easier for myself?

In this case, a raised bed (or more) at a suitable height is probably the best solution.

Are there any easier ways to remove root weeds from beds?

Root weeds can be easily removed with a weed cutter without bending down.

How can I keep weeds from growing so I don't have to weed any more?

You will probably not be able to banish weeds from the garden entirely, but a weed fleece spread on the bed can help very well. In addition, weeds rarely grow on mulched beds.