Seasonal Schedule
Simple annual care guide for my patio plants.
Patio Gardening
January
- Keep rosemary cool and bright
- Barely water: silver squill (lavender overwinters in the raised bed)
- After blooming, water Christmas Cactus every 12 days
- No feeding
- Weekends: turn pots, check for pests
February
- start seeds for parsely, tomatoes (end of month)
- Start Tabasco seeds indoors, they need a long season
- Sow parsley early, it takes forever to germinate
- wash empty pots, buy soil mixes
March
- Prune, divide, and repot after plants wake up
- When night frost is rare, start sowing schedule for coriander
April
- Finish repotting root-bound pots before strong growth
- Resume light feeding as new growth appears
- Divide crowded supermarket basil and begin pinching once it branches.
- On mild days, harden plants in shade, bring back inside
May
- after frost risk has passed and nights hold above 10 °C move hardy plants out gradually, hardening them off over 7–10 days
- Basil, tomatoes, and Tabasco wait until nights are warm
- Sow or plant marigolds after last frost
- Begin tomato feed after flowering or fruit set
- Shape rosemary lightly after flowering, don’t cut bare wood
June
- Keep pinching basil tips and flowers
- harvest coriander and parsley
- Every first Sunday, feed all plants
- Every third Sunday, feed tomatoes only
- Remove yellow lower leaves from Roma
- thin cherry tomato only enough for airflow
July
- Check basil and tomatoes every morning, may need evening drink in extreme heat
- Give coriander and parsley afternoon shade and keep them evenly moist
- Pause Coriander schedule for hot months (it just bolts)
- Trim thyme after flowering
August
- Cut lavender back one third after flowering, never cut into leafless wood.
- Take cuttings for citronella, begonia, rosemary, and thyme
- Use as replacement if parent dies in winter.
September
- Stop feeding Mediterranean herbs
- Harvest parsley seed umbels once they’ve turned brown & dry
- Clean pots and foliage, treat pests before moving indoors
- Bring in plants before nights fall below 10 °C
October
- Unplug the raised bed’s water reservoir when fall rains start (lavender hates wet feet)
- Give Christmas cactus cool nights and 14 h darkness, stop moving it when buds appear.
- Harvest all tomatoes and Basil at frost
- Pick remaining Tabasco pods before frost; marigolds end with it
- Parsley can continue in a cool bright spot.
- Reduce watering as growth and light slow.
- Rosemary prefers a cool bright room
November
- Move indoor pots to brightest windows and rotate weekly
- Water only after checking soil
- Remove dead foliage, keep dry overnight
- watch for pests
December
- Don’t move a blooming Christmas Cactus, keep away from heaters and drafts
- Keep silver squill almost dry, check for bulb rot