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Monthly Gardening Tips / April
Planning:
- Choose planting areas based on exposure
to sun, shade, wind and distance from water
source
- Study garden for gaps that can be filled
by spring flowering bulbs, and order in August
for best selection
- Choose flowering trees and shrubs for color
and time of bloom to add to the garden in
fall
Chores and Maintenance:
- Continue to remove winter mulches and debris
- Continue to dig beds in preparation for
planting
- Complete adding compost to planting bed
soil
- Place peony supports
- Cultivate planting beds and carefully remove
weeds
- Remove mounded earth from roses
- Prepare bare-root and potted roses for planting;
soak overnight in fish emulsion
- Continue to apply horticultural oil sprays
to control insect pests on trees if temperature
is over 40
- Test lawn soil and apply lime if warranted
Planting:
- Continue to plant deciduous and evergreen
trees and shrubs, weather and soil conditions
permitting
- Sow seeds of hardy annuals in place in the
garden
- Sow seeds of peas, carrots and radishes
- Start seed indoors for summer crops
- Plant out seedlings of cauliflower, cabbage
and broccoli if soil is workable
- Plant out seedlings of cool-season annuals
like pansies and snapdragons
- Continue to plant and transplant perennials
- Complete rose planting
- Plant strawberries
- Re-seed bare lawn areas
Pruning/Fertilizing:
- Complete removal of diseased, weak, or crossing
branches
- Complete rose pruning but wait until after
flowering on climbers and ramblers
- Prune late flowering shrubs such as buddleia
and hydrangea
- Prune early spring-flowering shrubs immediately
after flowers die
- Wait to prune evergreens, hedges and other
shrubs until early summer
- Fertilize fruit trees and roses
- Fertilize perennials when you see 2-3" of
new growth
- Fertilize bulbs as they finish blooming
- Complete lawn fertilization if not done
in the fall
Indoors:
- Continue to transplant houseplants which
need repotting
- Continue to inspect for pests and control
as needed
- Complete shaping leggy houseplants
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