Your free monthly garden calendar — what to sow, plant, prune and harvest every month of the year.
Select your USDA zone below for personalised timing. Check off tasks as you go — your progress is saved in your browser.
🔴 Do this week in
January
Rest, plan and start the earliest indoor sowings
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🌱 Sow & Propagate
- Sow sweet peas indoors in deep root trainers — earliest sowing produces the largest plants
- Sow chillies and peppers indoors with a heated propagator — they need a long growing season
- Force hyacinth bulbs indoors — place chilled bulbs in a vase of water in a dark cool spot
- Chit seed potatoes in a cool, light, frost-free place — egg cartons work perfectly
🌿 Plant & Transplant
- Plant bare-root roses, trees and shrubs while fully dormant — best value and best establishment
- Plant garlic if not done in autumn — even January planting produces a reasonable crop
✄ Prune & Tidy
- Winter prune wisteria — cut back all side shoots to 2–3 buds from the main framework
- Prune apple and pear trees while fully dormant — remove crossing, dead and crowded branches
- Cut back any perennials still standing if you did not do so in autumn
🏠 Maintenance & Jobs
- Order seeds and bulbs now — check our what to plant in winter guide for timing; best varieties sell out by February
- Check stored dahlia tubers and bulbs — discard any that are soft or mouldy
- Clean, sharpen and oil garden tools — prevents rust and extends tool life
- Feed garden birds — natural food is at its scarcest in January
- Plan crop rotation for the vegetable patch — never grow the same family in the same spot two years running
🌲 Houseplants
- Move houseplants away from cold windowsills at night — even brief drafts cause leaf drop
- Reduce watering significantly — overwatering in winter is the most common cause of houseplant death
- Wipe dust from large leaves (monsteras, fiddle leaf figs) — improves light absorption in short days
February
Main pruning month and the first real sowing push
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🌱 Sow & Propagate
- Sow tomatoes indoors in a heated propagator — they need 6–8 weeks before last frost
- Sow aubergines and celery indoors — both have very long growing seasons
- Sow onions from seed under cover — or wait to plant sets in March
🌿 Plant & Transplant
- Plant bare-root roses — last chance before growth begins in March
- Plant snowdrops “in the green” after flowering — far better establishment than dry bulbs
- Plant shallot sets in well-drained soil if the ground is workable
✄ Prune & Tidy
- Prune roses — follow our complete rose pruning guide for zone-specific timing; cut to an outward-facing bud
- Prune buddleja hard to 12–18 in (30–45 cm) from the ground — encourages vigorous flowering shoots
- Cut back ornamental grasses now before new growth emerges — remove all last year’s dead stems
- Prune late-winter flowering shrubs immediately after flowering
🏠 Maintenance & Jobs
- Apply a top dressing of well-rotted manure or compost around dormant shrubs
- Check fences and structures for winter damage — repair before climbing plants re-attach
- Feed garden birds — late winter is still hard; keep feeders topped up
🌲 Houseplants
- Begin fertilising monthly as days lengthen — plants start to wake up in February
- Check root-bound plants — if roots are escaping drainage holes, pot up one size now
- Increase watering slightly but only when the top inch of compost has dried out
March
The garden wakes up — divide perennials and get sowing outdoors
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🌱 Sow & Propagate
- Sow hardy annuals outdoors direct — cosmos, cornflowers, calendula and nigella in prepared soil
- Sow salad leaves, spinach and rocket under cover — harvest within 6–8 weeks
- Sow courgettes, squash and French beans indoors — plant out after last frost
- Take stem cuttings from spider plants, pothos and philodendrons — spring is the best time for rooting
🌿 Plant & Transplant
- Divide overcrowded herbaceous perennials — lift, split and replant; free plants for the whole border
- Plant new shrubs and perennials — spring moisture aids rapid establishment
- Start dahlia tubers in pots under cover — plant out after last frost in May
- Plant onion sets outdoors once the ground has warmed
✄ Prune & Tidy
- Deadhead daffodils as they finish — leave foliage for at least 6 weeks to replenish the bulb
- Prune forsythia and early-flowering shrubs immediately after blooming
- Cut back last year’s perennial stems if still standing — now is truly the last chance
🏠 Maintenance & Jobs
