This landscape calendar is for Prescott, Prescott Valley & Chino Valley

Prescott: Earliest spring freeze (28.5° F) date is March 23rd; latest date is May 12th.
Earliest fall freeze (32.5° F) date is Oct 4th; latest date is Nov 16th.

Chino Valley: Earliest spring freeze (28.5° F) date is March 22rd; latest date is May 30th.
Earliest fall freeze (32.5° F) date is Sep 20th; latest date is Nov 7th.

Note: The average growing season in Prescott is 140 days.

JANUARY

Maintenance
• Water evergreens monthly, deciduous plants every 6- 8 weeks now through March; established trees to a depth of 3 ft and shrubs to depth of 2 ft
• Prune evergreens now to minimize sap and resin flow from branches
• Mulch to conserve soil moisture
• Protect frost-tender plants from freezing (cover plants or move containers to a protected location)
• Roses: clean up debris around canes; mulch to protect from freezing; water if no rain or snow

Planting
• Sow seed indoors for transplanting when outdoor
temperatures moderate
• Cold-moist stratify seeds for later sowing

FEBRUARY

Maintenance
• Clean and repair drip irrigation systems
• Prune deciduous trees
• Prune shrubs that bloom after June
• Do not prune plants that have frost damage; a late frost could cause further damage
• Protect frost-tender plants from freezing
• Remove pine, cypress, and junipers killed by bark beetle before they become active again in spring

Planting
• Prepare soils for early spring seeding/planting by adding well-composted organic matter (add nitrogen and phosphorus fertilizers at planting time)
• Plant bare-root trees, shrubs, and roses
• Plant container-grown landscape plants now through March

MARCH

Maintenance
• Adjust irrigation if necessary
• Prune roses
• Continue pruning shrubs that bloom after June
• Cut ornamental grasses back to new growth
• Apply dormant oil before leaf emergence to help manage scale insects, aphids, and mites on deciduous trees and shrubs
• Clean up frost-damaged/dead portions of perennials

Planting
• Divide and re-plant summer and fall blooming perennials now through April
• Sow seeds indoors for transplanting
• Sow seeds of perennials that germinate in cold temperatures (e.g. penstemon) and sow seeds of cool-weather annuals (e.g. larkspur) outdoors
• Plant bare-root trees, shrubs, and roses
• Plant wildflower seeds 1 month before last hard frost
• Plant container-grown landscape plants
• Plant spring annuals for color (e.g. pansies, poppies, primroses, kale, snapdragons, violas, etc.)
• Transplant dormant trees and shrubs and water transplants weekly if no rain or snow

APRIL

Maintenance
• Divide plants, fertilize, and water as in March
• Protect tender plants from frost
• Fertilize roses after leaves emerge
• Fertilize cool-season turf grasses 1/2 lb N/1000 sq ft
• Apply pre-emergent herbicide to ground covers and cool-season grasses to control summer annual weeds
• Replenish mulch
• Watch for insects such as aphids and white flies
• Pull, hoe, or spray cool-season weeds before they go to seed

Planting
• Plant pasture grasses and alfalfa

MAY

Maintenance
• Adjust irrigation controllers for warmer temperatures and plant growth
• Prune to remove winter damage
• Dethatch tall fescue and perennial rye (rarely needed), follow with reseeding
• Fertilize cool-season turf 1/2 lb N/1000 sq ft
• Apply mulch as days get hotter
• Watch for aphids and cutworms
• Check shrubs such as juniper and pyracantha for spider mites; control by washing dusty foliage now through August
• Check undersides of elm leaves for elm leaf beetle
• Promote beneficial insects by minimizing insecticide use and growing a variety of flowers and shrubs

Planting
• Sow seeds of frost-tender annuals (e.g. cosmos,
marigold, zinnia) now through June
• Plant seedlings started indoors (wait until mid-month)
• Plant warm-season annual flowers (e.g. marigolds,
zinnias, petunias, etc.)

