A Seasonal Gardening Checklist

For many novice gardeners, knowing what to do in the garden throughout the year can be challenging. Most folks believe that springtime is the best time to do it all; to toss on compost, to plant and prune and fertilize. As your faithful master gardener, I’m here to dispel the myth that gardening is only done in spring. While it is a beautiful time of year to get our hands back into the earth, much of our best gardening is done at other times of the year, too.

It takes a seasoned gardener, someone who’s learned from many sorry mistakes, to know when the time's right to rake away the leaves, transplant, stop fertilizing, or sow the earliest cool season crops. To simplify your gardening process here’s a comprehensive list of what to do in the garden during each season.

Note: Best for gardens in the northern hemisphere that experience true or mild winters

two gloved hands weeding between vegetables and flowers in early spring

LATE WINTER & EARLY SPRING GARDENING TASKS

Research new desired plants to know each plant's specific needs.
Shop for seeds.
Plan garden layout and planting schedule.
Clean out the garden shed or greenhouse.
Prepare cool season gardening supplies: i.e. tools, frost cloths, hoop houses, trays, pots, etc.
If not done in fall, add compost to beds and amend soil.
Prune trees, shrubs, and perennials; cut back ornamental grasses to just above the ground.
Weed beds when soil is thawing and moist.
Shop for cool season starter plants.
If starting your own plants, set up an indoor growing station with a heating mat, grow lights, ventilation, trays and lids.
Start cool + warm season plants indoors.
When soil is workable, transplant plant cold hardy and hard frost tolerant plants. Temperate climates can plant cool and warm season crops.
Water seedlings every day until ready for transplanting when temperatures warm in Spring.
Protect new transplants from frost and snow with frost cloths or cloches until they’re established.
Add kitchen scraps to compost and churn.

SPRING GARDENING TASKS

Harden-off warm season starter plants by slowly exposing them to increasing indirect, then direct, sunlight one week leading up to transplanting.
After the average last frost day, transplant warm season crops and perennials.
Fertilize new and existing annual plants, perennials, trees, and lawn.
Weed beds.
Mow the lawn and add clippings to the compost pile.
Add kitchen scraps to compost and churn.
Pull out rain barrels and hose.
Turn on the outside water spigot.
Test drip irrigation hoses + sprinklers for damages. Repair as necessary.
Harvest cool-season lettuces and greens near the end of Spring.
Watch precipitation patterns and adjust supplemental watering as needed so plants have a few days in between waterings.
Deep water trees and perennials once per week if rains are low.
Water the garden every 2-3 days when spring rains subside.
Add kitchen scraps to compost and churn every week.

woman on a pest patrol in the garden looking under plant leaves. Summer garden tasks

Early Summer Gardening Tasks

Harvest cool season vegetables.
Ensure soil around seedlings and new plants remain consistently moist (but not soggy) until they are established.
Protect tender cool season crops from intense direct sun + heat with shade cloth to prevent bolting.
Deadhead (cut off) spent blossoms of perennial and annual flowers to encourage more growth.
Harvest tips of perennial herbs to inspire growth.
Fertilize vegetables consecutively once every 2-4 weeks.
Weed.
Aerate lawn.
Deep water trees and perennials once per month.
Add kitchen scraps to compost and churn every week.
Monitor the vegetable garden daily to watch for early pest infestations. Remove pests by hand if damage or crop loss is happening.
If infestations begin, plant more flowers that attract insects and pollinators.

Summer Gardening Tasks

Weed beds.
Mown lawn.
Fertilize vegetable garden + perennials perennials once per month.
Adjust watering cadence and volume as needed.
Deep water trees and perennials once per month.
Patrol garden for pests every day or every other day.
Deadhead (cut off) spent blossoms of perennial and annual flowers.
Harvest garlic when the stalks turn brown and fall over. Harvest onion when the stalk gets soft at the base.
Harvest cool + warm season crops as they ripen.
Harvest, bundle, cure, and store perennial herbs.
Enjoy the harvest and the blooms!
Remove bolting lettuce and other spent cool season crops. Add organic matter and resow next succession or cover crop to regenerate the soil.
Harvest summer squash and zucchini when they are still small and tender.
Add kitchen scraps to compost and churn every week.

LATE SUMMER & EARLY FALL Gardening Tasks

Continue garden maintenance tasks such as weeding, pest patrols, and harvesting.
Clear out spent annuals, add compost to annual’s bed, then plant cool season crops for a fall harvest.
Stop fertilizing all plants except for cool season vegetable seedlings recently sown or transplanted.
Deep water trees and perennials once per month.
Add kitchen scraps to compost and churn every week.
Harvest, bundle, cure, and store perennial herbs.
Preserve garden veggies and fruits through pickling, canning, freezing, and dry cold storage.
Begin harvesting seeds from dried seed pods left on spent flowers of plants that you want to sow next growing season.

FALL & EARLY WINTER Gardening Tasks

Continue garden maintenance tasks such as weeding, pest patrols and harvesting fall crops until annuals die and perennials go dormant.
Stop harvesting and pruning perennial herbs as they are preparing to go dormant. Leave dead leaves, flower heads, and stems for pollinators to overwinter in.
Plant trees + perennials 6 weeks before the average hard frost date.
Deep water trees and perennials to hydrate them for winter.
Preserve garden veggies for winter.
Harvest seeds from dried seed pods left on spent flowers of plants that you want sow next growing season. Leave some to invite winter birds.
Remove all diseased plant matter from garden beds and dispose of it through burning. Don't compost diseased plants.
Layer 2-4 inches of compost on all beds.
Sow winter cover crops over the vegetable garden to regenerate the soil.
(Temperate climates) Plant cool season crops to grow through winter.
Plant garlic, onions and bulb flowers for next season just before ground freezes. Insulate with mulch or leaves.
Dig up, divide and replant bulb flowers and rhizomes.
Repair bed borders, tools, and irrigation system if needed.
Clean and repair garden tools before storing away.
Drain rain barrels + hoses and store away for winter.
Turn off outdoor water spigots before freezing temperatures.
Organize the garden shed or greenhouse.
Mow lawn to 2 inches + fertilize.
Mow up leaves and spread material over garden beds as mulch or use to create a new compost pile.
Insulate the roots of perennial plants, grasses, and flowering shrubs with leaves before temperatures freeze.

woman sits on couch inside reading a seed catalog. what to do in winter for the garden

WINTER Gardening Tasks

Rest.
Enjoy preserved harvests from the garden.
Enjoy the fallow garden and the winter landscape.
Temperate climates grow cool season crops.
Dream up next year's garden plans.
If there is little to zero precipitation, deep water trees manually about once per month. (Halloween, Thanksgiving, Christmas, MLK Jr. Day, President’s Day, St. Patrick's Day)