When to prune, harvest, and plant

Timing windows with their conditions, grounded in the university extension sources linked on every page. Timing varies by region — every window carries the condition its source states.

Pruning

Task	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

Task	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

Task	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

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