JUNE

Maintenance
• Prune climbing roses after bloom
• Prune or remove spent blooms from spring blooming shrubs after bloom (e.g. forsythia, lilac, wisteria)
• Summer prune plants that tend to sucker when young
• Fertilize warm-season turf now through July (don’t fertilize cool-season turf now through August)
• Feed roses with a complete, balanced fertilizer (follow product directions for fertilizing frequency through summer)
• Feed and prune flowering shrubs after bloom
• Collect seeds of early flowering plants now through July
• Remove faded blooms to prolong flowering
• Mow early-flowering meadows as hot weather reduces flowering and seeds ripen; cut to 6 in. - 12 in.
• Allow wildflowers to go to seed for next year’s crop
• Check shrubs such as junipers and pyracantha for spider mites
• Check for damage from grasshoppers, aphids, caterpillars, and other insects
• Monitor roses for fungal disease and treat with fungicide
• Mulch plants to minimize evaporation loss and to prevent annual weed growth

Planting
• Sow seeds of heat-loving plants now through August
• Plant warm-season grasses (e.g. buffalo, blue grama) now through August & fertilize 1/2 lb N/1000 sq ft
• Consider killing and removing conventional warm- season turf and planting drought-tolerant species such as blue grama or buffalograss

JULY

Maintenance
• Continue to deep water to a depth of 3 ft for trees and 2 ft for shrubs until the monsoon rains begin
• Adjust automatic irrigation controllers to compensate for monsoonal moisture
• Check drip systems to ensure not clogged and appropriately placed for plant size (out to drip line on trees and large shrubs)
• Divide iris and day lilies when finished blooming and remove seed pods
• Collect and sow seeds as noted in June
• Dethatch / aerify warm-season turfs if needed

Planting
• Plant and fertilize warm-season lawns (1/2 lb N/1000 sq ft)

AUGUST

Maintenance
• Divide spring-blooming perennials if needed
• Remove blossoms from roses and flowering shrubs to stimulate re-bloom
• Remove annual weeds (tumbleweeds) at ground level before seeds set
• Fertilize warm-season turf 1/4 lb N/1000 sq ft

Planting
• Begin planting rye, tall fescue, Kentucky bluegrass, winter barley, wheat, oats, alfalfa, and pasture grasses
• Sow perennial seeds for flowering next year (some will germinate in April)

SEPTEMBER

Maintenance
• Decrease volume and frequency of watering as rains and cooling temperatures reduce need
• Remove weeds before they go to seed
• Stop fertilizing roses by month end
• Fertilize tall fescue and perennial rye 1 lb N/1000 sq ft now and again in October
• Apply pre-emergent herbicide to ground covers and cool-season turf to control winter annual weeds
• Apply glyphosate herbicides to control warm- season perennial grasses (e.g. bermudagrass, johnsongrass)
• Dethatch cool-season turf (if needed) now through October
• Clean up yard by removing dead and unproductive plants

Planting
• Divide spring and early summer blooming perennials every 2 to 4 years
• Seed next year's wildflowers now through December
• Plant spring and early summer blooming bulbs 4 to 6 weeks before the first hard frost
• Plant cool-season turf and pasture grass mixtures

OCTOBER

Maintenance
• Decrease watering
• Water and mulch to protect from frost
• Fertilize tall fescue and perennial rye 1 lb N/1000 sq ft
• Fertilize Kentucky bluegrass 2 lb N/1000 sq ft
• Apply pre-emergent herbicides to control cool- season weeds in gravel, ground covers, and turf
• Clean up summer garden

Planting
• Plant cool-season flowers (e.g. pansies, snapdragons)
• Plant winter barley, rye and wheat for spring pasture and grain crops
• Plant a cover crop to build up soil organic matter - use rye, oats, barley, or fava beans

NOVEMBER

Maintenance
• Decrease irrigation schedule (same amount of water, but less frequently)
• Cut back late blooming perennials
• Mulch bare ground to control cool-season weeds; will also minimize frost heaving caused by freezing and thawing
• Protect frost tender plants from freezing
• Compost grass clippings and leaves

Planting
• Plant bare-root deciduous plants from sources at least as cold as your site now through March
• Continue planting winter grains
• Transplant evergreens

DECEMBER

Maintenance
• Start winter watering schedule (see January)
• Finish yard and garden clean-up
• Hot compost debris to kill over-wintering insect eggs and weed seeds
• Spread clean mulch
• Protect frost tender plants from freezing by covering or moving containers to a protected location

Planting
• Transplant deciduous trees now through March (when dormant)