Montage Gardening and Lawn Calendar

The following Gardening Calendar has been prepared to assist those not familiar with the different seasonal aspects of desert landscape maintenance. The calendar is meant to be a general guide and residents should take care to learn the unique plants, micro-climes and care requirements of their home landscape.

January

• Fertilize winter lawns following the first mowing with a high-phosphate product
• Prune roses and transplant bare-root roses
• Prune deciduous non-native trees, fruit trees and grapes
• Plant bare-root fruit trees
• Continue to protect sensitive plants from frost using frost cloth and frost cups
• Continue the decreased winter watering schedule
• Do not water turf at night and avoid mowing turf when wet

February

• Weed garden twice a week
• Continue protecting sensitive plants from frost
• Harvest the citrus from citrus trees before months end and trim before blooming (except Valencia oranges and grapefruits which will last through May)
• Fertilize citrus trees the middle of month
• Prepare garden beds by adding new compost and ammonium phosphate
• Continue to plant bare-root fruit trees and deciduous trees
• Plant non-native shrubs and vines
• Plant annuals during February and they will last through May
• Apply pre-emergent weed control

March

• Continue weeding garden often
• Fertilize roses every two weeks while they are in bloom
• When night time temperatures reach 60 degrees for five consecutive nights, begin the transition from rye grass to Bermuda
• Cut rye grass to 1/2 inch and continue until Bermuda grass has fully returned (usually in May)
• Prune apple trees, apricot trees, pear trees, and peach trees to allow approximately six inches between each fruit on the same branch
• Begin heavy pruning of shrubs and ground covers
• Continue planting all non-native trees
• Plant all tropical plants
• Plant vegetable plants and herb plants, including artichokes, tomatoes, peppers, oregano, parsley, and sage

April

• Continue to weed often
• Finish harvesting Valencia oranges and grapefruits
• Continue trimming rye grass to 1/2 inch
• Continue fertilizing roses
• Trim desert trees and shrubs and fertilize, but DO NOT trim citrus
• Plant new desert trees early in the month
• Plant new citrus trees
• Plant cacti and succulents, along with desert adapted shrubs and ground covers early in the month
• Second application of pre-emergent weed control

May

• Continue to weed often
• Fertilize your (now sprouting) Bermuda lawn
• When temperatures consistently reach 100 degrees and above, water your lawn two to three times every day early in the morning or at dusk
• Continue to water plants and shrubs slowly and deeply throughout the summer as temperatures rise
• Protect trunk of newly planted trees from sunburn and stake them to protect them from winds
• Protect sun-sensitive plants, such as tomatoes, from direct sunlight using a shade cloth
• Water vegetable plants for at least one-foot of soil moisture
• Prune flower pods on California fan palms to control lower drop into pools and reduce pool filter cleaning
• Prune flower pods of Mexican fan palms and Mediterranean Palms to control flower drop into pools and reduce pool filter cleaning

June

• June begins the driest months in the Coachella valley, plants may need more watering (be careful to not over water)
• Water lawn two or three times per day being mindful of Coachella Valley Water District requirements
• Water flower beds every other day
• Continue to protect young tree trunks from sunburn
• Mulch around heat sensitive plants to keep the roots cooler and moister
• Transplant desert trees, such as Mesquites, Palo Verdes, and desert shrubs and palm trees
• Moisten soil before fertilizing
• Prune bougainvillea and lantana bushes
• Continue to prune flower pods on California and Mexican fan palms to control flower drop into pools and reduce pool filter cleaning

July

• Water lawn two or three times per day being mindful of Coachella Valley Water District requirements
• Water flower beds every other day
• Continue to protect young tree trunks from sunburn
• Continue to check mulch around heat sensitive plants to keep the roots cooler and moister
• Transplant desert trees, such as Mesquites, Palo Verdes, and desert shrubs and palm trees
• Moisten soil before fertilizing
• Prune bougainvillea and lantana bushes
• Continue to prune California Fan Palm flower pods
• Continue to prune Mexican fan palms and Mediterranean Palm flower pods
• Begin pruning Queen Palm flower pods.

August

• Allow Bermuda grass to grow to 2 1/2–3 inches and water approximately 1-inch per week
• Plant Melons
• Maintain mulch around the base of heat sensitive plants
• Fertilize fall ripening fruit and citrus trees, including oranges and tangerines late in the month
• Continue to plant desert plants during August and water daily until Fall
• Supplement the soil of yellowing roses with iron to return proper coloring
• Prepare flower beds for fall plantings by irrigating and covering with clear plastic for 6 weeks
• Begin planting seeds for fall vegetables, including broccoli, cabbage, kale, green onions, and summer squash
• Continue to prune Queen Palm flower pods

September

• Continue deep, slow summer watering
• Stop fertilizing Bermuda during September to prepare for overseeding
• Fertilize citrus with ammonium sulfate, if it was not done during August (spread fertilizer in the outer 2/3 of the root area for maximum benefit)
• Prepare garden beds and flower beds by cultivating / breaking soil up, adding compost, ammonium phosphate, sulfur, and iron
• Plant cool season crops when temperatures are consistently below 100 degrees, often late in September
• Mow Bermuda lawn short over two weeks in preparation for over-seeding with rye for summer green
• Prune palm tree palm fronds (do not prune any fronds that stand out more than 90 degrees or parallel to ground)

October

• Plant leafy vegetables and root vegetables
• Reduce watering by about one-third as weather cools
• Plant winter rye lawn around mid-month
• Mow Bermuda lawns to 1/2 inch before planting perennial rye
• October is the BEST month to plant trees and shrubs in the Coachella Valley (except for palm trees)
• Plant flowers
• Withhold fertilization around established trees and shrubs until February

November

• Reduce watering by another one third and stop watering lawn after dark as Bermuda grass becomes dormant when temperatures begin to dip below 50 degrees, so continue watering with 2–3 inches of water per week
• Apply ammonium nitrate to restore green on winter rye yellows
• Plant flowers in full or partial sun as appropriate
• Harvest leaves from leafy vegetables rather than the entire head
• Trim undesired sprouts from the interior of your citrus tree to make next harvest easier and more productive

December

• Continue to plant annuals and perennials
• Watch weather reports for frost warning and protect plants as necessary
• Continue to avoid watering at night and avoid over-watering to avoid fungus growth (lawns may only need watering every 5–7 days)
• Harvest citrus as it readies (fruit continues to sweeten on the tree)
• Plant fruit trees and nut trees
• Plant bare-root and container roses from December through May (do not do any major pruning during December)