April is the true beginning of spring for most gardeners. The temperatures are more consistently warmers, more flowers are blooming, and the hum of bees can be heard in field and pasture. There is no month quite like April. Yes, we may get heavy rainstorms and even tornadoes, but we more often get gentle rains and lots of sunshine. Winter can be sunny too, but the lack of warmth makes it feel colder. April is the time to really get going on garden chores.
Lawn Care in April
If you have not already applied a crabgrass preventer, such as Hi-Yield Turf & Ornamental Weed & Grass Stopper Containing Dimension, then you need to apply it NOW, before crabgrass begins to germinate. The best time is to do so when redbud trees are in full bloom. It should be watered in, which can be done by rain or a sprinkler.
Begin mowing the lawn now. If you have a bluegrass lawn, the recommendation is to mow at 2 to 3 inches tall, and a fescue lawn is to be mowed at 3 to 4 inches tall. If you have a mixed species lawn like me, then mow around 5 to 6 inches tall, or wait to mow until late May. Remember to sharpen your mower blades after every 3 to 4 cuttings.
April is the month for the first fertilizer application on cool season lawns, using a slow release nitrogen fertilizer (or you can call Grimm’s Gardens to do it for you!). Do not fertilize warm season grasses at this time.
In the Vegetable Garden
If you have not already started planting cool season crops in the vegetable garden, it is not too late! Just remember not to till if the ground is wet, as this can lead to subsurface hard pan formation and soil compaction. Tilling should only be done when the soil is lightly moist or dry. When tilling, add in compost or shredded leaves, and biochar or worm castings to improve organic matter.
You can still plant all the vegetable crops that you would have planted in March, including:
- Potatoes
- Onions
- Carrots
- Beets
- Parsnips
- Turnips
- Peas
- Greens
- Spinach
- Brassicas
In Northeast Kansas, our last frost free date is not until May, so I will leave the warm season vegetables until then. But you can continue to sow seeds inside for tomatoes, peppers, eggplant, herbs, flowers, cucumbers, and watermelons.
Mulch in between garden rows and around emerging plants with alfalfa mulch or sawdust mulch. If you planted in March, you can start thinning in between rows of carrots, beets, turnips, and parsnips. You may also be ready to start harvesting lettuce, spinach, and other greens.
Asparagus will begin emerging when the soil temperatures reach a steady 50o F. This is also the time to go mushroom hunting for morels. Harvest asparagus shoots when they reach 6 to 8 inches tall, while the ends are still firm. Bend them over to snap them off or cut them with a sharp knife.
April Fruit Care
If you have not already started an orchard or planted perennial fruits, then now is the best time to do so! Grimm’s Gardens strives to meet all your orcharding needs. Please contact us for help in designing your garden or orchard.
Fruit trees and plants can be planted and mulch in now. Varieties of fruit trees and plant include:
- Apple
- Peach & Nectarine
- Pear
- Plum
- Apricot
- Sweet or Pie Cherry
- Grapes
- Honeyberry
- Blueberry
- Raspberry
- Blackberry
- Currant
- Gooseberry
- Wild plum
- Chokecherry
If you have not already pruned your fruit trees and berry bushes, it is not too late to do so. Fruit trees can still be pruned up until early May. Blackberries, raspberries, and grapes can still be pruned until May 1st.
In the Flower Garden
You should be done or nearly done with spring cleanup. You can refer back to March to find out what should be pruned or cut back for the season.
Roses can still be pruned back at this time. Shrub and hybrid tea roses can be cut down to 3 to 4 canes per plant and 12 to 16 inches high. Remove any canes with dark lesions or spots, which is Rose Stem Canker. Do not prune drift or climbing roses at this time, except to remove dead or diseases canes. Fertilize roses with a fertilizer formulated for roses or with compost. I like to use Fertilome Rose & Flower Food plus Systemic, which not only fertilizes but also prevents damage from aphids, whiteflies, and scale.
All mulched areas can be re-mulched at this time. Try to match your existing mulch type and freshen it with a new layer, 1 to 2 inches thick. Your beds should be covered in 3-4 inches of mulch when you are done.
Panicle hydrangeas can be pruned now if you have not already done so.
You can start planting perennials, grasses, roses, shrubs, and trees now. If you have holes in your garden, look for plants to fill in the spaces or ask our Nursery Manager for help!
Trees and Shrubs
If you have not mulched your trees yet, then do so now! Use organic mulch in a tree ring at least 6 to 10 feet in diameter from the trunk. If you can go out to and past the drip line of the tree, even better! Also, now is the time to mulch around shrubs and other plants in the landscape.
Shrub Pruning
It is not too late to prune summer flowering shrubs such a ninebarks, Japanese spirea, beautyberry, or buttonbush. But you want to get these done before they start leafing out, as it is easier to see where to cut without leaves on.
You can also prune evergreen shrubs at this time, before they start flushing out new growth. Boxwood, holly, arborvitae, yew, and juniper can all be shaped and pruned now.
Houseplants
If you have not been tending as much to your houseplants, then now is a good time to do so. Remove dust from the leaves of houseplants (except African Violets) by gentling rinsing with room temperature water. If you have not repotted recently (within 1 year), then do so now. Repot by removing from the original container, and gently tease the roots apart from each other if they are circling, then add to a new container at least 1″ bigger in size than the original.
Water plants until the water is dripping from the pots underneath for at least 30 seconds to leach out excess nutrients and salts. Some plants can be propagated at this time by root cuttings, or division.
This information is brought to you from Andrew Mitchell, Nursery Manager, Grimm’s Gardens; and Johnson County K-State Research and Extension. http://www.johnson.ksu.edu/p.aspx?tabid=139
