The Garden At Rock Cottage by Lance Brilliantine
April Chores
Poets tell us that April is the cruelest month. My experience as a gardener
suggests that not only is it the cruelest month, but also one that disappears
quickly, leaving gardeners in the northeast to play catch-up in May.
After itching to get out in the garden during March, April can be an
incredibly busy month for gardeners. It is important to get things organized
to use time effectively to get as much done as possible.
One of the more important chores for April is to till garden beds in
order to aerate and dry out the soil. Garden beds benefit from turning
the soil so it can be worked. Break up larger clumps of soil and, if
needed, spread lime on the beds (it helps reduce the soil acidity and
promotes nutrient absorption by plants). Over the years, I have found
that peonies, clematis, roses, and many perennials such as hollyhock,
Echinacea, delphinium and sedum benefit from this spring application.
I like to spread a mixture of compost, manure and soil over turned areas.
This makes an excellent dressing for flowerbeds and for covering seeds.
Compost will improve soil texture, its ability to drain and also to
retain moisture in summer. If appearance is important, you can mix the
compost and soil with peat moss.
Conditioning soil can also deter garden pests that seem attracted to
the new shoots of seedlings and garden transplants. Baby slugs that
emerge this month seem particularly hungry and can eradicate seedlings
overnight. The use of compost, because it aerates the soil, can actually
reduce infestations of powdery mildew and blackspot. If you feel you
must use pest controls, use organic methods to help preserve the freshness
of our dwindling ground waters and to protect the environment.
Early April, because temperatures hover around 50 degrees, is an excellent
time to re-seed lawns. Before seeding, rake lawns to remove thatch and
winter debris and spread a light covering of a mixture of compost, soil
and wood ash. Water well before seeding.
Some types of flower seeds can be sown directly in the garden during
the second week of April. Consider seeds such as snapdragons, asters,
alyssum, calendula, dianthus, cosmos, phlox, verbena and ageratum. Marigolds
and zinnias can be planted during the last half of April.
This month is the time to transplant seedlings that you may have started
in February and March. Wait until late April when the danger of frost
is past. Be sure to harden off seedlings before transplanting and label
them so you will know where they are. To protect seedlings from squirrels
and other vermin that love to eat tender shoots, you may have to cover
them with screening or plastic wrap until they send up additional leaves.
When seedlings begin to grow and crowd one another, thin them ruthlessly
to encourage a few, strong-growing plants.
You will start to see where perennials have survived the winter by mid-April.
This is a good month to divide and move plants that are not well placed,
or that have become over-crowded. It is a great time to space plants
out to refresh their footings and invigorate growth. I recommend dividing
chrysanthemums, delphiniums, rudbeckia and daylilies at this time of
year.
Now is time to prune trees and shrubs. However, avoid pruning spring-blooming
plants. Wait until the flowers fade. April pruning – because April
is a time when plants repair themselves from winter damage – invigorates
new growth. It is also an excellent time to plant container or balled
plants, because the moisture of April seems to support them taking hold
before summer. This is an especially good time to plant bare-root rose
bushes.
Every spring, I cannot wait to put out tropicals that have over-wintered
indoors. Unfortunately, it is still too cool for these. I find April
mornings will burn tropical leaves because of residual frost. While
it is grueling to wait, don’t put out these plants until mid-May.
But summer-flowering bulbs can be set out now, as they benefit from
the moisture and will not be negatively affected by light frosts.
So don’t delay undertaking spring activities. Get out the rake
and pitchfork, visit the local garden center for seeds and jump into
the joy of spring. Tidy up the yard and get outdoors. April may be the
cruelest and shortest month for gardeners – but is also one of
the most rewarding.
You can contact Lance Brilliantine with any questions or comments at
GardenLance@yahoo.com.
 |
