Spring has officially sprung and now it is
time to get all your gardening chores done that you did not complete last
fall. If April is considered a
cruel month, it’s either because there is so much to do all at once or because
the weather won’t cooperate and let you do it.
Most of
us are anxious for things to green up.
We daily check our lawns to see if they look any greener than the day
before. We watch the tree buds to
see if they are about to open. We
do the same for shrubs and trees, just waiting until they decide to bloom. It’s been a long winter and we are
ready for spring.
As a
result, sometimes we hurry things.
Lawns are just coming out of their winter dormant stage and this is the
time when root growth is important to plant. So what do we do?
We rush out and apply lots of fertilizer telling the plant to green up
those leaves right now. When we
apply large amounts of nitrogen fertilizer early, grass spends more effort
turning green and growing grass than developing roots.
Generally
we recommend fertilizing lawns in late April or early May. But I must admit, it is hard to accept
that everyone else’s lawn is green except yours. So many of us will jump the gun and fertilize early in April
instead of waiting. And many of us
use lawn care companies who need to start fairly early so they get all their
customers done on time. So, it is
easy for us all to get started earlier than we need to.
The same
thing happens with applying crabgrass killers. We sometimes put it on too early, and then about August the
chemical protection runs out and we still end up with crabgrass in our lawns.
Crabgrass
germinates when the soil temperatures warm up to 60° F or so. A few rules of thumb that will help you
know when to apply crabgrass herbicides are:
• When the soil temperatures are about 50° for
three consecutive days;
• When
forsythia is in full bloom;
• Or, no later than April 20.
Over the
past several years we have noticed an increased interest in people growing
their own fresh, healthy vegetables.
April is the time to plant peas, onions, parsnips, spinach and other
cool weather crops.
When
planning your garden, consider using raised beds, which can dry out wet soils
and in general, make the soil looser for easier root penetration. Rotating crops helps vegetable take
advantage of the different nutrients available in the soil to plants. For example, beans and peas fix
nitrogen in the soil, they should be followed by crops such as corn, which is a
heavy nitrogen user. Vegetables
like tomatoes and potatoes should not be planted in succession due to their
susceptibility to similar diseases.
Another
option is to grow your plants in containers. There are many plants suitable for container gardening. Perennial plants, including trees,
shrubs, ornamental grasses, and bulbs are possibilities if you consider how you
will over-winter the containers.
Selects of annual flowers is nearly unlimited, and there are many
vegetables that are suitable for container culture.
Of
course, these plants still require sunlight, water, good drainage, nutrients
and ideal temperatures to produce well.
Remember, if it will grow in the ground, it will grow in the container.
TOM’S TIPS FOR APRIL GARDENING
• Service the lawnmower and sharpen the blade.
• Cut back ornamental grasses.
• Place a birdhouse in the garden to attract
insect-eating friends.
• Keep that Easter Lily in a bright cool location
but out of direct sunlight. Water
as soil begins to dry.
• Plant a tree in celebration of Arbor Day, April
25.
Spring
into action. DON’T GET SPRUNG.
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