Garden Tasks as we Head into April

With all the snow we've been having lately it is hard to believe that we are already six days into spring. If you are still having snow these tasks may have to wait until the ground warms up a bit for you, but we wanted to go ahead and share this information with you.

Plant your leaf lettuce: keep in mind that they need 6 to 8 hours of sunlight a day.

Inside you will want to start your leeks: remember to plant one starter container for every leek you want to grow.

Also it is time to start your tomatoes inside: plant one starter container for every 10 to 12 lbs of tomatoes that you want. Also don't forget to invest in tomato rings and cages for when you plant them in your garden.

Plant green onions: your onions will need 6 to 8 hours of sunlight a day.

Plant carrots: they need 6 to 8 hours of sunlight a day.

Sow your hardy annuals such as wild flowers.

Repot any indoor plants that are starting to look tired. This is usually a sign that they need fresh dirt and a larger pot.

Time to plant fruit trees or wait until next year to do so.

March Gardening Tasks

Spring will be upon us soon, what are somethings that you can be doing to help your garden?

Get out your gardening tools and be sure they are cleaned up and repaired if repairs need to be made.

Start indoor transplants of tomatoes, lettuce, eggplants, parsley, peppers, and other vegetables.

Turn your compost pile. (really this should be done weekly)

Start putting out your birdhouses. 

Fertilize shrubs and trees.

Prune fruit trees before the buds swell.

Start preparing the soil for your vegetable garden.

Peas, sweet peas, asparagus, rhubarb, artichokes, strawberries, blueberries, fruit trees, and horse radish can begin to be planted now.

Repair damaged areas of your lawn.

Getting Ready for Spring

Don't' wait until the last minute to prep everything you need for your spring gardening. Here are some things that you can tackle now:

Work on your tools. You will want to tackle your gardening tools so that they are in the best shape possible before you begin using them. Sharpen any cutting tools. Clean, oil, and sharpen your digging tools. Replace any tools that are too damaged for repair.

Once the ground has thawed you can start planting your woody plants. If you have any shrubs or trees that need to be relocated the same rule applies to them as well, it can be done once the ground has thawed.

Clean up your yard. Winter can leave a lot of debris lying around. Broken branches, dead plants, leaves, etc. Get out your rake, wheelbarrow, gloves, and anything else that will help you tackle the mess.

Using compost or fertilizer bring your yard back to life and give your soil the much needed nutrients it will need to help your plants grow this spring.

Prune and shape any woody plants that need it.

Now sit back and plan our what you are going to plant this spring.

Tips for Your Garden in October

Summer is gone and fall is well upon us. So what do you need to be doing in your garden to prepare it for next year? Well we have some tips to get you started on your October gardening tasks.

Once you have had two or three hard frosts you will want to take pruning shears and clip back all the stems and foliage on your herbaceous perennials.

After a few more frosts you should add mulch to your perennial flower garden. One inch of mulch will help the soil to retain moisture and protect the roots.

Plant any spring flowering bulbs.

Sit down and make notes of which plants did best in your garden and which plants seemed to have trouble thriving. You can use the winter months to do research and determine what needs to be done about the plants that had problems, this can help you decide what you want in your garden next year.

Remove diseased or insect ridden plants from your garden. This will keep the disease from spreading to other plants and if the insect affected plants have eggs, etc. in them then disposing of these plants will help to control the insect problem for next year.

Regarding Tomatoes:

If it hasn't frosted already, then you will want to pick all of your tomatoes before it does. Pick them even if they are not yet ripe. If you aren't planning on eating all of the ripe ones right away you can freeze them for future use. The unripe tomatoes need to be hung upside down if you have picked them with the entire plant, if not then you can store them in a brown paper bag in a cool dark area to help their ripening process.

September Gardening Tasks for Perennials

September is the time that the days begin to cool and being outside for extended periods of time becomes more enjoyable. So while you are outdoors there are a few things that can help your garden along. Or at least make your garden prettier.