- Apply mulch to borders — retains moisture and suppresses weeds as soil warms
- Start mowing when grass reaches about 3 in (7 cm) — set blade high for the first cut of the year
- Start slug patrol — warm wet spring conditions trigger mass hatching; use copper tape or nematodes
🌲 Houseplants
April
Planting month — potatoes, containers and the first outdoor veg
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🌱 Sow & Propagate
- Sow runner beans and French beans indoors — plant out after last frost
- Sow wildflower seeds on bare, prepared soil — no feed needed; they prefer poor conditions
- Sow biennials for next year (foxgloves, wallflowers, sweet Williams) in a seedbed
🌿 Plant & Transplant
- Plant maincrop potatoes — 5 in (12 cm) deep, 12 in (30 cm) apart, in well-prepared trenches
- Plant new containerised roses — containerised stock can go in any time of year
- Plant hostas, astilbes and ferns — they love spring moisture and dappled shade
✄ Prune & Tidy
- Deadhead tulips and daffodils as they fade — leave the foliage to die back completely
- Pinch out sweet pea tips when 6 in (15 cm) tall — encourages bushy multi-stem growth
- Stake delphiniums and hollyhocks before they grow into the stakes
- Prune spring-flowering shrubs (lilac, flowering currant) right after they bloom
🏠 Maintenance & Jobs
- Control weeds now before they set seed — one hour in April saves ten hours in June
- Apply lawn fertiliser and overseed any bare patches
- Net brassica seedlings against cabbage white butterflies — they appear from April onwards
- Harden off indoor seedlings — move outside during the day, bring in at night for 1–2 weeks; check our spring planting guide for what goes out when
🌲 Houseplants
- Resume full feeding programme — switch to a balanced liquid fertiliser every 2 weeks
- Move orchids to a brighter spot as light improves — better light supports rebloom
May
Last frosts pass — plant out tender crops and fill containers
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🌱 Sow & Propagate
- Sow succession salads every 3 weeks for a continuous harvest through summer
- Sow sunflowers directly where they are to flower — full sun, rich soil
- Sow basil outdoors after last frost — it hates cold
🌿 Plant & Transplant
- Plant out tomatoes, peppers and courgettes after last frost — see our Zone 5 and Zone 6 guides for exact timing
- Plant hanging baskets and containers — use slow-release fertiliser granules in the compost
- Plant dahlia tubers outdoors — full sun, rich soil, 4 in (10 cm) deep
- Plant petunias and other tender bedding after frost risk has passed
✄ Prune & Tidy
- Deadhead spring bedding (pansies, wallflowers) to extend their season by weeks
- Prune spring-flowering shrubs (weigela, lilac, forsythia) immediately after flowering
- Chelsea chop — cut tall perennials (sedums, asters, rudbeckias) back by half in late May for bushier, later-flowering plants
🏠 Maintenance & Jobs
- Water new plantings consistently — May can be surprisingly dry despite feeling mild
- Use companion planting — basil with tomatoes, marigolds with most veg, sunflowers attract pollinators
- Net soft fruit (strawberries, gooseberries) as berries begin to form
🌲 Houseplants
- Move tender houseplants outside once nights stay above 54°F (12°C) — they thrive in summer air
- Watch for spider mites — hot dry weather triggers infestations; check leaf undersides weekly
June
Peak colour — deadhead constantly and tie in climbers
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🌱 Sow & Propagate
- Sow French beans for a second crop — succession sowing into late June
- Sow salad leaves in partial shade — direct sun causes bolting in summer heat
🌿 Plant & Transplant
- Plant waterlilies and aquatic plants — pond water is warm enough from June onwards
- Fill any gaps in borders with tender annuals
✄ Prune & Tidy
- Deadhead roses every week and watch for black spot and rust — humid June weather spreads fungal disease fast
- Cut back early hardy geraniums hard after their first flush — they will reflower in 4–6 weeks
- Pinch out cordon tomato sideshoots weekly — keep to one main stem for larger fruits
- Tie in climbing roses and clematis as they grow — prevent wind rock and tangling
🏠 Maintenance & Jobs
- Feed tomatoes with a high-potassium liquid feed every 2 weeks once first flowers appear
- Water containers daily — terracotta pots may need twice daily in hot spells
- Watch for aphids on roses and bean tips — squash by hand or use a strong water jet first
- Start collecting seeds from early-finishing annuals — store in labelled paper envelopes
🌲 Houseplants
- Water outdoor patio plants daily — check moisture below the surface, not just the top layer
