🌿 Garden Guides
🍂 The Gardener's Year: Fall Prep → Winter → Spring
What to do, season by season, here in Zone 6b (Perrysburg's average first frost is mid-October; last frost is around early May). Not sure of your zone? Look it up with our Zone Finder.
🍂 FALL — PREP (October–November)
• Plant now: early fall is a great time for most trees, shrubs and perennials — warm soil, cool air and fall rain build roots before winter. Aim to finish by late October; evergreens do best by early October.
• Plant garlic and spring bulbs (tulips, daffodils, alliums) before the ground freezes.
• Water evergreens and new plantings deeply until the ground freezes — Thuja and boxwood lose water all winter.
• Clean up diseased leaves and spent vegetable plants; don't compost anything diseased.
• Leave coneflower and other seed heads standing for the birds, and leave some hollow stems for native bees.
• Shred fall leaves: use them as mulch or start a leaf-mold pile. Spread compost on empty beds.
• Stop fertilizing so plants can harden off. Don't prune bigleaf or oakleaf hydrangeas now — you'll cut off next year's flowers. Smooth and panicle types can be cut back in late winter.
• Bring in bananas and other tropicals before nights drop below about 50°F, and citrus and dragon fruit before about 40°F. Rosemary can wait a little longer. Dig dahlia tubers after the first frost blackens the tops.
• Drain and store hoses; clean, sharpen and oil tools.
❄️ WINTER — OVERWINTER & PLAN (December–February)
• After the ground freezes, add 2–3 inches of mulch around perennials, roses and new shrubs to prevent heaving.
• Wrap young tree trunks and protect shrubs from rabbits and deer; brush heavy snow off evergreens gently.
• Use salt-free ice melt near beds — salt burns roots.
• Indoor plants: give citrus and tropicals your brightest window, water when the top 1–2 inches dry, and watch for spider mites and scale.
• Scrape spotted lanternfly egg masses off trees, stones and furniture.
• Plan next year's garden, order seed early for the best selection, and start onions indoors in late winter.
🌱 SPRING — WAKE UP & PLANT (March–May)
• Pull back winter mulch gradually as plants emerge; cut back last year's perennial stems.
• Test your soil (Wood County OSU Extension) and work in compost.
• Plant cool-season crops early: peas, lettuce, spinach, onions and potatoes as soon as the soil can be worked.
• Prune summer-blooming shrubs; wait to prune spring bloomers until after they flower.
• Feed perennials and shrubs once with a balanced fertilizer; harvest garlic scapes in June.
• Harden off seedlings over 7–10 days, then plant tomatoes, peppers, basil and other warm-season plants once nights stay above 50°F (usually mid-May).
• Move citrus and tropicals back outdoors gradually — shade first, then full sun.
Questions about your yard? Tap Special Requests or message us — we're happy to help.
🌱 Planting & Seasonal Care (Zone 6b)
How to plant: Dig a hole twice as wide as the pot and just as deep. Loosen circling roots before setting the plant in. Backfill, firm gently, and water in well to settle the soil. Add 2-3" of mulch, kept off the stems. Harden off tender plants — ease them into full sun over 7–10 days so they don't scorch. Watering rule: water when the top inch of soil is dry — deep and less often beats a little every day.
Spring — Plant hardy perennials, shrubs & fruit; wait on basil and other tender plants until nights stay above 50°F. Feed perennials once. Watch for early aphids.
Summer — Water deeply in heat; feed flowering annuals every 1-2 weeks; deadhead for more blooms. hand-pick Japanese beetles; watch for spider mites & powdery mildew.
Fall — Great time to plant perennials, shrubs & trees. Cut back hardy hibiscus after frost; lift dahlia tubers before a hard freeze; bring rosemary indoors. Stop fertilizing.
Winter — Leave coneflower seed heads for the birds; mulch tender perennials. Remove bagworm bags from evergreens. Plan next year and watch for deer browsing.
🧪 Feeding & Fertilizer Guide
Every fertilizer label shows three numbers — for example 10-10-10. They are always N-P-K, in that order.
N — Nitrogen: green leaves & fast growth. Too much = lots of foliage, few flowers.
P — Phosphorus: roots, flowers & fruit. Most soils already have plenty, so extra phosphorus won't add blooms unless a soil test shows a shortage.
K — Potassium: strong roots, hardiness & disease resistance.
Which food for what:
Flowering annuals & baskets (petunia, geranium, impatiens, SunPatiens, dianthus, hibiscus) — a complete water-soluble feed (such as 20-10-20 or 20-20-20) every 1–2 weeks.
Perennials, vines & shrubs — a balanced 10-10-10 once in spring; lavender and most herbs prefer to be fed lightly.
Hydrangea — balanced food in spring and midsummer; on bigleaf types you can shift flower color with soil pH (more acidic = bluer).
Herbs — feed sparingly; too much nitrogen weakens the aroma and flavor.
Simple rules: Nitrogen (the first number) drives leafy growth; extra phosphorus only helps if a soil test says it's low. Always water before feeding, and follow the label rate — more is not better. Stop feeding by late summer so plants harden off for winter. Not sure about your soil? Get an inexpensive soil test through Wood County OSU Extension before adding amendments.
🪴 Where Can I Grow It? In-Ground, Raised Bed, or Container
Not sure where a plant will do best? Here’s a quick guide for Northwest Ohio’s heavy clay soil.
• In the ground: Best for trees, shrubs, perennials and garlic. Loosen the clay and mix in compost so roots can spread and water drains.
• Raised bed: Best for vegetables, herbs and strawberries. It warms up earlier in spring, drains well and is easier on your back. Fill it with a mix of topsoil and compost.
• Container: Best for citrus, bananas, tender tropicals, herbs and patio vegetables. Use a pot with drainage holes and potting mix (not garden soil), and water more often in summer. Pots let you bring tender plants indoors for winter.
Still not sure? Text us the plant name and we’ll tell you which spot it likes best.
📖 Garden Guides — 5 parts
1. Seasons, Planting & Feeding (you are here)
2. Plant Terms & Choosing Plants
3. Pests, Disease & Critters
4. Beneficial Insects & Pollinators
5. Composting & Smart Plant Buying
🌱 Also: Zone Finder & Plant Care Guides