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Seasonal Checklist
 































































































Sources of information include: Maple Leaf Ace Hardware crew, WSU King County Extension Master Gardener, Ed Hume Seeds, Hometime, Money Magazine, City of Seattle, King County, Plant Amnesty, “Gardening Month by Month in Washington & Oregon,” The National Gardener’s Association, Mountain Valley Growers, Cedar Grove, Whitney Farms, Scotts, The National Sustainable Agriculture Information Service, Seattle Tilth, and other links on our website.

Autumn September/October/November

Inventory checklist:
Batteries for Daylight Savings change
Furnace filters
Space heaters
Pipe wrap insulation
Exterior window/door caulking
Weather stripping
Seal attic and crawl space cracks and gaps
Faucet covers
Ice melt
Snow shovels
Ice scrapers
Hand & foot warmer packs
Sleds & Saucers
Lube locks with graphite (doors, padlocks, auto, etc)
Moss control for yards & roofs
Deck & fence stain – finish up in September before the cold weather sets in.
Dolomite Lime for lawns, if necessary (raises pH to 6 or 7)
Winter fertilizer for lawn
Rakes for lawn and garden
Lawn bags
Hand weeding tools, knee pads, gloves
Compost/mulch for garden beds
Spring bulbs (allium, amaryllis, crocus, daffodils, hyacinths, tulips)
Garden items
Arrival in store
Cover crop
September
Ed Hume Flower & Vegetable seed rack**
early January
Fall Bulbs - plant in fall: bloom in spring
(allium, amaryllis, daffodils, tulips, crocus, hyacinth)
September

Possible Home/Lawn/Garden issues & maintenance:
Exterior paint completion — cold weather is coming!
Daylight savings in November: change smoke and carbon monoxide detector batteries
Furnace filter change every three months
Water filters (sink, refrigerator, shower): change as necessary and directed
Seal attic and crawl space cracks and gaps
Brick & mortar repair for chimneys, exterior walls, etc.
Check for moisture in your basement
Is your sump pump working?
Repair screen windows & doors in early fall.
Replace broken window glass panes in early fall.
Inspect & repair roof damage
Clean/repair gutters & downspouts
Porch/deck cleaning, repairing, painting, & staining, early fall
Disconnect hoses from faucets; protect with a faucet cover
Prepare for freezing, ice, & snow: check your stock of ice melt, faucet covers, snow shovels, etc.
Lawn care: Apply fall/winter fertilizer, and, as needed, aerate, dethatch, & overseed in October/November
Plant spring blooming flower bulbs (allium, amaryllis, crocus, daffodils, hyacinths, tulips), September through November.
Weed control in garden beds
Add compost, lime, as necessary, to all growing garden beds in early fall.
Plant last fall crop and over-wintering veggie seeds in early September; plant cover crop in dormant veggie gardens from September through mid-November
Lay down a layer of compost or mulch to blanket over bare dirt garden areas from late September through October
Make hydrangeas pink by applying Dolomitic Lime or Triple Super Phosphate in October/November – pink hydrangeas like alkaline soil (pH of 6 to 7)
Make hydrangeas blue with an application of Aluminum Sulfate in October/November (and March/April) – blue hydrangeas like acid soil (pH of 4.0 to 5.5)
Pruning: berry canes that produced(down to the ground) from late June through November; bush type roses that had black spot this year in October/November; and stone fruits in late November.

** Ed Hume Seeds we typically offer that are good for either fall crops or overwintering:
Cabbage
Chives
Parsley
Shallots
Swiss Chard
Carrots
Mustard
Radishes
Spinach
Turnips

Print out your own handy Autumn Maintenance Checklist

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Winter November/December/January/February

Inventory checklist:
Interior paint & prep supplies*
Batteries for Daylight Savings change
Furnace filters
Space heaters
Pipe wrap insulation
Exterior window/door caulking
Weather stripping
Faucet covers
Ice melt
Snow shovels
Ice scrapers
Hand & foot warmer packs
Sleds & Saucers
Lube locks with graphite (doors, padlocks, auto, etc)
Rakes for lawn and garden
Moss control: roofs, walks, yards
Lawn bags
Winter fertilizer for lawn
Compost/mulch and/or cover crop seed for garden beds
Pruners
Garden items
Arrival in store
Ed Hume Flower & Vegetable seed rack**
early January
Spring Bulbs - plant in spring
(anemone, begonias, dahlias, gladilolas, iris, lily, ranunculus)
Late February
Onion sets
Mid February

