To Do in April
April is one of our busiest growing months and the home gardener has a long list of to-do’s as well! Start now if you are hoping for a successful and productive year of growth in your landscape and gardens.
- Pull early emerging weeds now while their root systems are shallow and fragile! You won’t regret this later on. Replace any weed barrier if needed.
- Plant cold-tolerant crops, such as peas, spinach, lettuce, radishes and leeks when the soil has warmed.
- Follow the earliest crops with broccoli, cabbage, radishes, kale, turnips, new potatoes and onions. We have onion sets available now for those who are interested.
- Indoors, start seeds, especially tomatoes, if you haven’t already.
- Rejuvenate existing perennial beds by removing old plant debris. It may also be beneficial to add mulch to growing beds to prevent weeds. Be sure that mulch is not applied on top of perennial roots, mulch should instead be added around the base of a soon-to-be emerging plant.
- When the ground begins to dry out, go ahead and top dress established gardens with Black Gold Garden Soil or Compost.
- Re-seed bare patches in your lawn if needed and apply a pre-emergent herbicide to control weeds. We have several grass seed varieties, including Kentucky Bluegrass, available in our store.
- Dig and divide perennials, such as daylilies and irises and mulch early bulbs.
- Apply dormant oil to trees and shrubs which have a history of aphid, scale or spider mite infestations. Destroying these pests safely with spring applications of horticultural oil will reduce your need for pesticides later in the growing season.
