One year tips from the experts of Southern Life Garden.

Despite the changing seasons, gardeners can rely on one thing and not fail. There is always work to be done in the yard. Weeds need to be pulled, grasses need to be trimmed, and you really want to start planting these perennials. Then pruning, mulching, and ensuring that your houseplants can survive (and thrive) as the summer enters the end of autumn and finally enters the winter.

From January to December, Southern Living garden experts list all maintenance tasks on a monthly basis to keep your garden in its best condition. With advice on when to plant, how to prune, and how to manage the grass, if you listen to their advice, then you can smoothly lead to a prosperous yard.

Dry winter days are a good time to mow dormant warm-season lawns. This modifies the lawn and removes fallen leaves and pine needles. It also allows you to check whether there are winter weeds in the yard. Spray them when the weather is warm in spring to control them.

This is a good time to plant new shrubs and trees. Evaluate your landscape, remove unattractive plants, and replace them with other plants you like.

In addition to maple and birch trees, now is a good time to prune trees. If the limbs are more than one inch in diameter, use the three-step method to remove branches. Make the first cut on the underside of the limb about 6 to 8 inches from the torso. Cut about half the thickness of the branches. Go to the top of the limb and cut off the limb in the middle between the underside incision and the trunk. The resulting stubs should then be cut within half an inch of the trunk.

Now, winter weeds in dormant warm-season turf are obvious. Application of post-emergence herbicide for field application or hand control. When choosing a post-emergence herbicide such as Purge, Weed-Stop or Weed-B-Gon, make sure to follow the label instructions and that the product is approved for your specific grass species. Otherwise you may hurt or kill it.

If the buds of forsythia, quince, star magnolia, and dish-shaped magnolia show a faint color, it is easy to forcibly bloom indoors. Prune the branches, taking care not to spoil the natural shape of the plant. After putting them in an indoor vase for a few days, they should bloom.

As the warm season turf in your area begins to turn green, it's time to consider liming the grass. If your soil is acidic, you need to do it every few years. The best way to determine if you need lime is to conduct a soil test, which will let you know exactly how much lime to apply. However, if you cannot test the soil, use the general guideline of 15 to 20 pounds of lime per 100 square feet of lawn area. Compared with white powdered lime, granular lime is less messy and easier to apply.

When this southern classic blooms, if you don't plant them by color, be sure to mark the color of each plant. In order to get the greatest impact, divide the azaleas into one color or multiple colors. It is okay to move them while they are blooming. But if you wait until they are finished, they can be rearranged, trimmed and shaped for better display next year.

Now that winter has passed, remove and replace the mulch around plants such as rhododendrons, roses and camellia, because diseased spores and insects may have overwintered in this material. If you think disease or insects are not a problem, just update your covering.

It's time to start mowing the warm season lawns of Bermuda, St. Augustine, and Centipede. Be careful not to strip your lawn. Adjust the blade height so that the turf looks cut when it is finished, but you cannot see soil spots. A good rule of thumb for cutting grass in the spring: only remove about the first third of the grass blades each time you cut the grass. During periods of rapid growth, try to mow the lawn at least once a week.

Once the frost period has passed, it is time to grow herbs. Culinary herbs are easy to grow, but make sure you have grown enough common herbs. Generally speaking, to obtain the same flavor in cooking, the amount of fresh herbs is twice that of dried herbs.

Once your brown turf turns green, it's time to fertilize it regularly. Some warm-season grasses, such as Bermuda and Zoysia hybrids, such as high-nitrogen lawn fertilizers. Some turf, such as centipedes, require little or no fertilizer and a small amount of nitrogen. Remember, high nitrogen fertilizers always have a big first number in the ratio listed on the bag. Be sure to follow the label instructions to prevent burning the lawn.

Once the plant has grown leaves, it is time to make a final pruning to eliminate winter damage. Always chop off limbs or shoot back live wood. If the damage to the plant is severe, you may consider replacing it.

It's time to finish planting summer annual plants such as petunia, marigold, salvia and impatiens. If the plants are in pots or trays, make sure that the roots are not too messy, they cannot easily spread out into the soil. If it is, gently pull away the roots.

Pay attention to hanging baskets and containers, as they will dry out faster as the temperature rises. Irrigate plants at dawn and dusk to reduce water loss due to evaporation. When you add plants to your garden, you need to water them instead of the built area.

Put indoor plants in a cool outdoor place to breathe fresh air and rejuvenate. Water regularly and feed with general-purpose (20-20-20) water-soluble fertilizers to promote growth.

Use extra pine grass or chopped bark mulch around newly planted trees and shrubs to better transition these plants into your garden. The extra mulch will reduce water loss and heat stress from the new roots.

Increase the cutting height of the lawn mower by one to one and a half inches to help your grass survive drought and heat. The tall turf shades the soil, slows evaporation and reduces weeds.

Move the bird basin to a cool place to slow evaporation and prevent the water from becoming too hot. Placing the bathtub near a small tree or large bush can provide a refuge for birds and encourage their use.

It's time to grow autumn vegetables in the upper south. Start transplanting broccoli, cauliflower, and kale. Sow the seeds of beet, lettuce, English peas, spinach, radish and mustard.

If your grass is dry, please don't mow it before watering or raining. Mowing a dry lawn will further increase the pressure on the turf and expose it to the drying effects of wind and sun.

Now is a good time to divide these spring blooming perennials. The excavation has become crowded and there are no flowers blooming like in the past few years. Separate the tuber from the root and trim the dead part. Use younger, more vigorous parts for replanting. Prepare the new bed by improving the soil to a depth of 8 to 10 inches with composted pine bark and sphagnum moss.

Start planting trees and shrubs this month. Planting in autumn allows them time to take root and transition to the garden.

As the temperature starts to drop, the amount of water needed by the plants decreases. Adjust watering schedules for lawns, borders, and containers. Pay close attention to the containers as they tend to be soaked in water.

In the coming winter, use annual ryegrass to plant warm-season grasses, such as centipedes or Bermuda grass, to create a green lawn.

Remove the used summer annual plants, prepare the soil, and plant cool-weather annual plants now. Add balanced slow-release fertilizers, organic matter such as composted pine bark, and then reach the bed before planting.

It is not too late to sow the seeds of mustard, kale, radish, and lettuce for the autumn garden. In the upper south and south central, you may want to use lettuce transplants for best results.

Cleaning the garden will produce a lot of fallen leaves and plant debris for composting. In a remote corner of the garden, mix green and dry materials with a shovel of soil and a handful of optional fertilizer (any kind except weeds and feed products). If it doesn't rain, water it once a week. If you turn the pile over, you will get compost in the spring.

Use high-quality lawn fertilizers (such as 30-2-4 or 29-3-4) that contain regular nitrogen release to fertilize tall fescue and other cool season lawns in the south-central and upper-south areas to prevent burns. It will continue to feed your lawn until spring.

If the soil is acidic, your landscape may benefit from the application of lime. Use a fertilizer applicator to spread, or fertilize by hand. Always wear gloves and distribute them evenly. Since lime takes a long time to react with the soil, winter application is helpful for spring gardens. Apply at a rate of 15 to 20 pounds per 100 square feet. If you are not sure how much lime your soil needs, please conduct a soil test.

If your automatic watering system stays on throughout the year, you need to adjust the amount of watering every cycle. Many dormant plants require less water during the colder months. A good rule of thumb is to reduce the irrigation time by half when the night temperature is kept at more than 40 degrees or lower. Shut down the system during the rainy season to reduce costs and prevent overwatering.