Mow your lawn regularly to a height of 2 to 3 inches. Leave clippings on lawn as natural fertilizer.
Gardening Tasks by Month for Salmon Arm, BC
Gardening Tips
Salmon Arm, BC
Keep your compost pile moist. Mix and moisten dry materials and cover with plastic if it’s dry out.
Spray fruit trees to avoid pests. Horticulture oil sprays handle many pests in an environmentally friendly yet effective way.
If your apple and pear trees drop, thin the remainder for more productive harvest.
Check your trees and shrubs; ensure that each has a few inches of mulch (or add more).
Fertilize annuals with a balanced fertilizer. High nitrogen content is important until the plants are fully grown; once they fully grown, switch to a high-phosphorus fertilizer.
Remove the dead flowers from perennials and annuals. Pinching back the stems will also help to keep your plants healthy.
Plant more flowers, such as petunias, marigolds, zinnias, asters, nasturtiums, and impatiens.
Sharpen your mower blades to prevent disease and keep the lawn greener.
Make sure your lawn is getting 1 inch of water per week. (Measure rainfall by putting out an empty tin can.)
Prune flowering shrubs, such as rhododendrons, lilacs, and azaleas, after they bloom.
Move your houseplants outside for some sunlight. You can also clean and repot your plants.
Stay on top of garden weeds.
Keep checking your plants for any diseases or insects, and treat when necessary. (See our Pest pages.)
Remember to water your lawn. It is better to water it deeply and less frequently than shallow and more frequently.
Make trellises or supports for tomatoes, cucumbers, and pole beans.
Ensure that raised beds are getting enough water. Once the soil surface dries out, water deeply in the early morning.
Be sure to continuously harvest your vegetables and fruit to keep the crops thinned out.
Fertilize your vegetable plants 1 month after they emerge by side dressing.
