Monthly Seasonal Advice for Plants in Grand Rapids, MI

Prune while dormant, avoid over-watering indoor plants… Good time of the year to prune deciduous plant material and trees when they are dormant. Dress warm and make sure to use a good quality, clean by-pass pruning shears. Foliage plants help improve indoor air quality. Clean dust off the foliage with a damp sponge. Don’t over-water […]

Look for rodent damage, prevent evergreen desiccation… If all goes well, this month has the potential of giving us our first peek at spring! As we experience some thaw days the foliage of pansies and bulbs we planted last fall start to become visible. In some years by the end of this month the Witchhazel […]

Get started with seeds, apply horticultural oil and lime sulphur… A great month for seed starting! Use a good quality lightweight seed starting soil for your plants. Grow lights are a great supplement to natural light so your seedlings don’t get leggy stretching for the light. Use dome covers on your flats for humidity. When […]

Vole and mole turf damage, snow mold, crabgrass pre-emergents, start landscaping… This is a big month for turf issues! Aside from obvious vole and mole damage, April is a month to identify and begin repair for snow mold. Both gray and pink snow mold will be evident as the snow clears, especially in areas where […]

Prune woody flowering plants, till and amend soil, watch out for weeds… Many woody plants are in bloom this month or bloomed during April. The best time to prune woody flowering plants like Forsythia or Lilacs if they need it is right after they are done blooming. Later in the year they will be developing […]

Feed those vegetables, start hardscaping, container planting… June is one of the busiest and best of the gardening months in Michigan. No more fear of frost, the vegetable garden is growing and perennials steal the show in the landscape. Many perennials are in their prime during the month of June. Roses, annuals, tomatoes and other […]

Watering do’s and don’ts, hot weather fertilizing, controlling grubs and bugs… Water becomes a big issue in July. Hot dry weather can do a number on your prized plants. Grand Rapids, MI, heat always kicks in when you’re away vacationing at the beach! With hanging baskets, learn to tell by the weight of the basket […]

Cut back tired annuals, establish next year’s lawn, late Summer color… Cut back tired annuals and feed them with a water-soluble fertilizer to rejuvenate them! Petunias and other annuals can get “leggy” and worn by August. Chopping them back part way and using a good liquid feeding can give you a resurgence of growth and […]

Fall really IS for gardening, planting bulbs, dividing and moving perennials… September is the start of a new gardening season, the fall season. The people with the nicest yards and gardens are out working in them during the fall gardening season (September, October and November). Fall is a perfect time for planting because the soil […]