Zone 9 - Monthly Garden Calendar: Chores and Planting Guide (2024)

Monthly Garden Schedule by Zone

• By Angie Lavezzo

Planting by USDA Zone is a good starting point to get a handle on what you should be thinking of planting and when. If you pair this overview of gardening tasks by zone with experience, local knowledge and good year on year note taking then you should have a pretty good annual gardening calendar! .

ZONE 9

January

• Plant seed potatoes with lots of organic matter.
• Plants flowers of dianthus, pansy, petunia, viola, and snapdragon.
• This is a good month to plant some beautiful camellias.
• Continue planting cool-season crops, including, broccoli, cauliflower, Swiss chard, peas, collards, kale, kohlrabi, lettuce, onions, parsley, parsnips, beets, radishes, salsify and spinach.
• Contact seed companies to receive the new years catalog.
• Make plans for the coming seasons garden. Decide where your crops will rotate from last year, and start carpentry projects like cold frames, trellises, and indoor lighting set-ups if possible.
• Look over last year's planting, fertilizing and spraying records. Make notes to reorder successful varieties as well as those you wish to try again.
• Add garden record keeping to the list of New Year's resolutions. Make a note of which varieties of flowers and vegetables do best and which do poorly in your garden.
• Plant fruit trees now to give their roots time to develop before the warm, dry spring months. Prune and fertilize existing trees.
• Be ready to cover tender plants to minimize damage and be sure covers extend all the way to the ground. Frost or freezes are likely this month and next.

February

• Plants that perform better in the cooler months include petunia, pansy, verbena, dianthus, strawflower, and lobelia. Protect from frosts and freezing temperatures.
• Many bulbs can be planted now. Provide adequate water for establishment and protect from cold weather with mulch. Some examples include Amazon lily, crinum, and agapanthus.
• Numerous warm- and cool-season vegetables can be planted this month. Protect cold-tender veggies if a frost or freeze is predicted.
• Give cold-damaged palm trees proper care to encourage their recovery.
• Check citrus trees for scab disease. Apply a copper fungicide when new leaves appear and again when two-thirds of the flower blossoms have fallen.
• Prune roses this month to remove damaged canes and improve the overall form. After pruning, fertilize and apply a fresh layer of mulch. Blooming will begin 8–9 weeks after pruning.
• Fertilize fruit trees now if not done in January. Frequency and amount of fertilization depend on the age of the tree.
• Consider replacing areas of grass with drought-tolerant, low-maintenance groundcovers.

March

• Replace declining winter annuals with varieties such as angelonia, gazania, and salvia that will provide color now and into the summer months.
• Plant caladium for a showy tropical display all summer.
• Plant an array of culinary and medicinal herbs now. In addition to their culinary value, many herbs are ornamental and attract butterflies to the garden.
• Warm-season crops, such as beans, peppers, squash, corn, tomatoes, eggplant, and others can be planted now.
• Prune trees and shrubs when new growth begins after the end of the dormant season. To guard next season’s blooms, begin pruning after the last flowers fade but before the new buds set.
• Fertilize palms, azaleas, camellias, and other ornamental shrubs if needed.
• Check sprinkler systems for efficient water use, and March is a good time to set up new irrigation if needed.

April

• New varieties of coleus do well in sun or shade and provide vivid colors and patterns for months.
• Planting early-, mid-, and late-blooming varieties of daylily ensures months of color from these low-maintenance plants.
• Continue adding to your herb garden. Try nasturtiums! The leaves and flowers add a peppery zest to salads.
• Continue planting warm-season crops, such as beans, sweet corn, and squash. Mulch well to prevent weeds and provide water if the weather has been dry.
• Monitor landscape plants weekly for aphids on tender new growth.
• Identify and conserve beneficial insects. Some insects should be encouraged in your yard!
• Check for thrips if leaves and/or flowers of gardenias and roses are damaged.
• Divide clumps of bulbs, ornamental grasses, or herbaceous perennials to expand or rejuvenate garden beds or to pass along to friends.
• Add mulch to minimize weeds and conserve moisture during dry weather. Organic mulches add nutrients to the soil.

