After over 25 years of gardening in the Hoosier state, I’ve figured out roughly when I can expect to begin certain work in the garden, or when the weather is likely to change (all day, every day.)
With that in mind, I’m sharing with you my garden calendar. I break the year into nine seasons, depending on both what’s happening in the skies (solstices and equinoxes) and what’s happening on the ground (weather and soil conditions).
Midwinter Solstice to mid-February
From the winter solstice on roughly December 21 to about mid-February, both the garden and I rest.
January 5: Epiphany Beginning of winter sowing. Many native seeds are best sown this time of dormancy, so I winter sow in January.
Late winter Mid-February to vernal equinox
Late winter marks the season of woody plants breaking dormancy, waking up for the season. I focus on pruning apples, pears, and other trees and shrubs that are best pruned this time of year, before they leaf out.
I also cut down my meadow before the snowdrops arrive; sedges start greening up as early as February.
February 14: Valentine’s Day Pruning season begins. Dormancy may begin breaking between now and mid-spring, and usually varies by plant.
March 17: St. Patrick’s Day The traditional saying is “Peas and potatoes by St. Patrick’s Day,” meaning they should be planted by today. But unless you’re planting in a raised bed, the soil is likely too wet.
If you squeeze a handful of soil into a lump and poke at it, it should fall apart. If it stays in the lump, the soil isn’t yet dry enough for planting.
Early spring Equinox to soil drying
~March 21: Spring equinox Beginning of spring, and my personal new year.
I delay cleanup in the garden as long as possible to allow hibernating insects to emerge. Only after we’ve had several days in a row of temperatures er above 50 degrees do I start cutting down plant stalks and gently raking out bed.
Mid-spring Soil drying to frost-free date
Beginning of planting season, and the start of the most frantic season in the garden. From now until the summer solstice, I’m planting, succession sowing, finishing spring pruning, and trying to stay ahead of the weed.
April 15: Dry soil With the soil drying out, it’s safe to plant cool-season crops, woody plants, and cold-hardy perennials. Hold off on tender plants until at least May 12.
Late spring to early summer Frost-free date to summer solstice
Our springs have become so unpredictable that I treat late spring and early summer as one season. This is the peak bloom time in many gardens. It’s also one of the busiest time of year.
May 12: Frost-free date Our last frost date is around May 12. It’s the earliest I put out cold-sensitive plants like tomatoes, melons, and tender annuals. I often wait a couple more weeks to allow the soil to warm, putting them out around Memorial Day instead.
Midsummer Summer solstice to mid-August
The summer solstice marks the point where plants slow their growth in response to declining daylight hours. So I’m still weeding, but the pressure is lower! Key tasks during this time are pruning for size control, watering, and harvesting
~June 21: Summer Solstice/Midsummer With the onset of summer, I start pruning shrubs and trees for size control. So fruit trees and espaliers get at least once pruning this time of year, and often two or three between now and October
July 15: Drought Days The dry season usually begins mid-July and persists through Halloween. I water new plants 1” every week. But established plants can usually go several weeks before I turn the hose onto their roots for a deep watering.
Late Summer Mid-August to fall equinox
August 15: Dog Days/State Fair Time Plants are still growing, but at a much slower rate than in spring. This season is all about keeping things watered.
Early fall Fall equinox to first frost
Fall technically begins at the equinox, but it feels more like late summer. This time of year I’m watering like crazy and harvesting.
~September 21: Fall Equinox Fall is for planting! Once the fall rains come in, it’s the ideal time to plant trees, shrubs, and hardy perennials.
Late fall/early winter First frost to winter solstice
Late fall flows into winter with so many lurches forward and back that I treat them as one season. Plants are preparing to go dormant for the winter, a process called senescence.
~October 15: First Frost The average first frost date in central Indiana is around October 15. At this point, tender summer crops like tomatoes and melons, and non-cold-hardy plants are done. I generally cut them off at ground level, leaving the roots to decay in place.
I start planting spring-blooming bulbs after the first frost, too.
October 31: Halloween In the 1980s when I was trick-or-treating, trees used to be almost bare by Halloween. These days, they don’t hit their full color show until around the end of the month, or even early November.
When the trees finally shed their leaves, I mow over heavy layers of leaves to shred them, then rake them into my beds as mulch. A light layer of leaves can stay on the lawn, but a heavy layer will kill the grass.
Midwinter: Winter solstice to mid-February
~December 21: Winter solstice With the winter solstice, we’re back where we began, in the dormant season of the year. Get out the garden books and seed catalogs to plan for next year.
