Calendar

Maintenance Calendar

In southeastern Louisiana, weed control is a routine, year-round project for landscape managers. The weed types change with the seasons, but the urgency for consistent control persists. Adding mulch to open bed areas helps reduce some of the weed pressures. Ultimately, the “critical moment” of weed control is frequency — eliminating a weed population before it can set seed to replenish another generation.

Other landscape functions are more seasonal. They come into focus around the same time each year with weather patterns fine tuning the need and opportunity for maintenance. The phenology of insect and disease scouting and control fits into this category, as does fertilizing and pruning ornamentals. Harvesting pine straw is another example of a seasonal opportunity. Transplanting (except tropicals) is most successful in the cool season. The “critical moments” for these landscape tasks are determined by plant and pest responses to weather and season.

Finally, other landscape tasks are scheduled for convenience. Installing new landscapes works best during the cool season and during lulls in the campus calendar. Though re-mulching is helpful to control weeds and refresh landscape beds at any time of the year, the ideal time is shortly after the deciduous trees in the area have shed their leaves. Then, freshly placed pine straw or bark mulches remain neat for months.

The following calendar is a handy reference to some of the “critical moments” characteristic of Southeastern’s campus landscapes, as well as Southeastern Louisiana in general.

Landscape Maintenance Calendar

January – March

January

  • Cut back freeze-damaged perennials
  • Mulch over tender perennials before hard freezes (using
    harvested pine straw)
  • Blow leaves and straw off tops of groundcover areas
  • Trim liriope, as needed (especially if sun-damaged)
  • Remulch beds and tree rings (after leaf drop)
  • Apply amendments to correct soil deficiencies
  • Scout for diseases:
    • Root / Stem rot on annuals and perennials
    • Leaf spot on pansies
    • Scout for slug and snail damage on daylilies, annuals (apply
      iron-phosphate bait)
  • Transplant/divide perennials (for propagation or if
    overgrown)
  • Transplant trees and shrubs (especially if planting in
    non-irrigated areas)
  • Harvest any remaining pine straw from turf under groves
  • Ideal time for landscape installations

February

  • Prune roses
  • Prune evergreen shrubs, as needed
  • Complete application of soil amendments
  • Fertilize deciduous shrubs and young trees
  • Finish any liriope trimming (prior to new growth)
  • Scout for Insects:
  • Aphids on daylilies (spray acephate promptly)
  • Lacebugs on azaleas
  • Scout for slug and snail damage on daylilies, annuals
  • (apply iron-phosphate bait promptly)
    • Complete transplanting of trees and shrubs
    • Apply pre-emergent herbicide to groundcover areas with annual
      weeds

March

  • Complete pre-emergent herbicide applications
    forSpring
  • Continue pruning evergreen shrubs
  • Fertilize bed areas
  • Trim established Asianjasmine, as needed
  • Prune back over-sized tropicals (after mild winter)
  • Reprogram irrigation systems
  • Inspect irrigation for leaks and damaged heads
  • Scout for aphids on daylilies (spray acephate promptly)
  • Start preventative insecticide applications:
  • Aphids(all crepe myrtles) apply acephate paste to trunks, avoiding rains
  • Lacebugs (all azaleas) spray imidacloprid, or a rotation
  • Scale (on infested hollies, camellias, hawthornes, banana shrubs)
  • Drench with imidacloprid
  • Scout for scale as crawlers / spray contact insecticide
    (malathion)
  • Check for largepatch inResidence turf (reduce irrigation, if necessary)

April - June

April

  • Continue fertilizing bed areas
  • Check irrigation settings
  • Complete preventative insecticide applications (see
    March)
  • Scale (hawthornes, camellias, hollies)
  • Aphids (crepes)
  • Lacebugs (azaleas)
  • Remulch beds under live oaks (after leaf drop)
  • Double check University Center prior to
    commencement
  • Remove spent cool-season annuals

May

  • Prune Spring-blooming shrubs after they bloom
  • azaleas, hawthornes, loropetalums, etc
    • Total irrigation inspection (including coverage)
    • Apply sethoxydim to suppress torpedograss/bermudagrass in
      broadleaf

ornamentals / groundcovers

  • Apply imazaquin to control select weeds in tolerant
    landscapes
  • dollarweed/nutsedge in Asian Jasmine, liriope, junipers
  • Monitor insect pest thresholds:
  • scale (hawthornes, camellias, hollies)
  • aphids (crepes)
  • lacebugs (azaleas)
    • Scout for lacebugs on lantana (spray acephate)
    • Remulch beds under live oaks (after leaf drop)

June

  • Complete pruning of Spring-blooming shrubs
  • Check irrigation settings
  • Trim established Asian jasmine, as needed
  • Scout for insects/monitor thresholds:
  • whiteflies (gardenias, perennials)
  • aphids (gardenias, perennials)
  • lacebugs (azaleas, lantana)
  • scale (hawthornes, camellias, hollies, banana shrubs)
  • spider mites (roses, perennials)
    • Watch for leafspot (hawthornes, roses)
    • Mulch areas not previously re-mulched

July – September

July

  • Remove spent daylily stalks
  • Review irrigation coverage and settings
  • Prune any tree growth from against eaves or walls (to minimize hurricane damages)
  • Re-apply sethoxdim, if needed, to suppress torpedo grass /
    bermudagrass
  • Re-apply imazaquin, if needed, to control select weeds in
    beds
  • Scout for insects
  • Mulch areas not previously re-mulched
  • Double check North Campus beds prior to registration

August

  • Prune oversized/straggly evergreens
  • Re-fertilize priority trees and shrubs
  • Inspect irrigation (including coverage)
  • Scout for red-headed azalea caterpillars often (spray
    carbaryl promptly)
  • Scout for other insects:
  • Whiteflies (gardenias, perennials)
  • Lacebugs (azaleas, lantana)
  • Scale (hawthornes, camellias)

 

September

  • Complete pruning of evergreens before autumn
  • Check irrigation settings
  • Scout for red-headed azalea caterpillars often (spray
    carbaryl promptly)
  • Scout for other insects (same as August)
  • Harvest pine straw from turf areas if drought causes early
    drop

October – December

October

  • Reduce irrigation settings
  • Apply pre-emergent herbicides to weedy groundcovers (especially for vetch and beggar’s lice)
  • Scout for lacebugs (azaleas)
  • Harvest pine straw from turf areas under groves
  • Plant cool-season annual color at campus entries
  • Add hardy spring-blooming bulbs (daffodils, snowdrops) to
    groundcover areas
  • Soil sample areas with problems or prior to landscape
    renovations/ installations

November

  • Turn off irrigation systems
  • Scout for lacebugs (azaleas)
  • Soil sample problem areas
  • Harvest pine straw from turf areas under groves
  • Double check UC prior to commencement
  • Ideal time for landscape installation

December

  • Cut back freeze damaged perennials
  • Mulch over tender perennials (with harvested pine straw)
  • Blow leaves and straw from tops of groundcover areas
  • Trim liriope, as needed (especially if sun damaged)
  • Remulch beds and tree rings (after leaf drop)
  • Scout for diseases:
  • root / stem rot on annuals and perennials
  • leaf spot on annuals
    • Scout for slug and snail damage on daylilies, annuals (apply iron-phosphate bait promptly)
  • Transplant / divide perennials
  • Propagate groundcovers
  • Transplant trees and shrubs (especially if planting in
    non-irrigated areas)
  • Harvest pine straw from turf areas under groves
  • Ideal time for landscape installation