APRIL TIPS: WEEK ONE
Lawn
Begin mowing turf, if needed, setting mower blade to leave at least 2 ½ inches of grass plants intact.
Landscape
Scratch surface of mulched areas with garden rake to prevent crusting, thus allowing water percolation into root areas and giving a more pleasing appearance.
Wait to apply any new mulch until the soil has warmed. Mulch will keep the soil at uniform temperature. June is ideal.
Promote new growth on forsythia by pruning out 1/3 of the oldest branches close to the ground after flowering finishes.
Watch for Easter tent caterpillar Tent Caterpillar nests to appear about the time the forsythia bloom. Open up nests with a long stick so that birds can help control the caterpillar population.
Mow stands of Liriope spicata before new shoots begin growing, removing tattered leaves with mower or line trimmer.
Prune to the ground the 'Annabelle' hydrangea which blooms on new wood.
Wait to prune the Japanese - type hydrangea which bloom on old wood until after the bloom period is finished.
Top dressing with compost or well rotted manure should prevent chlorosis (lack of iron). Hollies, rhododendrons, azaleas, pieris, blueberries, and pines, benefit from this treatment.
Mow turf grass 2 ½ inches high for blue grass lawns or 2-3inches for tall fescue lawns, removing only 1/3 of the grass blades at any one time. Taller grass plants decrease the need for extra water mid summer and keep sunlight from reaching the soil level where weed seeds may be waiting to germinate.
Identify garlic mustard, a highly invasive biennial weed, and grub out the entire plant, before the seed pods form. Plants continue to mature and produce seeds even after pulling. Collect plants in black garbage bags and let sit in sun to kill all the seed, which can remain viable in the landscape up to 7 years.
Plant ground cover plugs after mid April. Plant 1-1 ½ inches deeper than normal for extra protection against late low temperatures. Cut tips of leaders to encourage fuller growth of the plant.
Plant ground covers that are more aggressive, such as ivy, wintercreeper and vinca minor, in contained areas, such as between the curb and the sidewalk.
Lawn
Apply fertilizer to lawns now and then wait until fall. Over fertilizing in late spring and summer with high nitrogen promotes lush growth that will suffer from drought and will be susceptible to summer disease.
Continue reseeding bare spots of lawn. To ensure good seed / soil contact, scrape or loosen the soil with a rake or garden weasel before applying seed. Cover with a thin layer of peat moss to help retain moisture around the seed. Water lightly each day.
Begin mowing turf, if needed, setting mower blade to leave at least 2 ½ inches of grass plants intact.
Fruits & Vegetables
Plant Strawberries, raspberries and other small fruiting plants.
Prune established grape vines until about 40-60 buds remain on the plant.
Flowers
Plant outdoors the seeds for bachelor button, ageratum, coleus, petunia, annual phlox and cone flower.
Divide and transplant summer and fall-blooming perennials such as astilbe, aster, bleeding heart, coralbells, daylilies, shasta daisy and tall sedum as new shoots reach 2-3 inches in height. Take care to avoid damage to the tender shoots when making divisions.
Plant flowers such as salvia, penstemon, and lobelia that attract humming birds with their tubular blooms.
Remove spent flowers from bulbs, but leave the foliage to produce food for next year's flowers.
Prune off dead tips of winter burned heather, candytuft, lavender, germander and thyme plants.
Prune the shrubby perennials that are sometimes called die-back shrubs at this time. These can be pruned hard to only a few inches to produce a sturdier plant that is more easily shaped, or pruned back to new buds that are emerging, allowing for a larger plant overall. Butterfly bush and Russian sage are two such die-back shrubs.
Avoid a hard cut back with Artemesia 'Powis Castle' or the plant may not survive.
Divide overgrown perennials when 1 inch of new growth appears. Baptisia, butterfly weed and other perennials with deep taproots will not respond well to transplanting.
Wait to move peonies, irises and other early bloomers until late August.
Plant Helianthus, Echinacea and Monarda in the flower bed to attract bird and butterflies.
Ground Covers
After mid-April, plugs of ground cover plants can be successfully planted. Good soil to root contact is critical for these young plants to become well established.
If rain is limited, water every 2-3 days for two weeks, then every 4-5 days for another two weeks to establish good root development.
To encourage fuller plants, cut the tips of the plants encouraging branching at the leaf axils. Prune off dead tips of winter burned Heather, Candytuft, Lavender, Germander and Thyme plants.
