April Gardening Chores

April monthly chores for planting zone 7b

April is a busy time.  It’s time to start putting your garden plan in place and preparing for a healthy garden.

Flower Beds, Trees and Shrubs

  • Fertilize bulbs with a balanced fertilizer after they finish blooming.
  • Divide herbaceous perennials, clumps of bulbs, and ornamental grasses if the garden looks too crowded. Replant at original depthor give away!
  • Remove any dead flowers from plants to encourage new growth.
  • Apply new mulch around your plants, shrubs, and trees, if needed.
  • This is a great month for planting shrubs and trees.
  • Prune spring-flowering shrubs after they finish blooming. Fertilize azaleas, camellias, and any other shrubs that need fertilizer.

Kitchen Garden

  • Plant berry crops such as blueberries, strawberry crowns, and raspberries.
  • Continue succession planting of cool-weather crops such as arugula, broccoli, cauliflower, peas, lettuce and spinach.
  • Begin planting herbs.  Plant basil at the end of them month if weather permits.
  • Harden off vegetable seedlings starting about 2 weeks before of planting.
  • Continue planting warm-season crops: tomatoes, peppers, eggplants, and cabbage. Plant okra, too!
  • Thin your carrots and radishes to ensure they are properly spaced as they grow.
  • Install your arbores or trellises for vining and climbing crops such as cucumbers, tomatoes, spring peas and pole beans.
  • If nighttime temperatures get into the 30s, use row covers to protect vegetable crops.

Lawn

  • Remove any leaves from your lawn, and then fertilize it with a slow-release fertilizer.
  • Ensure that your lawn is getting enough water (1 inch per week).
  • Mow your lawn at recommended heights (St. Augustine and Bahia: 3 to 4 inches; Centipede: 1.5 to 2 inches; Dwarf St. Augustine: 2.5 inches).
  • Apply pre-emergent herbicide to control crabgrass.

Houseplants

  • Divide and repot houseplants. Fertilize if necessary.

Weeds

  • Finish mulching beds to discourage weeds.
  • Stay on top of pulling spring weeds that will start growing vigorously and compete with your plants for water and nutrients.
  • Remove cool-season weeds such as henbit, chickweed before they go to seed.

Other tips

  • Check sprinkler systems for any issues and fix, as needed.
  • Apply soil amendments in accordance with soil test recommendations.
  • Watch out for insects such as aphids and use an insecticidal soap spray if needed.
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