When to prune, harvest and plant — and how far apart, how deep, how long, how much sun

Timing windows and planting numbers with their conditions, grounded in the university extension sources linked on every page. Conditions vary by region — every window and number carries the condition its source states.

Pruning

Question	The window
Prune hydrangeas	Spring-blooming shrubs: just after the flowers fade (bigleaf hydrangeas: immediately after
Prune roses	Spring, when buds begin to break (early to mid-April in Iowa) or when the weather is condu
Trim bushes	Most landscape shrubs: the dormant season, late winter to early spring. Summer-flowering s
Prune butterfly bushes	Late February, before new growth begins (one source extends the window to late February to
Prune crepe myrtles	Winter, with late winter (late February into early March) being the common window; the key
Prune lilacs	Right after flowering in late spring, ideally within about two weeks of blooming; for a th
Prune apple trees	Late winter or early spring, while the trees are dormant and the worst of the cold weather
Prune azaleas	Late spring or early summer, shortly after flowering; in Georgia, before early July, since
Prune blueberries	From January to early-March during the dormant period, or in late winter to early spring w
Prune boxwoods	Thinning: December through February, with the temperature above freezing. Shearing: early
Prune hollies	Late fall or early winter, once the plant is established; American holly can be pruned in
Prune fruit trees	Late winter or early spring, January to early March, while the tree is dormant and before
Prune hostas	After the first frost, or in the spring after the snow is gone.
Prune forsythias	Immediately after flowering, and all pruning should be completed before mid-July to give t
Prune raspberries	March in Pennsylvania, or any time the canes are fully dormant; summer red raspberries are
Prune blackberries	Dormant pruning in Jan–Feb (FF/PF), summer tipping in June–July (FF), and post-harvest flo
Prune lavender	Early spring, after all chance of frost has passed (early March or so), when green leaves
Prune rhododendrons	Right after the plant has finished blooming (early summer), or in late winter / mid winter
Prune strawberries	Immediately after harvest and before July 15, for June-bearing strawberries.

Harvesting

Question	The window
Harvest garlic	By late July in Minnesota, once the lower leaves are brown while the top 4–5 leaves remain
Harvest potatoes	After the vines have died and the crop is mature, typically 90-120 days after planting; "n
Harvest onions	When at least one-half of the tops have fallen over, the onions have reached maturity and
Harvest carrots	Carrots taste best when they grow rapidly and mature before the heat of summer; midsummer
Harvest sweet potatoes	85 to 120 days after planting, and no later than when frost kills the vines or soon therea
Harvest pumpkins	Late September or early October, before heavy frosts, if the vines remain healthy; otherwi
Harvest tomatoes	Pick as the fruit ripens on the vine; if frost is imminent, harvest the mature, green toma
Harvest rhubarb	Late April and throughout June in Ohio, starting from the third year on; wait two growing
Harvest watermelons	Pick the melon when the underside (belly) has turned from a greenish white to a buttery ye
Harvest corn	Roughly 18 to 23 days from silk emergence to harvest (17 to 25 days by one source), with p
Harvest sunflowers	About 30 to 45 days after bloom, once the back of the head has turned from green to yellow
Harvest asparagus	Third year after planting crowns: no more than one month the first season. Fourth year and
Harvest brussels sprouts	After frost exposure, when sprouts are firm when pinched and one inch in diameter but befo

Planting

Question	The window
Plant tomatoes	Mid-March through the third week of May, plant seeds indoors to grow seedlings; May throug
Plant garlic	In eastern Washington gardens, plant in early to mid-fall (September to October); in weste
Plant tulips	Fall, before the first frost. In most of Western Oregon, October and November are ideal, w
Plant grass seed	Late summer to early fall is the ideal time to seed a cool-season lawn; in Illinois that m
Plant cucumbers	Set out in the garden 1-2 weeks after the last frost, or plant seed when the soil warms to
Plant potatoes	Plant 14-21 days before the last frost date, when soils are at least 50°F; in some regions
Plant corn	Soil temperature at planting depth of 50°F (10°C), with a two-day (48-hour) window when it
Plant strawberries	In Illinois, plant in March or April to let plants become well established before hot summ

Germination

Question	The wait
How long grass seed takes to grow	Perennial ryegrass 5 - 10 days; Kentucky bluegrass 14 - 30 days.
How long tomatoes take to germinate	Approximately 6 to 8 days at the optimum soil temperature range of 65° to 85°F.
How long carrots take to germinate	7 to 21 days to come up; about a week at 75 F with adequate moisture
How long peppers take to germinate	The evidence does not give a number of days for pepper seed germination; it only lists the