Tasks for Perennials:
You will want to start now and continue working with your perennials over the next few months (once your soil has cooled to less than 60 degrees).  Plant your spring blooming bulbs in well drained soil and plant about 3x deeper than the diameter of the bulbs. For this particular month you will want to focus on planting:

• Tulips: Plant so bulbs aren't touching. For abundant tulips plant 10-20 bulbs in a hole that is one foot in diameter.
• Early blooming perennials can be divided. Be sure to give plenty of water after they are replanted.
• Dig up, divide, or transplant any of your perennials that are becoming crowded.
• If you want some fall color in your yard now is the time to plant:
  Mums, Winter Pansies, Flowering Cale, Cabbage
• Plant your seed perennials by scattering them in rows or in an open bed. Once it is spring these seedlings can be moved to their more permanent locations.

To make dealing with the replanting of bulbs easier, you may want to consider investing in a bulb planter.

For more September gardening tips visit: September Gardening Checklist. 

Fall Lawn Care

Once the worst of the summer heat has passed, you will want to be sure you implement your fall lawn care regiment. We will go over a few tasks to get you started here, but depending on you location, type of grass, etc, you may need to do more to keep your lawn at its healthiest. But here are the first steps to take this fall in caring for your lawn:

Get out your garden sprayer, clean it (to be sure no residue from past uses is left in it) and spray herbicide on any weeds that have crept up in your lawn. Be sure to clean your sprayer well before put it up for storage during the winter.

Fall is also an ideal time to aerate your lawn. This will encourage your grass to uptake oxygen and nutrients and it helps to combat all the compaction that typically takes place on the lawn during the traffic that lawns see during summer months.

Be sure to get leaves up off of your lawn as they begin to fall. When your grass is covered by leaves it is unable to receive the nutrients it needs to store from the sun during the winter. Also leaves are a great addition to the compost pile. (Read more about composting.)

If your fall is a hot dry one, then you will want to water your lawn.

Also, fall is a great time to fertilize your lawn if it needs extra nutrients.

If you are seeing bare patches in your lawn, reseed now.

What fall lawn care tips do you want to share? Please leave your tips in the comments below.

July Gardening Tasks

Hard to believe that June is already over. Now that it is July, what should you be doing in your garden?

Now is the time to plant garlic, rhubarb, and many different onions for next season.

Also plant out more salad crops to keep a continuous flow of harvest-able plants throughout the summer.

Mid-July you will want to have your cool season seeds planted.

Begin harvesting produce as it is starting to ripen. Some plants that are harvested from immediately will actually create more produce. 

Transplant your strawberries that have rooted from runners. If you do this now, the new strawberry plants will bear fruit next year.

Also be sure to keep your plants watered. For watering tips visit: How Should You Water Your Garden?

And don't forget to continue weeding your garden beds.

Summer Gardening Maintenance

It's the little things that make your garden continue to look beautiful throughout the summer. However, those little things can add up if you don't stay on top of the tasks.

In the Flower Garden:
Time to get out the garden pruners and get started on your flowers. Dead head your annuals and perennials. Dead heading is the task of either picking off or pruning off spent blooms. This helps to stimulate new growth on your plants.

If any of your annuals have died it is time to pull them out of the garden. If the plant seems healthy (other than being dead) send it to the compost pile.

Don't forget to weed your flower beds and be sure they have enough mulch.

If you have perennials that are taller and are starting to have trouble with swaying you may want to stake them to keep them from breaking.

While you are tending to your plants watch for pests. Be sure to treat your plants for the type of pest problem they are experiencing. There are many ways to treat your garden for pests from organic to chemical, and home-made to store bought. Do proper research to find out which methods are best for you and your garden.

Plant your fall and spring blooming bulbs in late summer.

Summer Garden Tips

Here are some summer gardening tips to help your garden stay healthy all summer long:

• Water plants in the mornings, before the temperature begins to rise. You will want to water at least once a week, and water plants deeply to prevent the roots from becoming too shallow and drying out quickly. 
• Prune rose bushes back after the first bloom. Cut back all dead wood as well. 
• Monitor plants regularly for pest and disease problems and treat accordingly.
• Check container plants daily for their watering needs. 
• If you enjoy having birds visit your yard be sure to provide fresh water for them, a bird bath will do the trick. 
• In your garden be sure to continue wedding regularly.

