This page has been created to help remind you of things that can and should be done during certain times of the year. The advice given is based on the climate and weather conditions in Northern California. You may need to make adjustments to the recommendations based on your climate.

January and February

• Fertilize your lawn Master Fall & Winter Feed in January to keep your lawn looking good all through the winter.
• Many plants are dormant now. Most water plants go dormant as well. Often times, plants are pulled out or dug up in the winter because they are believed to be dead. They may just be dormant. Ask your nursery about your plants before giving up on a certain plant. If it is a plant that normally goes dormant, wait until late Spring before deciding that the plant is dead, especially if you are unfamiliar with its growing habits.
• Late January and February are the time to plant potatoes and asparagus. Make sure you add plenty of compost to your soil so that your potatoes can grow big. The looser the soil, the better they will grow.
• January and the first part of February is the time to buy bareroot fruit trees and bareroot roses for three reasons: 1. They are a great value. 2. Bareroot trees and roses are only available during this time of year. 3. There is a wider assortment of roses available this time of year. This is especially true for newly introduced roses. They may be hard to get a hold of in the summer months.
• Remember to continue to fertilize your fruit trees once a month during the winter with 0-10-10(Master Bloom) and F.S.T.(an iron, sulfur, maganese, and zinc supplement) to help ensure a better crop this year. The last feeding should be in late February.
• Spray your dormant fruit trees and roses with Liqui-Cop and Master Nursery Horticultural Oil to kill off any unwanted fungus and any insects that may be wintering over.
• Start thinking about late spring blooming bulbs and summer blooming bulbs like calla lilies, dahlias, gladioulus, lilies, canna lilies, tuberoses, begonias, and more. These bulbs are generally available around the end of January through March.
• February is the time to get your garden area prepared for those vegetables that you're going to be planting. Add Gold Rush(a high quality fir mulch with chicken manure), Pay Dirt or your own compost to your garden areas. Use 1 bag of Gold Rush for every 25 to 50 square feet depending on the condition of your soil. Pay Dirt should be worked into the soil at least 6 inches. Remember the better your soil, the better chance of having good vegetables. If you want to get a headstart on your vegetables, then February is the time to start vegetable seeds indoors. We will have tomato plants around the end of February. Also, to help out your vegetables in the early spring, you can cover them with DeWitt N-Sulate or Easy Gardener Plant and Seed Blanket. These two products are made of a light, breathable material that can lay on top of your vegetables and actually create a greenhouse like environment. They give your plants protection against the cool nights.
• Don't forget about those awful garden pests - SNAILS, SLUGS, EARWIGS, and SOWBUGS? As Spring emerges, so will they in full force. Be sure to apply Master Nursery Snail, Slug & Insect Meal or Diatomaceous Earth around your garden areas in mid to late February, especially around newly planted flowers, vegetables, and perennials. If you plant your garden and take no preventive measure to control this unwanted pests, your garden experience may be less than you expect.
• Controlling weeds can be a headache. You can help eliminate many of the unwanted weeds in your yard by apply Pre-Seeder Weeder. It helps keep many weed seeds from germinating. You should apply in early February or late January for best control. It doesn't kill existing weeds. It only prevents new ones from growing. It can be used around shrubs, trees, and flowers. It is not for use on your lawn or around vegetables.

