Our plant experts and lawn care professionals put their heads together to create a 365 day landscaping timeline for Colorado residents. As always, Timberline Landscaping is available to help you make your landscape healthy year round.
Table of Contents
TL;DR: How Do I Deal with Colorado's Short Growning Season?
Planning! Timing is everything when it comes to high-altitude landscape care. In winter, water on days above 40 degrees to keep roots hydrated. As spring arrives, jump-start growth with pre-emergent weed control and you can start planting cool-season plants after May 15th. During the hot, dry summer, adjust for efficient irrigation to protect plants in our intense, high-altitude sun. In fall, cleanup and bulb planting must happen early to beat the first frost and set the stage for a strong, colorful return next season. And don't forget to tune up your tools before winter storage to be ready for spring when the cycle starts anew!
January
- Winter Watering on days over 40 degrees
- Turn your compost pile
- Perform maintenance on lawn care equipment to make sure it is ready for the season
February
- Winter Watering on days over 40 degrees
- Learn more about your lawn and garden. Read some lawn maintenance books or scour the internet. Our blog and Pinterest pages may provide some inspiration!
- Plan any hardscaping or landscape renovations. For example, adding a patio, fire pit, or xeriscaping
- Rejuvenation pruning on summer flowering shrubs
March
- Winter Watering on days over 40 degrees
- Apply pre-emergent to control weeds all season long
- Spring cleanup
- Cut back ornamental grasses and clean up perennial beds
- Deep root feed trees
- Rejuvenation pruning on summer flowering shrubs
- Low mow turf to clean up dead grass and open soil to light penetration
- Plant potatoes & onions
Download the printable Colorado Landscaping Timeline here:
April
- Turn on irrigation system- watch for freezes. You will have to drain your backflow to protect the system if the temperatures drop. Watch our video for step by step instructions
- Plant spring flowers such as pansies and snapdragons, which are more cold tolerant than other annuals
- Start vegetable seeds indoors this month move them outdoors at the end of May
- Begin work on any planned renovations, hardscaping, xeriscaping, etc.
- Apply a 3-month slow release fertilizer to turf
- Lawn Aeration
- Overseed bare areas in lawn
- Begin mowing
- Fertilize shrubs and perennials
- Plant rhubarb, kale and lettuce
May
- Plant Annual Flowers any time after May 16th, which is the average last frost date for Colorado Springs. Fertilize monthly with a bloom booster
- Transplant your vegetable seed starters outdoors
- Plant other vegetables
- Spray for insects
- Start weed control
June
- Plant your herb garden
- Inspect your irrigation system for coverage issues. Repeat monthly
- Weed control
July
- Prune and shape shrubs and trees, especially spring flowering
- Take a look at your yard now that plant material has had time to grow this season and decide if you should plant any new trees or shrubs
- Adjust irrigation for hot summer temperatures
August
- Top dress your turf
- Overseed turf
- Apply a second application of 3-month slow release fertilizer to your turf
- Adjust irrigation for hot summer temperatures
September
- Lawn Aeration
- Plant fall annual flowers. Pick plants that are cold hardy like pansies, snapdragons, mums and kale
- Overseed turf
October
- Irrigation Blowout PRIOR to first freeze.
- Plant bulbs now for spring color (tulips, daffodils, hyacinths)
- Plant garlic
- Fall Cleanup:
- Cut back perennials. Do not cut grasses until spring to give your landscape winter interest.
- Remove annuals
- Cleanup leaf debris
- Be sure to add all green debris to your compost pile
- Now is a good time to hardedge grass along sidewalks
November
- Winter Watering on days over 40 degrees
- Finish any remaining fall cleanup items
- Place pine and spruce boughs on flower beds for winter interest
- Plan Christmas decor
December
- Winter Watering on days over 40 degrees
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