Spacing

Question	The spacing
How far apart to plant tomatoes	Determinate tomatoes: 2 to 2½ feet apart, rows about 4 feet apart. Indeterminate staked: 1
How far apart to plant cucumbers	12 inches in-row x 48 to 72 inches between rows; or plant in a hill (two to three plants p
How far apart to plant potatoes	In-row spacing of 6 to 8 inches (close spacing used to reduce tuber size and increase the
How far apart to plant strawberries	Matted row (June-bearing): plants 18 to 24 inches apart in the row, rows 36 to 48 inches a
How far apart to plant corn	Seeds should be spaced 7-9 inches apart in the row with 24-30 inches between rows; for hig
How far apart to plant sweet potatoes	12 inches between plants within a row, and 40 inches (at least 3 feet) between rows.

Sunlight

Question	The light
How much sun tomatoes need	At least 8 hours of direct sun daily; full sun is generally defined as 6-8 hours of direct
How much sun roses need	At least six to eight hours of direct sun a day; full sun is defined as six or more hours

Planting depth

Question	The depth
How deep to plant potatoes	Set seed pieces, cut side down, and small whole potatoes about 1 foot apart in a furrow 4
How deep to plant garlic	Plant cloves 2 inches deep in prepared beds, with the flat basal plate placed firmly on th
How deep to plant tulips	Plant bulbs at a depth equal to two or three times their maximum bulb diameter; this means
How deep to plant sunflowers	Plant 1 to 2 inches deep; the sandier the soil, the deeper the seed should be planted.
How deep to plant tomatoes	Deeper than they were grown in containers; set in the ground so the soil level is just bel
How deep to plant cucumbers	Plant cucumber seeds 1 inch deep; when sowing in hills, set 4–6 seeds per hill at that 1-i
How deep to plant marigolds	Plant seeds one-quarter inch deep.
How deep to plant okra	Sow okra seeds 1 inch deep and 4 to 6 inches apart within the row, with rows 3 feet apart.
How deep to plant zinnias	Plant the seeds 1/4 inch deep and cover with vermiculite.
How deep to plant carrots	Plant seeds ¼-½ inch deep; some sources specify ¼ inch deep.
How deep to plant corn	Target 2 inches deep under normal conditions; if the soil is really dry, target 2.5 inches
How deep to plant peppers	Plant seedlings no deeper than the soil line from the tray; for starting seeds indoors, pl
How deep to plant pumpkins	Plant seeds one to two inches deep; Illinois and Mississippi State recommend one inch (or
How deep to plant watermelons	Plant the seed about 1 inch deep.
How deep to plant sweet potatoes	Dig a hole 4-6 inches deep and place the slip roots inside the hole.
How deep to plant basil	Seeds should be planted only 1/8 - 1/4 inch deep; one source says to sow 1/8 inch deep and
How deep to plant beets	Direct seed beets ½ inch deep and 1–2 inches apart in rows spaced 12 inches apart; make a
How deep to plant radishes	Sow seed 1/4 to 1/2 inch deep; the seeds should be no more than one quarter inch deep.
How deep to plant lettuce	Seeds should be planted ¼-½ inch deep, with rows 12 to 18 inches apart.
How deep to plant squash	Plant the seeds ½ inch deep and 4 to 6 inches apart in the row; squash transplants should
How deep to plant beans	All beans should be planted 1 inch deep.
How deep to plant cantaloupes	Seed should be planted 1-2 inches deep.
How deep to plant hollies	Set the tree at the same depth it was growing in the container.
How deep to plant onions	Seed onions for bulbs ¼ inch deep; plant sets or transplants ¾ inch deep and 3 inches apar
How deep to plant spinach	Plant seed ½ inch deep (cover 1/2 inch deep) and firm the soil over the seed.
How deep to plant zucchinis	Seeds should be planted 1 to 1.5 inches deep in the soil.
How deep to plant lavender	Sow seeds 1/8 inch deep in soilless media and lightly cover seeds with perlite.
How deep to plant peas	1 to 2 inches deep

Soil pH

Question	The pH
What soil pH tomatoes need	A soil pH of 6.2 to 6.8 (slightly acidic), with the soil solution pH ideally 6.2–6.5.
What soil pH cucumbers need	Soil pH between 6.0 and 6.5.

Mature size

Question	The size
How big hydrangeas get	At maturity, hydrangeas are generally 3 to 6 feet tall and wide; size varies by cultivar,

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