Landscape Maintenance Schedule


January & February
All plants except perennials should be mulched to prevent root damage, which may occur during a severe freeze.  Mulch perennials lightly to help protect them, but take care not to smother them.  Water evergreen trees, shrubs and groundcovers thoroughly prior to a hard freeze warning.

Prune summer flowering shrubs and trees.  (Ex: Crape Myrtle, Buddleia and Pampas Grass).  Prune other evergreen and deciduous trees & shrubs except the ones that flower in the spring.

Use pre-emergent herbicide on turf area to control spring weeds.  (For ex: Hi-Yield Crabgrass Control with Balan should be used on Centipede, Bermuda, Zoysia & St. Augustine prior to weed germination.)  Apply a pesticide/scalecide Dormant-Oil Spray on plants that have scale such as Camellias, Euonymus, Laurel, Azaleas, Variegated Privet and Gardenia.  Dormant Oil should be applied before leaf and flower buds start to expand and when air temperatures are above 45 Fahrenheit.  Submit a soil sample to Clemson Extension for testing.  These results will provide you with the specific needs of your soil.  The soil can be tested for growing vegetables, landscape plants, or grassy areas.

Lime grass every 2-3 years with pelletized lime.  Use at a rate of 40 lbs. per 2000 sq ft.  If leaf spot occurs on plants, spray with Consan 20.  For severe cases of leaf spot, use a systemic fungicide.  Apply blood meal or pansy food to pansies and other flowering bedding plants for increased blooms.  Fertilize every 2 weeks with Ferti-lome Blooming & Rooting.

March
Remove excess thatch from turf (except centipede) area by vigorously raking, then mow at the recommended cutting height (Bermuda, ¾ - 1 ¼”; Centipede, 1- 1/12”).  Aerate every 3 to 5 years to reduce soil compaction, which encourages wasteful water run off.  This procedure allows increased water absorption and nutrients to the root zone.

Spray Azaleas for lace bugs with Hi-Yield 38 Plus (replaces Diazinon) or Malathion.  Apply every 7 to 10 days for one month.  Make sure that the chemical is applied to the underside of the foliage where the insect is attached.  Acephate is a systemic insecticide for chewing and sucking insects and is absorbed in the plant tissue.  Di-syston is also a systemic insecticide in granular form that works through the root system.  This is very effective in helping to prevent Black Sooty Mold, which is caused by the sweet secretion from insects.

As perennials and bulbs begin to emerge, top dress with mushroom compost or Erth Food and Ferti-lome Gardener’s Special.  Apply Treflan to beds to prevent weed or grass germination.  Spray all Evergreens with Triple Action Plus (contains Neem Oil, a natural ingredient).

April
Mowing should start on a regular basis about 2 weeks after fertilizer has been applied.
Established lawns require 1” of water per week.  Get a rain gauge to check and see how much rain you receive as well as how much water your irrigation system puts out.  One deep watering per week is to be prefered to daily shallow waterings.  Deep watering encourages deep root growth which will help grass to survive drought.  Shallow  watering
encourages surface roots, which will make the grass more susceptible to drought damage.

If you have existing weeds in the lawn, apply liquid Weed-Out to Bermuda, Zoysia, & St. Augustine lawns.  Apply Weed-Out or Image to existing weeds in Centipede lawns.  Weed-Out is available in granular or liquid form.

Fertilize Azaleas and Camellias immediately after blooming with Ferti-lome Azalea, Camellia, Rhododendron Fertilizer.

When planting bedding plants use mushroom compost or Erth Food, Gardeners Special fertilizer and water in with Root Stimulator.  Fertilize every 2 weeks with water soluble Blooming & Rooting plant food.  When planting trees, shrubs and perennials use mushroom compost & Super Phosphate.  Water in with Root Stimulator.  Fertilize per schedule.

 Mid-April to May
Apply Ferti-lome Lawn Food Plus Iron (28-4-4) for Bermuda, Zoysia & St. Augustine lawns.  Use Ferti-lome Centipede Grass Lawn Food (15-0-15) or Classic Lawn Food (16-4-8) for Centipede lawns.   Water in after application.  This is the first lawn fertilizer application of the season. 

