By Karolyn Gephart
April has offered wonderful weather for gardening. Even pulling weeds has been tolerable due to pleasant temperatures, but this won’t last too long. Enjoy it now. Here is a to-do list for gardeners for April.
This is the last month for planting wax and lima beans, pintos, snap bush, and pole beans. Plant these herb transplants: basil, lavender, Mexican mint marigold, and scented geranium. Plant okra now through mid-May. Okra has a long harvesting season through August.
Feed established roses every four to six weeks with formulated rose fertilizer.
Fertilize lawns in the spring after grass puts out new growth. Use a 15-5-10 fertilizer.
Prune azaleas as they finish blooming. Fertilize azaleas for the first time after blooms fall. Use an azalea fertilizer and repeat in six weeks. Fertilize the azaleas one more time in June, but no later than this because of the disrupting bloom set for the following year in the shrub’s dormant period.
Camellias need to be pruned and fertilized after flowering. Remove interior branches along with dead wood to provide better air circulation. Use a well-balanced fertilizer to promote growth and blooms.
Prune flowering shrubs and trees after they bloom. This includes flowering quince (Chaenomeles speciosa) and bridal wreath (Spirea sp.).
Set out vincas (periwinkles) after mid-April to help reduce problems with fungal blight.
For summer color, plant cleome, four-o’clocks, plumbago, hibiscus, and shrimp plant (Justicia brandegeeana). The following plants can be planted in shady areas: impatiens, coleus, begonias and pentas.
Plant the following tuberous plants: gloriosa lily, daylily (Hemerocallis sp.), butterfly lily, (Hedychium coronarium, fragrant, white-blooming species of ginger), red spider lily (Lycoris radiata), rain lilies (Zephyranthes grandiflora), yellow spider lily (Lycoris aurea), Shell Ginger (Alpinia sp.), and tuberose (Agave amica).
Plant caladium tubers this month; whites and greens do well in the shade, but the reds need partial sun.
Add mulch to flowers, shrubs, and trees. This will help discourage weeds and conserve soil moisture during the hot summer months. The mulch should be two to four inches thick. Remember to leave breathing room or free space around tree trunks. Piling too much mulch around tree trunks could cause microbial decay.
Control aphids, thrips, and caterpillars. Check the vegetable garden in the morning for insects and hand-pick them if possible. Check roses for black spot fungus. Keep the areas around blooming flowers clear of debris that could harbor insects.