May

• Annual plants that can take summer heat include salvia, torenia, wax begonia, coleus, and ornamental pepper.
• Plant heat-loving herbs, including basil, Mexican tarragon, lavender, and rosemary.
• Heat loving favorites to plant now are okra, southern peas, and sweet potato.
• Watch for thrips, scale, and mites on plants because they become more active in warm weather.
• Watch for pests, disease, and nutritional disorders on tomato plants.
• Prepare for hurricane season by checking trees for damaged or weak branches and pruning if needed.

June

• Annuals that can take full sun during the increasingly hot summer months include celosia, portulaca, vinca, and some coleus.
• Summer's warm, rainy months are the perfect time to plant palms. Make sure not to cover the trunk with soil.
• Plant heat-loving herbs, including basil, Mexican tarragon, and rosemary. Pinch back regularly to prevent flowering and enhance branching.
• Plant okra, southern pea, calabaza, Malabar spinach, and sweet potato. It is too late to plant tomatoes.
• Monitor the landscape and garden weekly for harmful insects. Knowing which insects attack a plant can aid in identification and treatment.
• Watch for drought stress and water as needed if rainfall has been spotty. Focus on new plantings and follow watering restrictions. When rains begin, shut down the irrigation system.
• Produce more plants by air layering, grafting, division, or cuttings.
• Lightly prune summer-flowering shrubs, like hibiscus, oleander, and crapemyrtle, during the warmer months because they bloom on new growth. Azaleas can still be pruned until the middle of next month without harming next spring's buds.
• Some municipalities prohibit the application of fertilizer to lawns and/or landscape plants during the summer rainy season (June–September). See if such an ordinance exists in your area.
• Clean up your vegetable garden and solarize the soil to kill pests and disease.

July

• Butterfly lily and gladiolus can be planted during the middle of summer.
• Summer annuals to still plant now include celosia, coleus, torenia, and ornamental pepper.
• While summer is too hot to start herbs from seeds, many do well if started from small plants.
• Continue planting palms while the rainy season is in full swing. Support large palms with braces for 6–8 months after planting. Nails should not be driven directly into a palm trunk.
• Start your Halloween pumpkins this month, but watch out for mildew diseases. Other squashes, okra and Southern peas can also still be planted.
• Some municipalities prohibit the application of fertilizer to lawns and/or landscape plants during the summer rainy season (June–September). See if such an ordinance exists in your area.
• Use summer heat to solarize the vegetable garden for fall planting. It takes 4–6 weeks to kill weeds, disease, and nematodes, so start now.
• Prune azalea no later than mid-July to protect developing buds for next spring's bloom.
• Install an inexpensive rain shutoff device to save money by overriding an irrigation system when it rains. If one is already installed, check that it is operating properly.
• Check citrus trees for damage to fruit or leaves and take action to minimize the effect of insects and/or disease on developing fruit and the overall health of the tree.

August

• The hottest days of summer limit planting now to heat-tolerant annuals, such as coleus, kalanchoe, and vinca.
• Bulbs of Aztec lily, butterfly lily, walking iris, and spider lily can be planted any time of the year, even late summer.
• Herbs that can be planted from plants (not seeds) include bay laurel, ginger, Mexican tarragon, and rosemary.
• Tomatoes, beans, carrots and others can be planted for the fall garden.
• Check older palm fronds for yellowing as it may indicate a magnesium or potassium deficiency. Apply an appropriate palm fertilizer.
• Solarize the vegetable garden in preparation for fall planting if not done in July.
• Pinch back poinsettias and mums before the end of the month to allow time for buds to form for winter bloom.
• Fertilize plants that show signs of deficiencies. Rapid growth and leaching rains may result in nutrient deficiencies in some plants.
• Some municipalities prohibit the application of fertilizer to lawns and/or landscape plants during the summer rainy season (June–September). See if such an ordinance exists in your area.
• Remove spent blooms, cut back, and fertilize flowering annuals and perennials to extend the bloom season into the fall months.