March - April

• Tomato plants are now available in 4 inch containers as well as 6 packs. Peppers, eggplant, beans, squash, lettuce, and cucumbers are available starting in Mid March, and most summer vegetables will be popping up at the nursery during the month of April. If you are anxious to get your garden going, then be sure to provide some protection from late frosts. Also, you can start planting many of your vegetable seeds indoors or wait until the last part of March and plant them directly outdoors(at least in Northern California).
• Many beautiful plants are coming into bloom. This is a great time to visit the nursery to see all of the beautiful flowering trees, shrubs, and flowers.
• Japanese Maples leaf out between the middle of March to the beginning of April. This is a great time to see their spring color and select the maple that you want in your yard.
• Dahlias, calla lilies, gladioulus, dwarf cannas, and begonias are still available in bulbs. They will only be available until the end of April.
• Fertilize your fruit trees in early to mid March with Master Start. Fertilize your Citrus at the end of March with Citrus Food. Fetilize again in late May / early June.
• Fertilize your lawn at the end of March or in April with Master Nursery Master Green Lawn Food. This should be applied about every two months through Spring and Summer.
• March and April are the months to put out lady bugs and praying mantids for control of aphids and other insects. Use Sluggo to control snails and slugs. It is completely safe to use around pets.
• Even if you put out beneficial insects, keep your eye out for increased insect activity. Snails, slugs, earwigs, aphids, and many other bugs begin to emerge and can do significant damage to your newly planted flowers, vegetables, and perennials.
• As the temperature begins to warm up, begin watering on a more regular basis. Winds can dry up young plants in a hurry. Regular watering will be needed for newly planted flowers, vegetables, perennials, trees, and shrubs.

June - July

• You can still plant many vegetables in your garden. You still have time to plant squash, melons, and pumpkins. You can also plant corn, tomatoes, peppers, eggplant, cucumbers, okra, radishes, beans, and more.
• Get your watering system in and working or make sure the existing system is working before you leave for vacation. As the weather warms up, you will be watering your plants a little more often, especially newly planted annuals and perennials. Plants in containers may need to be watered as often as every day during the warmer weather. On very hot days, you may need to do some additional watering.
• Insects can still be a problem, especially in the vegetable gardens. For the organic gardener, use Sluggo to control snails and slugs and use Nature's Pest Fighter or Bonide Eight to take care of other crawling insects like ants, aphids, beetles, and more.
• House Plants should be watered at least once a week(this is true for most house plants). Depending on the size of the container, the temperature in your home, and the amount of light, you may need to water more often. Keep an eye out for insects on your house plants. Watch for mealybugs, whiteflies, and mites. Inspect the backsides of the leaves and in the crevices where branches meet the main stem. This is where you will find most of these unwanted pests.
• Apply Master Green Lawn Fertilizer again in the beginning of July(if you did it in May) or in June if you missed May. Be sure to water lightly before applying the fertilizer and then follow up with a good watering after applying the fertilizer and then water again the next day as well.
• Many Summer annuals, like alyssum, lobelia, marigolds, zinnias, begonias, portulaca, vinca, impatiens, zinnias, vincas, mimulus, annual verbena, and more are now available. Remember to water these young plants more often in the beginning because of their small root system.
• Sunflowers can be planted May - mid July. There are a wide variety of colors and heights available.
• For those using a liquid fertilizer like Bud-N-Bloom , Master Nursery All-Purpose Fertilizer, Miracle-Gro or other liquid fertilizer, it is important to make sure the ground is wet before applying the fertilizer, especially in warmer temperatures. Only fertilize in the morning or evening, never in the heat of the day. You don't want to burn your plants!!

August

• Now is the time to begin preparing for your fall vegetable garden. Soon broccoli, cauliflower, spinach, peas, lettuce, cabbage, collards, mustards, and many other cool season vegetables can be planted. Plant at the end of the month or in September.
• Remember to keep your plants well watered during the hot summer months. Pay special attention to any newly planted shrubs or trees. Make sure your drip emitters are working properly and that enough water is getting to the plants.
• Insects can still be a problem, especially in the vegetable gardens. For the organic gardener, use Sluggo to control snails and slugs, or Sluggo Plus to also control earwigs and sowbugs, and use Nature's Pest Fighter to take care of other crawling insects like ants, aphids, beetles, and more.
• House Plants should be watered at least once a week(this is true for most house plants). Depending on the size of the container, the temperature in your home, and the amount of light, you may need to water more often. Keep an eye out for insects on your house plants. Watch for mealybugs, whiteflies, and mites. Inspect the backsides of the leaves and in the crevices where branches meet the main stem. This is where you will find most of these unwanted pests.
• Apply Master Green Lawn Fertilizer again at the end of August or beginning of September. Be sure to water lightly before applying the fertilizer and then follow up with a good watering after appling the fertilizer and then water again the next day as well. The next time you fertilize, you will use the Fall and Winter Feed.
• If you are following the Backyard Orchard Culture, prune your fruit trees again now. Also feed your fruit trees that are done fruiting with the Fruit Tree and Vine Food to encourage fruit wood for next season.