Prune the shrubby perennials that are sometimes called die-back shrubs at this time. These can be pruned hard to only a few inches to produce a sturdier plant that is more easily shaped, or pruned back to new buds that are emerging, allow-ing for a larger plant overall. Butterfly Bush and Russian Sage are two such die-back shrubs.
Avoid a hard cut back with Artemesia ' Powis Castle ' or the plant may not survive
Eco Tip
The burrows of earthworms help rain soak into the ground faster, reducing surface runoff and soil erosion. Garden plots having about 100 night crawlers mer square meter can soak up 2 inches of water in about 12 minutes. A similar area without worms will take about 2 hours to soak up the same amount of water.
Tilling soil reduces the worm population by disrupting their burrows and food supply.
APRIL TIPS: WEEK TWO
Lawn
Continue reseeding bare spots of lawn. To ensure good seed / soil contact, scrape or loosen the soil with a rake or garden weasel before applying seed. Cover with a thin layer of peat moss to help retain moisture around the seed. Water lightly each day.
Landscape
Apply dormant oils on fruit trees and other deciduous trees and shrubs before the leaf or fruit buds open, as they are harmful to the green plant tissues.
Use horticultural oils only as label instructs. Horticultural oils will remove the blue color from Colorado Blue Spruce and are harmful to Japanese Maple.
Watch for Inkberry Leafminer to emerge about the time Pear trees and Serviceberry bloom.
Fruits & Vegetables
Move outside transplants of broccoli, cauliflower, collards, lettuce, Swiss chard and seeded onions .
Plant outside a second sowing of lettuce and Swiss chard.
Start seed indoors of peppers, tomatoes and eggplant and begin sweet potato slips indoors.
Fertilize newly planted blueberries six weeks after planting, using one pound of ammonium sulfate per 100 feet of row.
Lightly side-dress asparagus and rhubarb with compost or well-rotted manure.
Plant strawberries, raspberries and other small fruiting plants.
Prune established grape vines until about 40-60 buds remain on the plant.
When purchasing plants, choose plants that are healthy and have good plant structure, not the plant with the most blooms. Perennials usually need a full season to become well established.
First planting of sweet corn can go in mid-April
Start seed of warm-season crops such as tomatoes and peppers indoors for planting out in mid-May.
Plant asparagus from crown division. Dig several inches of well-rotted manure into the soil and bury the crowns 6 inches.
House Plants
Flowers
Plant outdoors the seeds for Bachelor Button, Ageratum, Coleus, Petunia, Annual Phlox and Cone Flower.
Divide and transplant summer and fall-blooming perennials such as Astilbe, Aster, Bleeding Heart, Coralbells, Daylilies, Shasta Daisy and tall Sedum as new shoots reach 2-3 inches in height. Take care to avoid damage to the tender shoots when making divisions.
Eco Tip
To help control slug problems, wait to mulch problem areas until the soil has warmed above 75 degrees F, and keep debris cleared away that can harbor nests of eggs. Geranium leaves and Horseradish root help deter slugs as do Artemisia, Alyssum, Azalea, Basil, Cosmos, Chard, Daffodil, Endive, Fennel, Garlic, Holly Hibiscus, Lemon Balm and Sage.
APRIL TIPS: WEEK THREE
Lawn & Landscape
Scratch surface of mulched areas with garden rake to prevent crusting, thus allowing water percolation into root areas and giving a more pleasing appearance.
Wait to apply any new mulch until the soil has warmed. Mulch will keep the soil at uniform temperature. June is ideal.
Promote new growth on forsythia by pruning out 1/3 of the oldest branches close to the ground after flowering finishes.
Evaluate plants which need lower pH soils for signs of chlorosis (lack of iron). Examine leaves for green veins with yellowing between veins. If the problem is identified as chlorosis, apply soil sulfur to the feeder root area / drip line of shrubs and trees, at the rate of 1# / 100 sq. ft. Sulfur will lower the pH of the soil and allow the iron already in the soil to be absorbed. Strength and vigor of the plant is increased over several weeks. Hollies, Rhododendrons, Azaleas, Pieris, Blueberries, and Pines, benefit from this treatment.
Mow turf grass 2 ½ inches high for blue grass lawns or 2-3inches for tall fescue lawns, removing only 1/3 of the grass blades at any one time. Taller grass plants decrease the need for extra water mid summer and keep sunlight from reaching the soil level where weed seeds may be waiting to germinate.
Apply fertilizer to lawns now and then wait until fall. Over fertilizing in late spring and summer with high nitrogen promotes lush growth that will suffer from drought and will be susceptible to summer disease.
