Fall Season, Norwood Hall

What is the Landscape Services Doing This Month?

January

• Composting
• Corrective pruning on trees and shrubs
• Start planning for what summer annuals you want to install
• Finalize replacement tree list for Spring plantings
• Mulch shrub and tree beds
• Order and purchase any new tools and supplies
• Snow and ice removal as weather requires
• Tool and general equipment maintenance : clean and oil

February

• Composting
• Corrective pruning on trees and shrubs
• Cut back ornamental grasses:  miscanthus
• Cut back Siberian iris
• Cut spireae to 6-8”
• Mulch shrubs and trees if you didn’t get them done already
• Prune all crape myrtles to 10”- 18”
• Prune Rose ‘Knock Out’
• Snow and ice removal as weather requires
• Tool and general equipment maintenance: clean and oil

March

• Decide final annual designs
• Conduct soil tests on all flower beds
• Cut back ornamental grasses and other perennials that were left for winter interest
• Cut hibiscus to the ground
• Cut Russian sage to 6”
• Dead leaf Acanthus spinosus (Bear’s Breeches)
• Divide and transplant ornamental grasses
• Mow or trim lirope in beds
• Plant spring bulbs
• Press back any heaved perennials/shrubs from cold weather
• Refresh mulch on beds as needed
• Remove dead leaves from evergreens
• Soil test beds including organic content and micronutrients
• Tool and general equipment maintenance: clean and oil
• Top dress garden and ground cover areas with slow-release fertilizer
• Mow season begins
• Trash removal

April

• Add compost to beds
• Aerate as needed in turf and bed areas
• Cut back grasses: Pennisetum
• Cut Russian sage by ½ when 12” tall
• Cut back spring flowering bulbs after foliage fades
• Divide and transplant perennials when growth is 3-4” high
• Divide lirope if needed
• Fertilize hibiscus
• Fertilizing, top dressing and mulching that wasn’t completed in March
• Pinch perennials
• Scout for Powdery Mildew and spray if needed
• Stake perennials and large annuals as they emerge (peonies, hibiscus, ect.)
• Tool and general equipment maintenance: clean and oil
• Weeding – weed well in Spring to save time in Summer!
• Mow, mow, mow
• Trash removal

May

• All annual plantings plant after May 15 and should be completed by end of May
• Keep records of new plantings
• Move or remove any unwanted perennial seedlings
• Prune off any growth damaged from late frosts
• Pruning for height control
• Remove seed heads of Siberian iris
• Slug bait hostas
• Spray daylilies for rust
• Spray for bagworms in evergreen shrubs
• Tool and general equipment maintenance: clean and oil
• Transplanting and division of spring flowering perennials can be done after flowering.
• Transplanting and division of summer and autumn flowering perennials
• Weeding – thistle and dandelion are coming!
• Spray broadleaves in lawn areas
• Continue to mow
• Trash removal

June

• All perennial planting should be completed by mid-June
• Corrective pruning on trees and shrubs:  Maples
• Cut back purple cone-flower by ½ to control height
• Cut hibiscus by 1/2
• Dead leaf perennials
• Deadhead iris
• Fertilize all ground cover beds (slow release fertilizer)
• Fertilize azaleas (acidify every 2 weeks)
• Fertilize winterberry (acidify every 2 weeks)
• Monitor flower beds for insect and diseases – spray as needed
• Pruning for height control in flowers
• Shear down declining foliage of spring perennials
• Shear soapwort by ½ to keep compact after bloom
• Prune declining blooms off of spirea for rebloom
• Tool and general equipment maintenance: clean and oil

July

• Begin to trim and cut back flowers (annuals and perennials) for aesthetic reasons
• Corrective pruning on trees and shrubs: dogwood
• Cut all Echinacea purpurea by 1/3 – this will cause flowering to delay until fall
• Cut back all daylily stems when flowering is complete –back to basal foliage
• Dead head perennials:  especially hosta, salvia, rudbeckia
• Fertilize all ground cover beds (slow release)
• Fertilize azaleas (acidify every 2 weeks)
• Fertilize winterberry (acidify every 2 weeks)
• Pruning for height control in flowers
• Prune old blooms off of spirea for rebloom
• Tool and general equipment maintenance: clean and oil
• Enjoy the fruits of your labor!

August

• Corrective pruning on trees and shrubs
• Cut Russian sage blooms by 1/3 to prolong bloom through autumn
• Deleaf or shear daylilies 6-8”
• Design any fall bulb plantings for spring
• Divide iris as needed
• Finalize any replacement tree list for Fall
• Mulch shrubs and trees as needed
• Order fall bulbs
• Tool and general equipment maintenance: clean and oil
• Trim and cut back annuals and perennials for aesthetic reasons
• Begin to wean plants from fertilization

September

• Apply touch-up mulch
• Bed preparation for any bulb planting
• Corrective pruning on trees and shrubs
• Division and transplanting of spring and summer flowering perennials, complete by end of month to ensure establishment
• Fall plantings of chrysanthemums or ornamental cabbage
• Generally no more fertilizer until spring
• Tool and general equipment maintenance: clean and oil
• Mowing may pick up with cooler tempertures on cool season turf areas
• Trash removal

October

• All divisions and transplanting should be complete by this month
• Top dress all beds with 2-3” of compost
• As annuals are removed, pot up tender bulbs and move indoors:  cannas, elephant ears
• Corrective pruning on trees and shrubs
• Leaf removal
• Mowing slows down
• Mulch shrubs and trees
• Mulch tender plants once the ground is frozen
• No more perennial planting after October 15th.
• Plant fall bulbs
• Scout for corrective pruning on young trees and shrubs
• Tool and general equipment maintenance: clean and oil

November

• Composting
• Corrective pruning on trees and shrubs
• Cut back grasses:  calamagratis
• Double check that all bed irrigation has been removed or blown-out
• Leaf removal
• Mulch shrubs and trees
• Order spring bulb plantings
• Prune perennials this month
• Recycle or return used pots
• Snow and ice removal as weather requires
• Tool and general equipment maintenance: clean and oil

December

• Corrective pruning on trees and shrubs
• Design any summer annual beds or pots
• Mulch shrubs and trees
• Snow and ice removal as weather requires
• Tool and general equipment maintenance: clean and oil