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April Activities
TREES AND SHRUBS:
~Now
is a great time to mulch trees and shrubs if you haven’t already done so to
give the roots protection from spring’s drying winds. Pine needles,
shredded bark, or other organic mulch material adds nutrients to the soil,
making them preferable over lava rocks, etc.
~Spring blooming shrubs may be pruned now to keep at the desired size and
will appreciate a nice meal after their blooming has ended. A specially
blended food for many shrubs, like azaleas, is available, or a 2:1:1 that
will be sufficient on all of your trees and shrubs can be used.
~Fertilize hibiscus (if they made it through the winter) and crepe
myrtles now that the leaves are returning.
PERENNIALS:
~Chrysanthemums
may be divided at the end of this month.
~If not done before, give bulbs a boost with bone meal after they bloom.
Sprinkle it freely around the bulb area and water in well but wait till fall
to divide most.
~This is an excellent time to put in container grown perennials.
Remember to keep them watered well, though, since roots will be close to the
surface.
ANNUALS/VEGETABLES:
~Set
out herbs with vegetables this year as “companion plants” to control pests.
~Don’t be tempted to buy periwinkles just yet for summer color. Unlike
other annuals, periwinkles are susceptible to a soil borne fungal disease
that thrives in rainy, cool conditions. Either wait until mid-May or choose
alternatives.
~ Seeded annual wildflowers sown in fall should be coming in waves now,
depending on where you are. Make a note on your calendar which ones have
done best so that you can concentrate on those next year.
GENERAL:
~Lawns can
be fertilized after 2nd mowing with a slow release formula.
Natural fertilizers do not give grass the quick fix (much like a sugar rush)
of high nitrogen synthetic types, but instead improve soil and break down
slowly so as not to burn lawns. Microlife, Soil Food, and Earth Essentials
are some of the commercial brands available. Or just visit your local feed
store for cottonseed (6-2-1 ratio) or alfalfa meal (3-1-2), inexpensive
alternatives that also contain trace nutrients. (Roses LOVE alfalfa meal
and acid loving plants, such as azaleas and camellias thrive with a dose of
cottonseed meal. Just sprinkle some around the root ball and water in
well.)
~Do NOT be tempted to “scalp” your lawn. A late cold snap after a clean
shave will damage tender roots. Grass should never be cut more than 1/3 its
height and let the clippings fall back onto your lawn from your mulching
mower.
~ Take a trip to a local arboretum or botanical garden to check out the
great varieties of perennials growing there before making a trip to the
nursery. And don’t forget your pencil and paper because you will CERTAINLY
want to take notes! |
