APril Garden Tips

Have a blast this month in your garden, enjoying the warm (not hot) weather, planting beautiful flowers, and sipping coffee in the morning while watching the birds, hummingbirds, and butterflies enjoy your yard.

THINGS TO PLANT

Flowers: Ajuga, Wax Begonia, Blue Daze, Coleus, Columbine, Purple Coneflower, Coreopsis, Cosmos, Dahlia, Shasta Daisy, Geranium, Hibiscus, Hollyhock, Impatiens, Lantana, Marigold, Penta, Periwinkle, Plumbago, Phlox, Portulaca, Purslane, Salvia, Sedum, Aster, Sunflower, Yarrow and Zinnia.

Bulbs: Amaryllis, Caladium, Calla, Canna, Dahlia, Daylily, Gladiolus, Hosta, Rain Lily, Society Garlic.

Veggies (all month): Amaranth, Bean, Corn, Cucumber, Eggplant, Muskmelon, Okra, Peanuts, Peppers, Pumpkin, Southern Pea, Squash, Sweet Potato, Tomatillo, Tomato Transplants, Watermelon.

Herbs: Basil, Chives, Cumin, Fennel, Lamb’s Ear, Lavender, Mexican Mint Marigold, Oregano, Parsley, Rosemary, Sage, Summer Savory, Tarragon, Thyme and many others.

Fruit: Bare root or container grown Pecans, Fruit trees, Grapes and Berry bushes.

tasks in the garden:

Fertilize: Tomatoes and peppers should be fed with a liquid fertilizer. Feed crape myrtle beneath the branch spread with 1/3 cup complete fertilizer per square yard. After second mowing, fertilize lawn with a 3-1-2 ratio product (please use organic!). Aerate lawn first before fertilizing. Fertilize all houseplants with complete fertilizer. After blooming, feed bulbs with bone meal. Spread coffee grounds around azaleas and other acid-loving plants.

Mulch: Mulch trees, shrubs, vegetable gardens and flower beds with 2-4” of mulch. Don’t be afraid to add some extra compost around the plants. Lawn

Care: Plant grass sod or plugs. Water daily for one or two weeks to establish. Begin regular lawn care. Mow every 5-7 days, leaving the clipping on the lawn. Keep St. Augustine grass at 2 ½ to 3 inches.

Diseases/pests to look for: Spray roses with fungicide to prevent blackspot. Prune: Prune spring flowers shrubs and trees after they bloom. Prune climbing roses and other “once bloomers” as soon as they finish flowering.

Transplant: Divide and transplant late summer and fall-flowering bulbs. Plant summer annuals to get root systems established before the extreme heat arrives.