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Monthly Activities
 To do garden maintenance at the right time and with appropriate amount of work is partly one of the things that make it easy to maintain. Some months there is a lot to do, and at other times there is less, thus giving room for preparations. During a number of years I have compiled a list of activities to remember myself on what to do and when.
A monthly division of the different tasks makes it easier to remember what to do at a certain time. The content is described as what to do without overdoing it. There must be time to enjoy the garden as well! Very important!
The list will be filled in as time pass.
January
The first month of the year, the second winter month, and in ancient times, the month of Thor. According to old farmers diary the year will be fruitful if the sun shines at the end of the month, especially the 25th and 29th days. If the sky turns red on the morning of New Years Day the year will be violent with great grief and sorrow. War and much hard weather.
The work during january is mostly to do major tree cuttings and pruning during the time the ground is frozen and thus more insensitive to damage from transports. The first preparations for the garden is also started, such as:
- The first bulbs and hibernated plants are brought into the house
- The compost gets fertilizer and is worked through
(Watch out for hedge hogs as they like to hibernate in compost heaps during winter)
- Sand for walking paths is fetched
- Fire wood is split and piled to dry
- Winter covering is looked after
- Shake snow from trees and bushes to avoid them breaking.
In addition, look through and maintain your tools and supplies to be ready for the upcoming yerars work. january is a typical month for preparations.
February
The third winter month. According to the old farmers calender the weather is important in general and the week of fasting in particular. If snow falls during the first week this is said to become a good year for crops.
This month it is time to start preparing for floral beauty and nice vegetable crops later on, for example:
- Put seeds and bulbs on pre-growth in planters
- Set up hotbeds and sow the first crop
- Delicate plants gets covering against the spring sun
- Cuttings are planted and hibernated plants is brought into light.
Now the beginning of the work with what is going to be the new years glory in pots and flower beds. Still a lot of indoors work as winter still prevail.
March
The first month of spring. The old farmers calendar says that if there is much dew in March the year will be rainy. If the weather on Palm Sunday is clear then plants and crop grows well during the year.
Now the outdoors work starts as soon as the soil is ready, frost free and has dried up a bit. Things to do are:
- Put up bird houses for insect hunting birds.
- Start planting trees, bushes, conifers, climbers and roses.
- Begin the plant purchasing. Being early is good.
- Start removing weeds in connection with flower bed cleansing.
- Ease the winter coverings and prune fruit trees and bushes.
- Keep sowing groceries and plants.
- Re-plant those ones that have grown up since previous period.
Time to stock up on fertilizers, earth-improving materials, lime, and covering bark, all good to have at hand as flower beds become ready. Now it is both indoors and outdoors work.
April
The second month of Spring. The old farmers calendar says for April that if it rains and easter day it will be poor growth during the year, but if it is warm and nice isntead, the growth will be good. April is also called the Grass Month as it is now the grass starts to grow.
Gardening in April is done when the earth is dry and that will be at differnt times depending on early or late Spring. Much of the work is the same as for March and the list looks as follows:
- Plant those plants that take a long time to get rooted.
- Remove Goatweed, Couch Grass, and Thistles from flower beds.
- Ease the winter covering, but carefully, the spring sun is strong.
- Prune fruit trees and bushes.
- Spread lime on lawn(s) and beds before all plants starts to grow.
- Spread basic fertilizer for the spring.
- Clean the pond if you have one.
- Start up the compost.
- Protect sensitive plants against deer and put something up that works as deer deterrant.
If fertilizer, earth improvements, lime, and covering bark not yet brought home, it should be by now. It must be at hand when one feels to get satrted. The work increases as does the pleasure of seeing it growing in the beds again after a long and cold winter.
May
The third month of Spring. The Flower Month. The old farmers calendar says that if the sun shines bright the 25th day the year will be good for crops, but if it rains the year will be bad. A cool May will give a warm summer.
Ash and Oak both sets leaves at the end of may and an old saying says about this tha if Oak sets leaves before Ash the summer will be cold and wet, but if Ash sets leaves before Oak the summer will be hot and dry.
The gardening work in May is now in full swing:
- This years sown seeds can now be brought outdoors to harden.
- Seeds for spices and vegetables is sown and the kitchen garden is prepared.
- Flower beds are cleansed and tidied up. If plants are to be divided now is the time.
Even though the list is short it means a lot och pleasant work this month.
June
The first month of Summer, and the Midsummers Month. The old farmers calendar says for June that if it rains a lot on the day of St John it will be poor growth for root crops, if however, the weather is good the year will be good without hazards.
Gardening work continues with many small jobs easily done during a short evening time after work.
- Vertically cut the lawn to give air to the roots for better growth.
- Potatoes are first cupped when the stem is 10 cm ( 4") high.
- Nurse the rhubarb, remove flowers and make something from the larger stems to get new ones.
- Pinch the tomatoes, that is remove side shoots, for better fruit.
- Support the climbers.
- Plant dahlias and other summer flowering bulbs.
- Dress the lawn with dressing or just sand and give fertilizer.
- Remove pests and trim bushes and plants.
If you make a habit of doing a few things every day (evening) there will not be that much work in total, and the work done is easy and simple.
July
The second month of Summer and Hay Month. The old farmers calendar says that if it rains on Lady Day in March it will often rain for 14 days which means that growth is geopardized in the wet. If it then rains around the 20th of July the quality of hay and fodder is at risk due to the rain.
The gardening work in July is mostly minor work since it grows heavily.
- Most spring-flowering bulbs are nor done and their old leaves are removed as they dry out. Wait until completly dry to make the flowering as good as possible next year.
- Remove withering flowers as they dry which will stimulate new flowers to appear.
- Harvest groceries and spices before they set flowers.
- Time for the big summer fertilizing. Much growth has happened since springtime and now there is a need for extra additions in the whole of the garden, flower beds, lawns, everything.
- Pick snails and shells as soonn as you see them, they damage plants and becomes a pain if they are allowed to breed too much.
- Potatoes are cupped and tomatoes are pinched.
- Sow on-year spices to harvest fresh and nice spices to dry until next year.
As can be seen, there is no major work during this month, only so much that it is possible to enjoy the garden while being useful.
August
The third month of Summer and Harvest Month. ...
September
The first month of Autumn. ...
October
The second month of Autumn and Month of Slaughter. ...
November
The third month of Autumn and Winter Month. ...
December
The last month of the year, the first month of Winter and Christmas Month. ...
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