Fall

• Fertilize your lawn in early September with Master Green Lawn Food and do subsequent feedings in the fall and winter with Master Nursery Fall and Winter Feed. Fertilize your lawn about every 2 months to keep your lawn looking beautiful and healthy.
• Fall and Winter vegetables should be planted now. You can plant lettuce, cauliflower, cabbage, broccoli, mustard, collards, celery, carrots, onions(however, stockton onions won't be available until November), garlic(all types), radishes, and more.
• Now is a good time to plant fruit trees, shade trees, and shrubs to take advantage of the fall growing season. Trees and shrubs planted now will have a chance to become established, enabling them to take full advantage of the Spring growing period.
• Many of the early spring blooming bulbs are available now for planting. Daffodils, tulips, hyacinth, crocus, alliums, watsonia, bearded iris and more are available from September through November. The best selections are available earlier in the fall.
• Perennials should be planted now to help them naturalize so that they will bloom during their proper times next year. Some of these perennials are delphiniums, foxglove, coreopsis, myosotis, cynoglossum, and more.
• Begin fertilizing your fruit trees and flowering shrubs with Master Bloom (0-10-10) and F.S.T. (a product that contains Iron, Sulfur, Maganese, and Zinc) starting in mid October to early November. You should apply these two products once a month until the middle of February. The Master Bloom enhances root development and flower development because of the phosphorus and potash. The F.S.T., which contains essential trace minerals, strengthens the trees and generally makes the fruit sweeter. Both of these products are applied through the winter months to make these elements available to the plants as they emerge from dormancy. For more information go to our Garden Care Guides section.
• If you are interested in finding the tree with the best fall color, then fall is the time to visit the nursery to see which tree has the best fall color for you. Remember that trees in containers usually start changing color up to several weeks before well established trees in the ground. So don't wait too long or you'll miss the colors.
• Fall is a good time to plant lawns by sod or by seed. If you are seeding your lawn, don't wait too late in the season. As the days get cooler, it takes longer for the seed to germinate and grow. Sod can be laid just about any time (except when it is raining heavily).

December

• As the temperatures begin to drop, there is some concern about plants being damaged by the frost. For best protection, you can apply Cloud Cover to give your plants an addition 3 - 5 degrees of hardiness and/or you can cover your plants with DeWitt N-Sulate or HarvestGard. These fabrics can be placed directly on the plants without incurring damage to them. Some home remedies include putting Christmas lights on your frost sensitive plants and leaving the lights on during those cold nights.
• Poinsettias are available during December. We have great varieties available.
• Bareroot Roses arrive around the second week to third week of December. We will have many of the new varieties as well as many of the old time favorites. This is a great gift idea.
• Christmas decorations and ornaments are available. Come in and see our selection of Roman, NCE, and Figi gifts.
• Fertilize your fruit trees and flowering shrubs again with Master Bloom (0-10-10) and F.S.T. (a product that contains Iron, Sulfur, Maganese, and Zinc) starting in October. You should apply these two products once a month until the middle of February. The Master Bloom enhances root development and flower development because of the phosphorus and potash. The F.S.T., which contains essential trace minerals, strengthens the trees and generally makes the fruit sweeter. Both of these products are applied through the winter months to make these elements available to the plants as they emerge from dormancy. For more information go to our fruit tree section.
• Tulips, daffodils, hyacinth, amaryllis, freesias and other bulbs can be planted now or given to friends and family as gifts. They make great stocking stuffers.