There’s planting and budding and leafing and blooming happening all over the place, now. Garden centers are extending their hours, we’re digging our tools out of storage, and our fingernails (or at least our gloves) are finally getting delightfully dirty again.
Grass is greening up now. Which of course means the dandelions and other broadleaf invaders aren’t far behind. Established lawns can benefit from an application of Garden Maker™ Corn Gluten Meal or Luscious Lawn fertilizer, which can do double duty as a pre-emergent herbicide as well as a good time-release fertilizer. Take care with new seeding, though – corn gluten may also keep the seeds you want from germinating, so wait at least 60 days after planting to apply.
Elsewhere in your landscaping, if the April sun has thawed your soil, it’s a good time for dividing perennials like hostas, chrysanthemums, daylilies and irises. Your neighbors might appreciate a surprise gift of your extra divisions. Depending on your hardiness zone, it may be time to start shopping for annual flowers, too. But don’t automatically reach for the plants already in bloom at the garden store – they may be rootbound or overgrown. Plants with closed buds may bloom earlier and for a longer time after they’re transplanted.
On the food front, April can be warm enough for cold-tolerant crops like spinach, lettuce, radishes, peas and even onions in zones 4 and above. To help control pests later in the season, consider installing a birdhouse near your garden to attract some fine feathered bug-eating friends to the neighborhood!
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