- Watch for red spider mite on pothos and other houseplants — dry heat is their trigger
July
Harvest, water daily and place your spring bulb order now
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🌱 Sow & Propagate
- Sow autumn salads — spinach, winter lettuce and oriental leaves for a September harvest
- Take semi-ripe cuttings from lavender and hydrangeas — check our hydrangea types guide to identify your variety before pruning
🌿 Plant & Transplant
- Plant autumn-flowering bulbs — nerines and colchicums for September colour
✄ Prune & Tidy
- Deadhead dahlias every 3 days — the more you cut, the more flowers the plant produces
- Cut lavender after first flush — trim back by one third; never cut into old brown wood
- Summer prune wisteria — cut back all sideshoots to 5 leaves from the main framework
- Prune rambling roses immediately after flowering — remove one third of old stems from the base
🏠 Maintenance & Jobs
- ORDER SPRING BULBS NOW — tulips and alliums sell out early; September planting window
- Harvest vegetables daily — leaving crops to over-mature stops the plant producing more
- Raise mower blade height in drought — never cut grass below 2 in (5 cm) in dry spells
- Apply vine weevil nematodes to pots and borders — water in during the cool of the evening
🌲 Houseplants
- Feed patio plants and outdoor houseplants weekly — high growth period demands high nutrient input
- Check terracotta pots for vine weevil grubs — small white C-shaped grubs at root level
August
Preserve seeds, take cuttings and order tulip bulbs before stock runs out
Zone :
0 of 14 tasks completed
🌱 Sow & Propagate
- Sow hardy biennials (foxgloves, wallflowers) for next spring
- Take semi-ripe cuttings of lavender, rosemary and salvia
- Take cuttings of tender patio plants (fuchsias, pelargoniums) to overwinter indoors
🌿 Plant & Transplant
- Plant strawberry runners into a new bed — established runners fruit well next year
- Plant autumn crocuses and colchicums — they flower within weeks of planting
✄ Prune & Tidy
- Clip box and formal topiary — last hard trim of the year; finish by end of August
- Cut back tatty summer perennials to tidy the border
- Prune rambling roses right after flowering — do not delay or you lose next year’s buds
🏠 Maintenance & Jobs
- ORDER TULIP BULBS NOW — the best varieties sell out; plant October–November
- Pot up amaryllis bulbs for Christmas — 10–12 weeks from potting to bloom
- Collect and store seeds in paper envelopes — label with date and plant name
- Feed containers every week — nutrient levels deplete fast in summer heat
🌲 Houseplants
- Repot any pot-bound houseplants that struggled through summer — before growth slows in September
- Check bird of paradise and large foliage plants for scale and mealybug — if yours has stopped flowering, pests are often the cause
September
The great autumn planting begins — bulbs, new shrubs and division
Zone :
0 of 16 tasks completed
🌱 Sow & Propagate
- Sow sweet peas now for overwintering — stronger root systems than spring-sown seed
- Sow hardy annuals outdoors — nigella, larkspur and cornflowers for early spring flowering
- Sow overwintering salads under cover — winter lettuce, corn salad and land cress
🌿 Plant & Transplant
- Plant spring bulbs — daffodils, alliums, muscari and scilla can all go in from September
- Plant new shrubs, hedging and perennials — autumn moisture helps roots establish before winter
- Divide herbaceous perennials — hostas, hemerocallis, hardy geraniums, sedums
- Plant garlic — September and October are ideal; 6 in (15 cm) apart, 2 in (5 cm) deep
✄ Prune & Tidy
- Lightly shorten long climbing rose stems — prevents wind rock loosening the roots over winter
- Cut back spent perennials but leave some seedheads — they feed birds and add winter structure
🏠 Maintenance & Jobs
- Rake and scarify the lawn — remove thatch before the autumn rest; overseed bare patches
- Make leaf mould and work through our autumn garden checklist — pile fallen leaves into a wire cage; two-year-old leaf mould is garden gold
- Net ponds against falling leaves — decomposing leaves deplete oxygen levels over winter
- Lift and store begonia tubers before first frost — dry thoroughly before storing in barely-damp compost
🌲 Houseplants
- Move tender patio plants back indoors before first frost — check carefully for pests first
- Reduce watering as days shorten — overwatering in autumn is as damaging as in winter
- Allow orchids to experience 50–55°F (10–13°C) cool nights — this temperature drop triggers bud initiation
October
Tulip month — the single most important planting window of the year