Test lawns for mole crickets by pouring warm, soapy water on the lawn in the evening. If mole crickets emerge, at the end of April with Acephate or Hi-Yield 38 Plus.  Treat in the evening after a rain or a light watering of your lawn.

May
Check for insects and spray accordingly.  Treat Dogwoods, Pines, Flowering Cherries, Palms and other soft wooded trees with Borer, Bagworm, Tent Caterpillar & Leafminer Spray to prevent borer damage.

On turf area, apply either Dylox or Kill-A-Bug II (granules) to eradicate turf insects such as grubs, spittlebugs and chinch bugs (12 lbs. per 4,000sq ft).  Apply a 2nd treatment for mole crickets with Dylox.  Apply in the evening after a rain or light watering of the lawn.  Water in afterwards.  Remove excess thatch from centipede turf by vigorously raking.

After spring flowering shrubs have bloomed, prune and fertilize with Gardener’s Special or Ferti-lome Tree & Shrub Fertilizer 19-8-10 to push growth or Azalea, Camellia, Rhododendron Fertilizer depending on what type shrub you are fertilizing.  Reapply again in July.  Also, fertilize all other trees and shrubs as they begin to bud with Ferti-lome Tree & Shrub Fertilizer or Gardeners Special.

June
Using Killz-All during dry/hot periods can minimize weeds in natural areas.  After yellowing appears on weeds, mulch the area heavily.  Do not use during windy conditions.  If fungus diseases are developing in lawns, treat with Daconil or Consan 20 every 7 to 10 days for one month, and then use Bayleton once.  June is the time to put out F-Stop granular fungicide to prevent fungus.  From June to October, remove old blooms from perennials, annuals and Crape Myrtles to encourage new blooms.  Treat for Mole Crickets again using Acephate.

July
Fertilize Centipede again with Centipede Lawn Food (15-0-15) and Bermuda, Zoysia and St. Augustine with Classic Lawn Food (16-4-8).  Check for aphids on trees and shrubs, especially Crape Myrtles.  Treat with “Ferti-lome Triple Action” to remove aphids which contribute to sooty molds.  Do not apply if the temperature is above 90.  Treat for Mole Crickets again using Acephate or Dylox.  Treat in the evening and after a rain or light watering of the lawn.

Treat lawns with Fungicides as specified under JUNE suggestions.

August
Continue to deep-water turf, shrubs and trees as outlined in April.  Test lawns for mole crickets by pouring warm, soapy water on the lawn in the evening.  If mole crickets surface, treat with Hi-Yield Dylox 6-2 or Acephate in early August.  Apply treatment in the evening after a rain or a light watering of the lawn.

September
Treat soft-wooded trees with Ferti-lome Borer, Bagworm, Tent Caterpillar & Leafminer Spray and turf areas with Hi-Yield Kill-A-Bug II or Dylox granules for lawn pests.  Follow May suggestions.  Use pre-emergent herbicide on turf area to control fall/winter weeds.  Crabgrass Control with Balan should be used on Centipede, Bermuda, Zoysia, & St. Augustine prior to weed germination.

October
Treat trees, shrubs, perennials and lawns with Ferti-lome Winterizer.  This fertilizer provides potash and nutrients that help grasses and plants survive winter stress and help insure a healthier more vigorous growth in the spring.  Bulbs should be fed while their roots are still active.  Top-dress them this month with approximately ¼ lbs. of Ferti-lome Bulb Booster Fertilizer or Bone Meal per 100 sqft.  Re-apply the Crabgrass Control (Balan) for the control of Poa Annua and certain other winter weeds.  Spray shrubs and trees with Ferti-lome Scalecide.  Apply when temperatures are above 45 Fahrenheit.

November
Re-apply mulch to protect roots (wait until all leaves have fallen).  Treat evergreens with Dormant Oil or Triple Action Plus every 7 to 14 days, as needed for insect control.

December
Remember to water shrubs and turf thoroughly before a severe freeze to prevent winter freeze damage.  Now is a good time to do light pruning and transplanting of trees & shrubs.

If the winter is mild, you may want to start your pre-emergent herbicide treatment early.  (If the weeds are allowed to germinate, Balan will not be effective.)

 CAUTION:  Always read labels on chemicals & fertilizers and never use more than suggested quantities