We would love to hear your summer gardening tips and tricks, please share with us in the comments or on our facebook page at: http://facebook.com/redhillgeneralstore

Some Garden Tips and Tasks for June

For your vegetable gardens you will want to:

Start any warm weather vegetables as soon as possible, vegetables such as Corn, Beans, Peppers, Egg Plant, Tomatoes, Squash, Pumpkin, etc.

Be sure to weed your vegetable beds to keep the weeds from taking over. A lawn weeder is a great tool that can help to weed anywhere in your yard, vegetable, or flower beds.

Protect you fruits from birds with garden netting.

Mound the soil up around your potato plants to prevent the tubers from being exposed to sunlight and turning green. A green potato contains solanine which is a natural toxin and is poisonous. So do not eat any green potatoes.

Thin vegetable seedlings to be sure they have ample room for growth.

For flowers, trees, & bushes you will want to:

Pinch back mums for fuller bushes and more blossoms next fall. Continue pinching back until about June 15th.

Begin planting morning glories, cypress vine, scarlet runner, hyacinth bean, and moon vine.

If you are cultivating a living Christmas tree now is the time to shape & sculpt it. 

It is also a good time to shear, prune, and/or pinch your Junipers, Cypress or Conifers.

Container plants may need daily watering now that the weather is starting to dry out.

Planting for Mid April

Sprout Robot is a neat little website that tells you when to plant things for your area. So what do they say you should be planting if you are in the Red Hill General Store area? (SW Virginia)

Green Onions Endive Scallions Celery Shallots Sorrel Bok Choy Chives Basil Parsley Cornsalad Brussels Sprouts Chinese Cabbage Kohlrabi Arugula

Leaf Lettuce Cilantro Cauliflower Summer Squash Salsify Head Lettuce Onions Celeriac Mint Spinach Cress Fennel Dill Asian Greens

Start Indoors: Eggplant, Bell Peppers, Tomatoes.

So grab your gardening tools and get to it! And take a second to tell us what you are planting this year.

Last Week of March Gardening Tasks

Things that you may want to be working on in your garden this week:

Planting leaf lettuce: keep in mind that they need 6 to 8 hours of sunlight a day.

Start your leeks (inside): remember to plant one starter container for every leek you want to grow.

Plant green onions: your onions will need 6 to 8 hours of sunlight a day.

Plant carrots: they need 6 to 8 hours of sunlight a day.

Start tomatoes (inside): plant one starter container for every 10 to 12 lbs of tomatoes that you want. Also don't forget to invest in tomato rings and cages for when you plant them in your garden.

January Gardening Tasks

A few things that you can be doing in January to prep yourself for the gardening season:

• If you need to purchase any seeds, plants, replacement tools, etc. go ahead and start placing your orders.
• If your garden design wasn't quite right last year, rework your design to something that is more suitable for your needs.
• If you kept a garden journal review it, and start a new journal now being sure to record the plants and seeds that were ordered.
• Check any stored bulbs or vegetables that you may have.
• Take a class on gardening.
• Sharpen, clean, and test your gardening tools.

What to Do to Your Garden in October

It isn't quite October yet, but it looms just around the corner. A mere 8 days away. So what is there to do in your garden in October?

Harvest: Harvest any fruits and veggies that are now ripening, some things aren't at their peak until fall is upon us.


Weeding: Be sure to not let weeds take over now that your garden is done. It will just make the chore that much harder come spring time.

Clean up: This is a big part of what to be doing in your garden in the fall, getting rid of falling leaves, dead plants, etc. Be sure to add these things to your Compost Pile so you will have a rich soil amendment to use in the spring.

Also during clean up you will want to thoroughly clean your garden tools and store them where they will not be exposed to moisture all winter. You want to keep them from warping or rusting.

