April Gardening Tips – Growing Season, Let it Grow.

April is a time for cleaning, planning and changing your gardens. You see growth take off and the world comes alive right before your eyes. Each year is different and you never know exactly what will happen. This may be one of the lures that keep gardeners digging in the soil year after year.

Here are a few gardening tips for April

• Cut back ornamental grasses in early April. Trim them back to about 2 to 3 inches in height. This will allow sun to the new growth and the plant a chance to grow better with out last years old leaves in the way.  

• This is the perfect time to plan, design, and create new landscape and garden beds.

• Keep a notebook or journal with all your garden information in it. You can return to your notebook for weather, what you planted and successes and areas that need work. Get creative and include drawing or photographs.

• Check out your local Garden Society for gardening tips and ideas for your own yard. Many of the members have lived in this area for years and can supply you with many helpful gardening tips and maybe even a few plants.

• Do not remove foliage from spring flowering bulbs. This growth is needed for next year’s flower. Let the plant die down naturally. If you don’t like the look of a plant dying down, plant a fresh lively plant in from of it to hide the old plant.

• Now is the time to plant vines and climbers. Many vines take a while to germinate if you are starting them from seed. I start my vines indoors in  March. If it’s a seed that can be sown outdoors I always soak the seed first to help with germination.

• Carefully trim shrubs. Birds may be nesting inside. I find I often have to wait until May if the shrub already has a nest with this years tenants making a home.

• Cool weather crops can be moved into the yard in most areas. Broccoli, cauliflower and cabbage will do well in most areas in April and lettuces and onions will also thrive.

• Use a leaf rake, not an iron rake, to loosen up mats of dead grass and remove debris that fell over the winter. This matter is perfect place for bad insects to hide, so remove it to a compost bin so that it can decompose.

• Celebrate Earth Day on April 22, 2008 by adopting earth-friendly practices such as composting or using organic fertilizers and pesticides. You can also plant a tree or have a garden. Anything “green” helps our environment.

Have a successful gardening year, Denise

Tags: april gardening tips, growing season, Earth day 2008, April 22, 2008