Possible Home/Lawn/Garden issues & maintenance:
Interior paint & prep work*
Daylight savings in November: change smoke and carbon monoxide detector batteries
Furnace filter change every three months
Water filters (sink, refrigerator, shower): change as necessary and directed
Seal attic and crawl space cracks and gaps
Brick & mortar repair for chimneys, exterior walls, etc.
Check for moisture in your basement
Is your sump pump working?
Disconnect outside hoses from faucets; protect bib with a faucet cover
Compost mulch on garden beds
Plant spring blooming flower bulbs (allium, amaryllis, crocus, daffodils, hyacinths, tulips) from September through November
Plant cover crop in dormant veggie gardens in November
Make hydrangeas pink with an application of Dolomitic Lime or Triple Super Phosphate in October/November – pink hydrangeas like alkaline soil (pH of 6 to 7)
Make hydrangeas blue with an application of Aluminum Sulfate in October/November (and March/April) – blue hydrangeas like acid soil (pH of 4.0 to 5.5)
Lawn care: Apply fall/winter lawn fertilizer, in October/November and — as necessary — aerate, dethatch, and overseed in October/November (or early spring)
Pruning throughout yard: bush type roses that had black spot this year in October/November; roses, clematis, vine berries, lilac suckers, fruit trees, shade trees, and perennials in January; and stone fruits from late November to early January.
** Ed Hume Seeds we typically offer that are good for either fall crops or overwintering:
Cabbage
Chives
Parsley
Shallots
Swiss Chard
Carrots
Mustard
Radishes
Spinach
Turnips
Inventory checklist:
Batteries for Daylight Savings
Furnace filters
Box fans for ventilation
Deck & fence stain
Moss control: roofs, walks, yards
Dolomite Lime for lawn, if necessary (raise pH to 6 or 7)
Lawn fertilizer w/moss control, organic lawn fertilizer, & garden fertilizer
Soil test kit
Hand weeding tools, knee pads, gloves
Organic garden, flower, and/or vegetable fertilizer
Rose fertilizer (also good for lilacs)
Netting for berry vines
Ladybugs (good for aphid control)
Nematodes (good for crane fly larva control)
Sluggo Slug Bait
Plant stakes
Tomato cages
Seedling starter supplies (Mini Greenhouse kit, Seedling/Potting mix, seeds**, labels, watering can, and light source. Optional: timer, hooks & chains)
Print out your own handy “How-to-start-your-own-seedlings” info sheet for more thorough details
Garden items
Arrival in store
Ed Hume Flower & Vegetable seed rack**
early January
Spring Bulbs - plant in spring
(anemone, begonias, dahlias, gladilolas, iris, lily, ranunculus)
Late February
Asparagus crowns
March
Onion sets
Mid February
Potato seeds
Early March
Ladybugs
Late March/early April
Nematods
Late March/early April

Possible Home/Lawn/Garden issues & maintenance:
Interior paint & prep work*
Daylight savings in March: change smoke and carbon monoxide detector batteries
Furnace filter change every three months
Water filters (sink, refrigerator, shower): change as necessary and directed
Check for moisture in your basement
Is your sump pump working?
Clean/repair gutters & downspouts
Inspect & repair roof damage
Seal attic and crawl space cracks and gaps
Repair screen windows & doors
Replace broken window glass pane
Porch and deck cleaning, repairing, painting, and staining
We’ll sharpen your garden tools or replace with new
We’ll sharpen your lawn mower blade
Lawn care: apply fertilizer and — as necessary — aerate, dethatch, and overseed, all once the soil warms up
Cultivate veggie beds: test your soil with a soil test kit and add compost, lime, fertilizer, manure, peat moss, coconut coir, as needed, to amend your garden soil
Make hydrangeas blue with an application of Aluminum Sulfate in March/April (and October/November) – blue hydrangeas like acid soil (pH of 4.0 to 5.5)
Pruning throughout yard: apple and pear trees in late January/February; pines, evergreens (juniper, conifer, cypress), flowering trees (after bloom), clematis, lilac suckers from February through May; hybrid tea roses, floribunda roses, climbing roses, tree roses, hydrangeas, ornamental grasses, and shade trees in February/March; and lavender in May
** Ed Hume Seeds we typically offer:
Artichokes
Asters
Basil
Beets
Bok Choy
Broccoli
Green beans
(bush or pole)
Brussel
Sprouts
Chinese
cabbage
Chicory/
Endive
Cabbage
Cannas
Cantaloupe
Carrots
Cauliflower
Celery
Chives
Cilantro
Collards
Corn
Cosmos
Cucumber
Dianthus
Dill
Eggplant
Fennel
Fuchsias
Geraniums
Impatiens
Kale
Leek
Lettuce
Marigolds
Mustard
Okra
Onions
(from seed)
Peas
(bush or pole)
Radishes
Radishes
(Daikon)
Summer
Squash
Oregano
Pansies
Parsley
Parsnips
Peppers
Petunias
Pumpkin
Radicchio
Sage
Snapdragons
Snow Peas
Spinach
Squash
Stock
Sunflowers
Sweet Peas
Swiss Chard
Thyme
Tomatilloes
Tomatoes
Turnips
Watermelon
Zinnias

