Father-daughter gardening team Bill and Martelle Luedecke write a regular column, “In the Garden,” that’s published at DailyTrib.com. Once a month, they include a to-do list for that time of year. Here’s a quick look at a year’s worth of gardening advice.

JANUARY JOURNALS

Start a year-round journal of your gardening activities, although you can begin one at anytime. It doesn’t have to be complicated or sophisticated. Write about what you did and when you did it. Add the results as you go along. It’s also helpful to document rain amounts, freeze dates and lengths, and watering schedules.

FEBRUARY PLANTING & PRUNING

February is one of the best months to plant trees, shrubs, ground cover, perennials, and vines. February veggies, from artichokes to Swiss chard, can be put in the ground this month. Also, prune dormant perennials, rosemary, oregano, and roses.

STAGGER MARCH SEEDING

Start seeds for all hot-weather and perennial herbs. Vegetables for this month include beets, carrots, cucumbers, melons, onions, peas, peppers, summer squash, tomatoes, and zucchini. Stagger your plantings a week apart so you don’t have to harvest everything all at once.

APRIL MEANS MULCH

Add nutrients to the leaves of fruit trees as well other trees and shrubs, and cover the ground with mulch, mulch, and more mulch. Pull weeds after April showers when the ground is moist. Deadhead blooms from geraniums, pansies, snapdragons, stock, and calendulas.

MAY DAY FOR BUGS

Fight fleas and ticks with nematodes. Or, when the ground is dry, apply diatomaceous earth. Sulfur works great for chiggers. You can apply elemental sulfur at 4 pounds per 1,000 square-feet. Prune spring flowering shrubs, vines, and roses that only bloom in the spring, but DO NOT prune red or live oaks unless they are damaged. No oak wilt wanted.

BE WATER WISE IN JUNE

Water trees and shrubs deeply and track the watering needs of flowers and vegetables daily. The best times to water are in the early morning daylight or early evening as the day cools down. No night watering: It’s not healthy for the plants as it promotes fungus growth. Use drip systems and soaker hoses to prevent evaporation. Harvest vegetables often to encourage more production and enjoy the freshest produce.

FALL IN JULY

Start thinking about the fall! Plant pumpkins for an October harvest during the week of July 4. Most pumpkins take 75-120 days from seed to harvest. Counting back from Halloween gives us the beginning of July. Dig and divide any crowded spring bulbs when their foliage turns brown. Replant immediately in prepared beds. 

AUGUST FEED

First and foremost: Mulch, mulch, and mulch. For roses, apply nitrogen-rich fertilizers. Coffee grounds and sun tea are good sources. Turn or till under all of the leftover crops (not the weeds). Add compost and soil enhancers such as Lady Bug Soil Activator. Once you have accomplished those tasks, top off the soil with liquid molasses. It feeds the microbiological activity in the soil. If you had a bumper crop of tomatoes, when they start to wane in the heat, cut them back to about 12 inches and water and feed them. They will grow and produce for you until the first freeze. If they did not produce for you, take them out.

SEPTEMBER VEGGIES

Begin fall vegetable plantings of Asian greens, beets, Chinese cabbage, carrots, chard, collards, corn, garlic, kale, kohlrabi, lettuce, mustard greens, peas, shallots, and turnips. Begin to think and plan where you want to plant wildflowers. Remember, when planning, if you are going to put out corn gluten, do NOT plant wildflower seeds in that same location. 

COLD OCTOBER BULBS

Place tulip and hyacinth bulbs in the refrigerator for 60 days. They must chill for that period of time before planting in December. The other bulb plants can go in the ground now. Plant them so the base is at a depth three times the bulb’s diameter. Start planning for next spring and cleaning the gardens for winter. 

NOVEMBER FREEZE FRAME

At the first warning of a freeze, water plants the night before. Mulch at least 4 inches around your plants and trees, leaving a 6-inch space around the trunk of the tree. Mulching is as beneficial during the winter months as it was in the summer. Protect tender plants and vegetables with covers or wraps. 

DECEMBER BULBS & BLOOMS

Add organic material to flower and garden beds and have them ready to plant when needed. It’s time to plant the bulbs that have been in the refrigerator for six weeks now. This is still a good time to set out cool season flowers such as pansies, violas, stock, and snapdragons. 

Till next time, keep your souls and soles in your garden! Remember Jesus said, “I am the vine; my Father is the Gardener.” —John 15:1

Send gardening questions to Martelle at luedeckephotography@gmail.com or Bill at bill@texasland.net.