A garden planting calendar is a must to know the ideal timing when each plant needs to grow, this also is critical for new gardeners too because you can know when to plant the crops you love all year round.
January
The month of January is a cool and quiet month for gardeners, during this month, it is an ideal time to plan all your gardening goals for the year. January is also the best time to buy seeds for the months ahead and to gather as many tools and equipment needed further down the year.
If it is too cold outside during the month of January, you can do some garden exercises inside during the winter such as making and turning your compost heap over to help it to decompose for later use.
Garden beds can be prepared any time of the year, however, deep digging is best done now before the end of winter. This method will allow the disturbed ground to settle when it si time to plant.
February
February is a month that is difficult to understand and predict the weather because it changes a lot. During this month it can range from spring sunshine to heavy frostbites. However, during mid-February, you can sow your greenhouse vegetables which include, tomatoes, peppers, cucumbers, etc.
The month of February is also a good time to start chitting early potatoes. However, as long as you place the potatoes into trays while allowing them to sprout first. Plant such as garlic, onions, and shallots are good to start as well.
Planting during the month of February is the last month until September in which you can trim hedges. so it is ideal to get the hedges tidy up to keep your plants neat for spring and summer.
March
March is an active month to out and about in the garden. This is where you can start sowing these plants outside which include; carrots, parsnips, leeks, beetroot, lettuce, summer cabbage, cauliflower, etc.
However, before doing all that you need to watch the weather forecast for frost warnings and cover outdoor seedlings with fabric. The fabric could be a tarp or something similar used to protect them during spells of frost.
During these times insects will make a move as well, so you need to protect the seedlings from pests and slugs with products such as slug pellets.
Also, March is when you should start working on your soil to keep weeds under control. March is also a good time to tackle stubborn weeds on paving, driveways, and footpaths with weed killer.
April
April is another exciting month to be active in the garden because sunlight and temperatures usually increase during these times, and plants start to grow stronger and faster as well. Plants such as Potatoes can be planted into deep drills. However, troublesome pests such as greenflies will soon appear as conditions become warm for their liking. Anyhow, make sure to have a deterrent spray ready to deal with them all these pests.
During the month of April, your lawn will require regular cutting so, it is a good time to service your lawnmower with oil changes well. It is also ideal to feed your lawn and keep the lawnmower blades on a high setting during the first few cuts. This will encourage rapid healthy grass growth.
Nevertheless, If you starting a new lawn, April and September are the best months for sowing lawn grass seed.
May
May is usually the month when you start to see your garden coming to life. During this time you can plant all your hanging baskets, containers, and bedding. This is when you should also keep a close eye on greenhouse plants for pests.
Depending on the weather and where you are located, you may need to regularly water your garden plants in your greenhouse, especially those which are newly planted.
Spend most of your time hoeing vegetable beds to tackle stubborn weeds. Thin-out vegetable seedlings for better growth and feed tomatoes and strawberries with suitable plant food.
May is a month when grass grows heavily so regularly mow your lawn and apply lawn feed to keep them luscious and green.
June
June is one of the months when you are working the hardest in your garden. However, do not forget to relax and enjoy your garden. There are a few things you should get done this month.
Vegetables such as potatoes, lettuce, and parsley can be harvested during this time while many fruit bushes will start to bear their fruit. Vegetables such as carrots, beetroot, beans, and lettuce are ideal during the month of June.
Always keep watering vegetables during the summertime. The most ideal time to water plants is in the evening time when the sun is low and won’t evaporate all the water. Weeds will be growing fast too so keep weeding as much as possible to prevent unwanted weeds from growing.
Lastly, Look out for pests and diseases, and plants that may need training or tying to poles for support.
July
July month is excellent for bees because they are essential for beautiful and productive growth in the garden. growing colorful flowers in your garden will attract them without fail.
While making your compost heap and if it looks dry, give it a little watering. it is recommended that you regularly give fruits and fruit trees, vegetables, and flowering plants a liquid feed during July.
August
August is the time when summer is creeping to an end, the long evenings of August should be spent relaxing in your vegetable garden, reaping the benefits of all your hard work from the months before. During August, there are only a few simple maintenance tasks that should be done going into the next month.
This includes continuing pulling out and deadheading, weeding, and checking for pests. Cut off any dead stalks and branches on plants, and support any that may be going limp. Regularly water your fruit, and vegetables, during the hot and DRY weather.
September
This is when the summertime comes to an end and the weather becomes not cold but cooler. You can now harvest your onions carrots and beats plants and along with other vegetables in the garden.
Continue to be on the lookout for pests during these times too these include, caterpillars and red spider mite. As the winds and the rain intensifies, you will need to support plants and vegetables more to keep them supported in an upright position.
As mentioned before, If you are planning to start a new lawn, August is an excellent time to sow the seeds.
October
October is a month with many surprises, it is not a shock to see light frost spells. This is a time when you need to disconnect hoses so the water doesn’t freeze inside them if sudden frosts occur.
Also, for carrots tender bulbs, lift them and store them before the frost. Parsnips are said to taste way better if they’re exposed to a frost.
Cleaning is ideal too so rake fallen leaves off your grass and throw them in your compost heap/bin to gather super soil for the greenhouse during the wintertime. Cleaning up dead leaves on lawns will help prevent moss growth on your lawn.
November
During the month of November, the evenings are much shorter, and your workload in the garden is quieting down for the winter. However, cleaning is one of your main priorities so continue to rake up fallen leaves to prevent moss grown on your lawn and to keep your garden looking tidy.
Cleaning seed trays, planters, greenhouses, and gardening tools, using a plant-friendly disinfectant before storing them away for the winter. reap or store any remaining vegetables.
Mowing the lawn for the last time of the year, and cleaning grass off the lawnmower before putting it away in storage.
Even though things may be slowing down, November is the best month of the year to plant trees or hedges in Ireland.
December
December is a month where it is very little that can be done in the garden due to rainfall and sub-zero temperatures. By now you should joy the fruits and labor of your garden.
During December, It is a good time to spread manure on beds, as the freezing and thawing water will help break up the manure and maximize the benefits later.
