April 6, 2005
Woodbury Bulletin
Betsy Halden

Gardening tips for early April

“April is the cruelest month …” is true for eager gardeners. We can hardly wait to be outside! On showery days – rain or snow – we have to wait. We can plan or catch up on indoor gardening tasks. We’re ready to be outside as weather permits. Here are 10 tips for gardeners-who-want-to-garden in early April.

1. Transplant potbound houseplants into larger containers now that they are growing more actively due to longer days and increased light levels. Always use containers with drain holes to prevent water logged soil and roots.

2. Plant pansies, violas and Johnny jump-ups outdoors as soon as garden soil can be worked. These annuals thrive in cool weather and will not be killed by spring frosts.

3. Plant tomato seeds indoors under lights the 1st or 2nd week of April. Seedlings become tall and spindly when grown on a window sill. Keep fluorescent lights 4 inches above seedlings as they grow; run lights 12 to 16 hours daily. Small sturdy plants will grow rapidly, once planted outdoors.

4. Begin to remove garden mulch slowly, in stages, as it thaws and dries, from tender roses, bulbs, and flowering perennials. Mulch not only protects plants from cold, but it insulates them from early spring warm spells that can stimulate premature growth.

5. Recycle Easter lilies by removing faded flowers and growing them in a sunny window till they begin to yellow. Stop watering, then remove the stem and plant the bulb outdoors in a sunny part of your perennial garden.

6. Late snow may cause spring bulbs and perennials to bend over, but they’ll come back up within a few days as snow melts. Snow is not cold enough to injure most plants, as long as you leave them alone.

7. If you fertilized your lawn twice last fall, you need not repeat this spring. If you do fertilize in spring, wait until grass is growing actively and ready to be mowed. Heavy spring fertilizing may encourage disease. Fertilizing too early may be wasteful if spring rains are excessive.

8. Plant grass seed as soon as soil feels firm under foot and is dry enough to work. Seeds take longer to sprout when temperatures are cool, but they’ll get off to a good start and more will germinate. Don’t scatter seeds on hard soil; use a heavy rake to loosen the surface so seeds will “catch.”

9. Wait to apply crabgrass preventer near the end of the month or during the first two weeks in May.

10. Prune shrubs with showy flowers – lilacs, azaleas, forsythias –after they finish blooming. Early spring pruning removes flower buds.

The annual Woodbury Environmental Landscape Workshop will be held this Saturday, April 9, Woodbury City Hall, 8:45 am to noon. The event will include presentations by knowledgeable speakers on how to create a beautiful landscape and garden using environmentally friendly practices. There will be question and answer periods, displays and handouts. The workshop is sponsored by the Woodbury Environmental Education Commission and is free and open to the public. Hope to see you there.

Betsy Halden is a resident of Woodbury. You can reach Betsy Halden at eahalden@comcast.net.