September

• If summer beds need refreshing, try ageratum, coleus, celosia, zinnia, and wax begonia for color into fall.
• Add color, texture, and pattern to the garden with the many varieties of elephant's ear that are available.
• Plant herbs that tolerate the warm temperatures of early fall, such as Mexican tarragon, mint, rosemary, and basil.
• Numerous cool-season (as well as warm-season) vegetable crops can be planted.
• Divide and replant perennials and bulbs that have grown too large or need rejuvenation. Add organic matter to new planting areas and monitor water needs during establishment.
• Check that irrigation systems are providing good coverage and operating properly before summer rains taper off.
• Fertilize citrus with a balanced fertilizer either this month or in October. If the weather has been rainy, do not use soluble nitrogen as rains will leach it from the soil too quickly.
• Some municipalities prohibit the application of fertilizer to lawns and/or landscape plants during the summer rainy season (June–September). See if such an ordinance exists in your area.
• Prepare the fall vegetable garden if not done in August. Using transplants from your local garden center will get the garden off to a fast start, but seeds provide a wider variety from which to choose.

October

• Even though temperatures are still warm, begin planting flowers for the cooler months ahead. Dianthus, petunia, and pansy are good annuals for the fall garden.
• Plant bulbs of agapanthus, rain lily, and many varieties of lilies now for blooms next spring or summer. Add organic matter to the planting bed for best results.
• A wide range of herbs can be planted from seeds or plants this month. Some examples include parsley, cilantro, chives, garlic, and sage.
• Plant crops now that will grow and produce throughout the winter months. This includes broccoli, collards, kale, lettuce, and many others.
• Prepare beds and set strawberry plants this month. Strawberries also make a colorful and tasty container planting. Either way, water daily until plants are established.

November

• Create a display of fall colors with cool-season plants. Some examples include pansy, viola, snapdragon, dianthus, cape daisy, and alyssum.
• Continue planting herbs from seeds or plants. A wide variety of herbs prefer cool, dry weather, including cilantro, parsley, sage, and thyme.
• Continue planting cool-season crops, such as beets, broccoli, cabbage, carrot, kale, and lettuce.
• Divide and replant overgrown perennials and bulbs now so that they establish before the cold weather arrives.
• Take advantage of lower temperatures to apply horticultural oil sprays to control scale insects.
• Turn off irrigation systems and water only if needed. Plants need less supplemental watering in cooler weather.
• Watch for hornworms on poinsettias and tomatoes planted in the landscape. This pest can quickly defoliate the plant; handpick or treat only the infested area.

December

• Consider gift memberships to local botanical gardens, arboretums or nature centers for the holidays. They are dual purpose gifts, supporting the organization while providing a thoughtful, lasting presents to your family and friends.
• To add color to the winter garden, plant masses of petunia, pansy, and snapdragon.
• Amaryllis is a popular plant for the holiday season. It can be forced to bloom now or planted outdoors for spring blooms.
• Plant herbs that thrive in cool weather. Some examples include parsley, thyme, sage, dill, fennel, and cilantro.
• Reliable cool-season vegetables to plant this month include celery, cauliflower, lettuce, cabbage, and carrot.
• Prepare now to protect tender plants should cold weather threaten.
• Inspect regularly for pests on indoor plants. Keep in mind that plant-specific temperature, light, and humidity are key to ensuring that indoor plants thrive.
• Consider performing a soil test if plants do not perform as desired or if new plantings are planned.
• Use fallen leaves to provide the carbon ingredient needed for successful composting and also to make a good mulch.
• Continue monitoring and treat as needed. While cooler weather generally means fewer pests, some populations actually increase at this time of year.

	Article Written by:Angie Lavezzo
	About the Author:Angie Lavezzo is the former general manager of Sow True Seed. Beyond her professional role at Sow True, Angie's passion for gardening extends into personal hands-on experience, fostering plants and reaping bountiful harvests.