What else are you doing to prepare for the winter in your garden?

August in the Garden

It is hard to believe that August is already halfway over. Now is the time to go out into your garden, notebook in hand and access how things went over the summer.

• If you are doing crop rotation, make not of which crops need to go where next spring, it is a good idea to write this down so that you don't forget.
• Also, now is the time to write down which plants did well and which ones did not. This is especially important if you've never gardened before. It will give you and idea of what plants do best on your land, which will make gardening next year a little easier.
• Write down any ideas that crop up about what you want to try out next year.
• If you have perennials that need to be thinned make note of the plants and thin them according to what works best for that specific plant.
• If you have raspberries, once their harvest is over (should be towards the end of the month) they can be pruned. You will want to prune out the old canes so that new ones will have room to grow.

And of course August is always a great time to be preserving your goodies so get out your pressure canner, waterbath canner, dehydrator, etc. and make your harvest last through winter!

Fall Gardening

Many people forget all about their gardens once the main summer growing season is over and the fruits and vegetables have been harvested. But you should know that fall is a great time to grow things in your garden! Plants like cabbage, broccoli, mustard, turnips, kale, and more can be grown in the fall months.

You will want to prepare your soil for your fall garden, especially if it is in the same spot that you had your summer garden in, you can do this by adding aged manure or compost, or if you prefer, chemical fertilizers. Keeping the soil moist is a biggie for a fall garden, one way to help with this is to plant fall plants in a shallow trench and to regularly irrigate the soil.

Or if you choose, you can do a simple container garden for your fall vegetables. One thing that I have found that is great for growing things in is big washtubs with holes drilled in the bottom. Add a 2-3 inch layer of gravel or rock in the bottom before adding your dirt, to allow water to pass through, otherwise your soil can stay too moist and cause the plants' roots to rot.  There are some very colorful cabbages that would make a lovely looking container garden, so that you can enjoy the beauty of nature while waiting for your bounty to ripen enough for eating.

What kind of fall gardening will you be doing?

Gardening Chores for May

For those of you in the southeast, you may want to consider visiting the May Page of Southeast: Organic Gardening's Monthly Garden Calendar. Even if your garden isn't organic many of the tips on that blog can apply to what you need to be doing this time of year. Such as:

• Clearing out your compost bin.
• Filling in bald spots.
• Sow and transplant.
• Crop care.
• Plant flowers.
• Take your spring annuals to the compost bin and replace with summer flowers.
• Pruning
• Fertilizing certain plants.
• Monitor for bugs in your vegetables.
• Getting rid of invasive pest plants.

 There's lots of things to be doing this month! Good luck and we hope to hear about some of your gardening adventures.

May is here! Are you Gardening yet?

May is not only here, but we are already 5 days in. Which means many of you are getting ready to start (or already have been) doing some major planting, transplanting, etc. as the average last frosting date here in the mountains of Virginia is between May 10th and 15th.

While browsing the internet, we came across a planting calender that Virginia Tech has on their website (it is in .pdf format) We hope that you find the information there helpful.

With all the rain that we've been having lately it might be a good time to start thinking about rain barrels. It is hard to determine whether a summer is going to be a rainy or dry one, but by storing water from times of plenty for use in times of drought you can save yourself a lot of heartache of your gardening dying from not enough water.

We hope that everyone has gotten a great start to their gardens and we would love to hear about your experiences with your gardens this year!

Read up on Gardening Chores For May.

Red Hill General Store's Outdoor and Gardening Blog

We are bringing you a blog that ties in with several of our sister sites. Sprayer-outlet.com and Earthway-outlet.com are just two of our Web sites that we will feature products, projects, advice, and ideas from on this blog.

Once harvest season rolls in we will also feature some tips from Pressurecooker-outlet.com.

We want to know what kind of blogs and information you want to see about the outdoors and gardening. What type of information are you needing this coming year?

Some great places to start:
Starting a Garden
Urban Container Garden
Harvest Time