Garden Care Guide

Crataegus tanacetifolia Care

Crataegus tanacetifolia

A hawthorn species endemic to Turkey that loves full sun and is tolerant of drought and chalky soils. It is used in landscapes and for its edible fruit.

Hardy · -30 °C / -22 °F

Monthly care calendar

Timings are for a temperate Northern Hemisphere climate. In warmer areas tasks start earlier, in colder areas later; in the Southern Hemisphere shift them by six months.

January
  • Watering: Not necessary (if the soil is very dry, young saplings get 5 L per week).
  • Pruning: Shaping and dead branch pruning can be done.
  • General care: This is a suitable time for planting.
  • Pests & diseases: Trunk check for overwintering pests.
  • Frost risk: The roots of young saplings can be protected with mulch.
February
  • Watering: Not necessary (if the soil is very dry, young saplings get 5 L per week).
  • Pruning: While dormant, remove dry, broken, crossing and inward-growing branches so that air and light reach the inside of the crown.
  • Plant protection: Before the buds wake up: Bordeaux mixture (copper-based fungicide) (against black spot and other fungal diseases).
  • General care: Clean the surrounding area.
  • Pests & diseases: Check the trunk for scale insects.
  • Frost risk: Continue protecting young saplings.
March
  • Watering: 5-10 L/week according to soil moisture.
  • Fertilizing: NPK 15-15-15 or organic fertilizer (soil, 50-100 g/plant, do not overapply).
  • Pruning: Only if essential (broken, diseased branches).
  • General care: Hoe the soil surface.
  • Pests & diseases: Start checking for aphids and caterpillars.
April
  • Watering: 10-15 L/week.
  • Pruning: Not done after flowering except for light tidying.
  • Plant protection: If symptoms spread and treatment is needed, consult a licensed plant-protection supplier or an agronomist. Plant protection products are regulated; follow local rules.
  • General care: Weed clearing.
  • Pests & diseases: Look for aphids (green or black clusters of small insects) on fresh shoot tips. If there are only a few, you can knock them off with a strong jet of water.
May
  • Watering: 15-20 L/week.
  • Plant protection: If symptoms spread and treatment is needed, consult a licensed plant-protection supplier or an agronomist. Plant protection products are regulated; follow local rules.
  • General care: Observe fruit set.
  • Pests & diseases: Check fresh shoot tips for aphids (small clusters of green or black insects). If there are few, you can knock them off with a strong spray of water. If you see black spots with yellow rings on the leaves (black spot), collect the diseased leaves and remove them from the garden; the disease overwinters in fallen leaves.
June
  • Watering: In a long drought, water deeply once a month.
  • Plant protection: If symptoms spread and treatment is needed, consult a licensed plant-protection supplier or an agronomist. Plant protection products are regulated; follow local rules.
  • General care: Avoid water stress for fruit development.
  • Pests & diseases: Check fresh shoot tips for aphids (small clusters of green or black insects). If there are few, you can knock them off with a strong spray of water. If you see black spots with yellow rings on the leaves (black spot), collect the diseased leaves and remove them from the garden; the disease overwinters in fallen leaves.
July
  • Watering: In midsummer, deep watering every 15-20 days is enough. Established plants (over 2 years old) do not need watering in most years. Water the area around the roots to a depth of 15-20 cm.
  • Plant protection: In hot weather, use a miticide with abamectin as the active ingredient for spider mites.
  • General care: Mulching to preserve soil moisture.
  • Pests & diseases: If the leaves are yellowing and dropping, check the watering and the roots.
August
  • Watering: In midsummer, deep watering every 15-20 days is enough. Established plants (over 2 years old) do not need watering in most years. Water the area around the roots to a depth of 15-20 cm.
  • General care: Keep track of the ripening of the fruits.
  • Pests & diseases: Measures such as netting can be taken to prevent birds from damaging the fruit.
September
  • Watering: In a long drought, water deeply once a month.
  • Fertilizing: After harvest, a potassium-heavy fertilizer can be given (on the soil, 50 g per plant; do not overdo it).
  • Plant protection: If symptoms spread and treatment is needed, consult a licensed plant-protection supplier or an agronomist. Plant protection products are regulated; follow local rules.
  • General care: Harvest. A suitable time for propagation by cuttings.
  • Pests & diseases: If you see black spots with yellow halos on the leaves (black spot), collect the diseased leaves and remove them from the garden; the disease overwinters in fallen leaves.
October
  • Watering: Reduce to 5-10 L/week; stop once rains begin.
  • Plant protection: If fallen leaves show signs of disease, collect and destroy them. Bordeaux mixture may be applied as a precaution.
  • General care: This is a suitable time for planting. Clear away fallen leaves.
  • Pests & diseases: Check for pests preparing for winter.
November
  • Watering: Not necessary (if the soil is very dry, young saplings get 5 L).
  • Pruning: Winter pruning can begin on a dormant plant.
  • General care: Collect fallen leaves; many disease agents and pests overwinter under leaves.
  • Pests & diseases: Check the trunk and branches for overwintering pests.
  • Frost risk: Cover the root collar of young saplings with soil or mulch.
December
  • Pruning: The best period for winter pruning (shaping, thinning, dead branches).
  • General care: General garden cleaning.
  • Pests & diseases: Observe the dormant plant.
  • Frost risk: Protect young saplings from frost.

The care advice on this page is general and for information only; it is not professional advice. Plant age, soil and your garden’s microclimate can change the outcome. Plant protection products are mentioned only as general information; they are regulated, and the choice, dose and timing must be decided by a qualified professional under local rules. Consult a landscape architect or agronomist before applying.

Want reminders for every plant in your garden? Our garden-care app with monthly task lists and frost alerts is currently available in Turkish; the English version is on the way.

Browse all plant guides