Flowers
Plant flowers such as Salvia, Penstemon, and Lobelia that attract humming birds with their tubular blooms
Remove spent flowers from bulbs, but leave the foliage to produce food for next year's flowers.
Ground Covers
After mid-April plugs of ground cover plants can be successfully planted. Good soil to root contact is critical for these young plants to become well established.
Apply a mild 10-10-10 solution fertilizer, and if rain is limited, water every 2-3 days for two weeks, then every 4-5 days for another two weeks to establish good root development.
To encourage fuller plants, cut the tips of the plants encouraging branching at the leaf axils.
Fruit /Vegetables / Flowers
When purchasing plants, choose plants that are healthy and have good plant structure, not the plant with the most blooms. Perennials usually need a full season to become well established.
First planting of sweet corn can go in mid-April
Plant out strawberries, raspberries and other small fruit.
Houseplants
Avoid over watering since wet soil can encourage small black fungus gnats.
Remove yellow anthers from Easter Lilies to prolong their blooms. Water to keep soil moist but not soggy , and avoid allowing them to stand in water.
Cut back stems of Easter lilies that have finished blooming to 3-4 inches. Continue watering lightly until mid May. Plant outside to depth of 4-6 inches.
Eco-Tip
The burrows of earthworms help rain soak into the ground faster, reducing surface runoff and soil erosion. Garden plots having about 100 night crawlers per square meter can soak up 2 inches of water in about 12 minutes. A similar area without worms will take about 2 hours to soak up the same amount of water. Tilling soil reduces the worm population by disrupting their burrows and food supply.
To help control slug problems, wait to mulch problem areas until the soil has warmed above 75 o F, and keep debris cleared away that can harbor nests of eggs. Geranium leaves and horseradish root help deter slugs as do artemisia, alyssum, azalea, basil, cosmos, chard, daffodil, endive, fennel, garlic, holly hibiscus, lemon balm and sage.
Control bush honeysuckle (Lonicera maackii, L. tatarica, and L. morrowii) before berries form and can further spread. Grub out root systems of young shrubs. Cut large plants close to the ground level and apply RoundUp to the freshly cut stump. Roots of honeysuckle exude chemicals that inhibit grown of native wildflowers. These little beauties will likely recur when the pest plants are controlled.
Control Bush Honeysuckle (Lonicera Maackii, L.tatarica, and L.morrowii) before berries form and can further spread. Grub out root systems young shrubs. Cut large plants close to the ground level and apply systemic herbicide to freshly cut stump.
Roots of honeysuckle exude chemicals that inhibit grown of native wildflowers. These little beauties will likely recur when the pest plants are controlled.
Timely Tip
When selecting mulch consider the effect of the mulch over time. As the mulch decomposes, it will add to the acidity or alkalinity of the soil. Hardwood mulches tend to raise the pH and make the soil more alkaline. Pine mulches tend to lower the pH over time. Cypress seems to be neutral. Neutral.
Native plants are acclimated to our region and the varied weather patterns we experience. In addition, native plants need far less chemicals, less water and attract birds, bees and butterflies, creating a garden 'community' where they are established.
APRIL TIPS: WEEK FOUR
Lawn & Landscape
Identify garlic mustard, a highly invasive biennial weed, and grub out the entire plant, before the seed pods form. Plants continue to mature and produce seeds even after pulling. Collect plants in black garbage bags and let sit in sun to kill all the seed, which can remain viable in the landscape up to 7 years.
Plant ground cover plugs after mid April. Plant 1-1 ½ inches deeper than normal for extra protection against late low temperatures. Cut tips of leaders to encourage fuller growth of the plant.
Plant ground covers that are more aggressive, such as ivy, wintercreeper and vinca minor, in contained areas, such as between the curb and the sidewalk.
Fruits and Vegetables
Seed first sowing of sweet corn in mid April.
Start seed of warm-season crops such as tomatoes and peppers indoors for planting out in mid May.
Plant asparagus from crown division. Dig several inches of well-rotted manure into the soil and bury the crowns 6 inches.
Flowers
Divide overgrown perennials when 1 inch of new growth appears. Baptisia, Butterfly Weed and other perennials with deep taproots will not respond well to transplanting.
Wait to move peonies, irises and other early bloomers until late August.
Plant Helianthus, Echinacea and Monarda in the flower bed to attract bird and butterflies.
Eco-tip
Native plants are acclimated to our region and the varied weather patterns we experience. In addition, native plants need far less chemicals, less water and attract birds, bees and butterflies, creating a garden 'community' where they are established.
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