Gardening Calendar

Ornamentals

• Dormant mail order plnats should be unwrapped immediately. Keep the roots from drying out, store in a cool protected spot, and plant as soon as conditions allow.
• Weeks 1-2: Seeds of hardy annuals such as larkspur, bachelor's buttons, shirley and California poppies should be direct sown in the garden now.

Fruits

• Gradually remove mulch from strawberries as the weather begins to warm.
• Weeks 1-3: Continue pruning apple trees. Burn or destroy all prunings to minimize insect or disease occurrence.
• Weeks 3-4: Apply dormant oil sprays now. Choose a dry day when freezing temperatures are not expected.

Vegetables

• Fertilize the garden as the soil is being prepared for planting. Unless directed otherwise by a soil test, one to two pounds of 12-12-12 or an equivalent fertilizer per 100 square feet is usually suf. cient.
• Weeks 1-2: Delay planting if the garden soil is too wet. When a ball of soil crumbles easily after being squeezed together in your hand, it is dry enough to be safely worked.
• Weeks 3-4: Plant beets, carrots, parsley and parsnip seeds outdoors.
  Set out broccoli, cabbage, brussels sprouts, chinese cabbage and cauli. ower transplants into the garden.

Lawn and Turf

• Mow lawns low to remove old growth before new growth begins.
• Weeks 2-4: Apply broadleaf herbicides now for control of cool-season perennial and annual weeds. These must not be applied to areas that will be seeded soon.