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🌱 Sow & Propagate
- Sow sweet peas if not done in September — deeper pots produce better plants
🌿 Plant & Transplant
- Plant TULIP BULBS — October and November are the ideal months; late planting reduces disease risk
- Plant alliums, hyacinths, muscari and grape hyacinths for spring colour
- Plant bare-root roses, trees and shrubs — the main bare-root season starts now
- Plant spring bedding — wallflowers, pansies and bellis into cleared summer borders
✄ Prune & Tidy
- Cut back herbaceous perennials to ground level as they die back
- Apply autumn lawn feed — low nitrogen, high potassium; the final feed of the year
- Rake fallen leaves before they smother grass and harbour slugs
🏠 Maintenance & Jobs
- Lift dahlias after first frost — cut back, dry tubers, store in compost in a frost-free shed
- Store tender summer bulbs — gladioli, begonia tubers and canna rhizomes all need to come inside before hard frost
- Clean out gutters of leaf debris — blocked gutters cause damp problems
- Pot up tulips in containers — store in cold frame or unheated shed until shoots appear
🌲 Houseplants
- Move all tender container plants under cover — conservatory, greenhouse or bright porch
- Stop feeding houseplants — they slow down significantly after October; excess feed causes salt build-up
- Pot up amaryllis bulbs if not done in August — Christmas flowering still achievable
November
Wind down borders, insulate tender plants and force bulbs for Christmas
Zone :
0 of 14 tasks completed
🌱 Sow & Propagate
- Force hyacinth bulbs — place chilled bulbs in the dark for 8–10 weeks then bring into light
🌿 Plant & Transplant
- Continue planting bare-root roses and shrubs — the whole dormant season is suitable
- Plant tulip bulbs in pots — late container planting reduces tulip fire disease
- Plant winter-flowering pansies, cyclamen and chrysanthemums in containers — hardy mums withstand light frosts and give colour into December
✄ Prune & Tidy
- Winter prune fruit trees (apples and pears) while fully dormant — shape and remove crossing branches
- Cut back the last standing perennials — leave a few seedheads for finches and structure
🏠 Maintenance & Jobs
- Protect tender plants with fleece, bubble wrap or a deep bark mulch — camellias in exposed spots particularly benefit from wind protection
- Drain hosepipes and irrigation systems — water left in pipes can freeze and split them
- Clean the greenhouse — wash staging, pots and trays before overwintering plants move in
- Check stored bulbs and tubers for rot — discard any that are soft; the rot spreads
- Order seed catalogues and plan next year — the best varieties go fast once they open
🌲 Houseplants
- Keep houseplants away from cold windows and dry radiators — both extremes cause leaf drop
- Amaryllis planted in August should be showing shoots — bring into brighter light now
- Reduce all watering to the bare minimum — root rot is the biggest winter killer
December
Rest, review and plan — a good December saves weeks in spring
Zone :
0 of 14 tasks completed
🌱 Sow & Propagate
- No outdoor sowing needed — clean and prepare seed trays, compost and propagators for next season
🌿 Plant & Transplant
- Finish planting bare-root plants — last chance before hard frosts make it impractical
- Plant tulip bulbs in pots if not done — they still have time to establish before spring
✄ Prune & Tidy
- Prune holly and evergreens selectively for Christmas decorations
- Shorten rose stems by one third in exposed gardens — reduces wind rock over winter
🏠 Maintenance & Jobs
- Order seeds for next year early — check our what to plant in winter guide and summer care guide to plan ahead; popular varieties sell out by February
- Review the gardening year — note what performed and what did not while memory is fresh
- Clean and oil tools for winter storage — a little oil now prevents a lot of rust later
- Check greenhouse heating is working — one cold night can destroy everything overwintering inside
- Feed garden birds generously — fat balls, sunflower seeds and fresh water every day
- Water evergreens and newly planted shrubs in dry spells — winter drought is real and often overlooked
🌲 Houseplants
- Water amaryllis while actively growing and in flower — needs moisture but not waterlogging
- Leave other houseplants largely alone — minimal water, no feed, cool and bright
- Do not move or repot houseplants over the holiday period
Should we build monthly email reminders?
Get a short email at the start of each month with your personalised task list for your USDA zone — would you use it?