To Do List for April

From In the Garden

As is customary here at In the Garden, the first day of the month is when I post my to do list for the month. I am on the edge of Zone 6B/7A; which covers a big area. Even so, your to do list may be different based on your weather pattern. Feel free to add in the differences here as readers in your area will be able to use your suggestions too. I cannot possibly remember all you must do but I try-truly I do. Here goes:

1) Cut back ALL perennials that have not already been cut back. These include: Butterfly Bush, Artemesia 'Powis Castle', Salvias, coneflowers, brown eyes and grasses. Most of these have been cut by now, but if not do it right away.

2) Mow your yard. I mow mine short this month depending on rain and temperature. I have a cool season grass (Fescue). I have already started mowing the lawn-four times so far! The weather is warmer this year so the grass is growing better.

3) Fluff up mulch and refresh as necessary. Inevitably this must be done. I am always amazed at just how many of the leaves I use for mulch disappear from my gardens.

4) Apply pre-emergent fertilizer/weed killer EARLY in the month if you are going to apply it to your lawn.

5) Begin hand pruning and shaping of shrubs. Pruning stimulates growth. Try to cut near a bud which will grow in the desired direction. I trim my Silverberry, some hollies, boxwoods, photinias, deutzia, and cleyera. Pruning not only stimulates growth, but helps the shrub to grow dense. I like my shrubs dense yet open and airy and rounded so as to maximize the sun's light.

6) Cut back Hydrangea paniculatas if you haven't already done so. I have. These include the PGs, Limelight, Tardiva, and Pink Diamond.

7) Cut back roses, hard. The hybrid teas can be shaped to strong canes, but roses like the Fairy should be cut back hard to keep compact and to encourage new growth.

8) Divide crowded bulbs such as: Daffodils and Muscari now, while you still know where they are. Be sure to add a pinch of bulb booster to the new holes.

9) Take cuttings of Forsythia if you want to make more.

10) Divide hostas as they emerge from dormancy. I think it is better to do this before the plants get too big, the recovery is barely noticeable.

11) Trim out dead areas of your crepe myrtles and Japanese maples. You should be able to see the freeze damaged areas by the end of this month. Most crepes and Japanese maples in this area should have recovered from the late freeze in 2007, but you may still find some damaged areas. Don't fret, just cut it out.

12) Pull any plants out from under your house if you stored them there. Mine came out fine, just a bit dry. I store: a bromeliad, Boston Ferns, and Brugmansias. I also store dahlia and caladium bulbs under the house. You can plant the dahlias and caladiums now, but do not expect growth until the nights stay above 50-60 degrees.

13) Guide your growing vines such as Clematis and Jessamine onto their supports. Clematis in particular need this type of firm hand to situate them correctly.

14) Weedeat.

15) Stay on the weeds! Weeds are especially bad in the spring because water is plentiful, the weather is somewhat moderate, and perennials and ornamentals haven't yet filled out so weed seeds get plenty of sun. This leaves plenty of opportunities for those weeds. Mowing the lawn regularly, usually twice a week, also helps to keep down weeds and weed seeds.

16) Look for emerging perennials and be sure the mulch is pulled back from them.

17) Don't hesitate to fill in gaps with annuals and new perennials, but be patient, some perennials are slow to emerge. Exercise restraint (Tina!)

18) Clean out bird feeders and bird baths. Hang your hummingbird feeders.

19) Tender bulbs can be planted out toward the end of this month. Begin planting warm season transplants such as tomatoes and peppers after the 15th of the month.

20) Transfer houseplants to the outside. Some I move to my porch are: Pothos, philodendrons, spider plants, a huge umbrella plant, amaryllis, and various other tender plants like begonias and so on. To be safe, wait until your average date of last frost. For us here in the Clarksville area this date is 15 April.

21) Begin hardening off seedlings by moving to a coldframe or greenhouse or placing outside for a few hours at a time when the temps stay above 45 degrees all the time. Planting should begin at the end of the month for warm season crops and flowers. Cool season seedlings should have already been planted in the garden.

22) Move around volunteer seedlings. Some I have been moving include: hellebores, columbines, sweet autumn clematis, and cosmos. You may want to pot some up for a plant sale or swap too.

23) Check your perennials for vole damage. I am noticing they are loving my peonies this year. I have had to add soil and stomp the ground several times already. Pulling back all mulch also helps.

24) Uncover bird baths if you covered them for the winter.

in the garden....

As usual, here is my disclaimer. I am simply republishing updated To Do lists each month. If you do not wish for your comment to be posted again next year, please do not comment. I can tell you that with all the research I do on the Internet, when I find a blog post talking of the particular plant or garden item I am researching, I not only read the post BUT all of the comments and what a big help they are!! I believe the comments are the other half of the post with the amount of information and input all readers add when they take the time to write something down. So thanks all!

It is spring break this week and while I have managed to visit most all blogs I usually visit and also Blotanical, I must really take a break. I have decided not to post this week except of course this list on today's date. I don't normally answer comments on this post and since it was prepared already it is not a big deal for me, but I really must turn off the computer this week. Instead of this blog being without a daily post for the next few days, Skeeter has kindly volunteered to fill in for me. Have fun all and Happy Gardening! See ya when I get the chance to get back on track.

in the garden....digging and mulching and weeding and dividing and planting....oh my!