Seasonal Tips for 2008
(Early Spring)

April | May | July | September | October

The gardening frenzy is about to begin and April brings warmer weather, longer days, and our chance to finally get outdoors and begin our gardening here in New England. As soon as the snow melts and the days become longer we’re sure to see crocus, hyacinth, and daffodils lead the way for tulips and other spring flowers. Celebrate!!! Bring indoors selective cuttings of these lovely and often sweet smelling flowers.

No one wants to start the season hurting themselves, so ease back into the outside work gradually. With all the snow we’ve had it’s a sure thing that the ground is going to take a while to dry out. Working wet or muddy soil can ruin the soil structure, causing soil compaction, drainage, and aeration problems later in the growing season. Once the soil can be worked, it can be tilled once. Add lime, fertilizer and manure accordingly.

Now is a good time to have the soil tested. Soil samples can be sent to the University of Massachusetts or the University of Rhode Island Agricultural Testing Lab for analysis. You can also buy your own kit from your local garden nursery and complete a test yourself.

There is still time to prune landscape plants, but don’t get carried away and cut off too much growth. The old rule of thumb is not to prune back more than one third of the growth, but you can remove any dead part of the plant in order to give it good aeration. Do not prune spring flowering plants such as lilacs and forsythia until right after they have bloomed. Prune evergreens just after they begin to show new growth.

Watch for perennials to emerge and once they have grown to a height of two or three inches they can be fertilized frequently, and with a light fertilizer. Be careful not to over fertilize because the result will be perennials with too much lush foliage and few or no flowers. Gradually remove winter mulch, but keep it handy in case of a late frost. A late frost can severely damage the buds on plants and they will ultimately not bloom. While removing mulch carefully, check for pests and apply dormant oil sprays before new growth begins.

Remove mulch from strawberries soon. If you wait too long the leaves will appear yellow. Keep the mulch around the base of the plants to help keep the berries clean, weed free, and to help conserve moisture.

Divide summer and fall flowering perennials now if they are overgrown and crowding out other plants. Dig up a clump carefully and use a sharp spade or knife to cut the plant into wedges. Replant these new divisions in well-drained soil and water moderately.

Watch the weather and carefully remove the old stalks from ornamental grasses before new growth begins. Cut to just several inches above the crown.

Superior oil and lime-sulfur are the two most common dormant sprays. Oil works best to control scales, mites, and other overwintering insects on fruit trees and some ornamental shrubs. Use lime-sulfur to control fungal diseases on plants like blueberries, raspberries, and black spot and rust on roses.

Now you can finally plant bare root stock when soil permits.

April is the month for planting peas, an easy to grow crop that thrives in cool weather. Be sure there is ample drainage so that the seeds do not rot. Once the soil reaches 45 degrees it’s time to plant. Soak the seeds for a few hours or overnight before planting and dust the seeds with an inoculant of nitrogen-fixing bacteria to help the roots take in more nitrogen. Plant the seeds 1 to 2 inches deep.

As soon as the soil is dry enough to rake, loosen it up and sprinkle spinach and early lettuce seeds in beds and cover lightly with soil. This broadcasting of seeds can be thinned later to allow for proper spacing between plants. If you plant every 10-14 days you will be rewarded with a fresh harvest from spring to mid summer...

Get your pots ready for planting in May. The salt encrusted pots can be soaked in a solution of 10 parts water to one part chlorine bleach for about a week to remove salt and disinfect them from diseases.

Enjoy the color of April flowers like tulips, daffodils, and other spring flowers by bringing them in and filling vases around your home.