Print out your own handy Spring Maintenance Checklist


Summer May/June/July/August

Inventory checklist:
Exterior paint & prep supplies*
Interior paint & prep supplies*
Furnace filters
Box fans for ventilation
Moss control: roofs, walks, yards
Deck & fence stain
Hand weeding tools, knee pads, gloves
Soil test kit
Dolomite Lime for lawns, if necessary (raises pH to 6 or 7)
Lawn fertilizer w/moss control, organic lawn fertilizer
Organic garden flower & vegetable fertilizer
Rose fertilizer (also good for lilacs)
Pruners
Ladybugs for aphids control
Nematodes for crane fly larva control
Sluggo Slug Bait
Netting for berry vines
Plant stakes
Tomato cages
Canning supplies†
Garden items
Arrival in store
Cover crop
September
Ed Hume Flower & Vegetable seed rack**
early January
Fall Bulbs - plant in fall: bloom in spring
(allium, amaryllis, daffodils, tulips, crocus, hyacinth)
September
Ladybugs
Late March/
Early April
Nematods
Late March/
Early April

Possible Home/Lawn/Garden issues & maintenance:
Exterior paint & prep
Furnace filter change every three months
Water filters (sink, refrigerator, shower): change as necessary and directed
September is Nat’l Preparedness month: Disaster kit review∞
Clean/repair gutters & downspouts
Repair screen windows & doors
Replace broken window glass panes
Inspect & repair roof damage
Seal attic and crawl space cracks and gaps
Porch and deck cleaning, repairing, painting, and staining
We’ll sharpen your garden tools or replace with new
We’ll sharpen your lawn mower blade
Weed control in lawn & garden beds
Lawn care: as needed, aerate, dethatch, & overseed, early May
Cultivate veggie beds: test your soil with a soil test kit and add compost, lime, fertilizer, manure, peat moss, coconut coir, as needed, to amend your garden soil
Pruning: pines, flowering trees, lilac (just after bloom), & lavender (just after bloom) in May; wisteria, hedges, heathers, fuchsias, & lavender (immediately after bloom) in June; vines,
deadwood, weak, & diseased branches in June/July; (tip pinch) vine berries after new growth is about 2 to 3 feet, usually in June/July; evergreens like junipers, cypress, & conifers in June/July/August; and berry canes that produced berries (down to the ground) from late June through November.
Plant spring blooming flower bulbs (allium, amaryllis, crocus, daffodils, hyacinths, tulips), September through November
Plant fall crop & over-wintering veggie seeds, late July thru early September
Put out netting to protect ripening fruits and berries
** Ed Hume Seeds we typically offer:
Artichokes
Asters
Basil
Beets
Bok Choy
Broccoli
Green beans
(bush or pole)
Brussel
Sprouts
Chinese
cabbage
Chicory/
Endive
Cabbage
Cannas
Cantaloupe
Carrots
Cauliflower
Celery
Chives
Cilantro
Collards
Corn
Cosmos
Cucumber
Dianthus
Dill
Eggplant
Fennel
Fuchsias
Geraniums
Impatiens
Kale
Leek
Lettuce
Marigolds
Mustard
Okra
Onions
(from seed)
Peas
(bush or pole)
Radishes
Radishes
(Daikon)
Summer
Squash
Oregano
Pansies
Parsley
Parsnips
Peppers
Petunias
Pumpkin
Radicchio
Sage
Snapdragons
Snow Peas
Spinach
Squash
Stock
Sunflowers
Sweet Peas
Swiss Chard
Thyme
Tomatilloes
Tomatoes
Turnips
Watermelon
Zinnias
Fall & over winter selections
Cabbage
Chives
Parsley
Shallots
Swiss Chard
Carrots
Mustard
Radishes
Spinach
Turnips
Print out your own handy Summer Maintenance Checklist

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