WELL, WE HAVE definitely had “April showers” this past week, fueling the coming of “May flowers.” Not only is April chock-full of gardening chores, our good weather has conspired to accelerate and condense the workload. So here is your work list for April.
1. JumpStart. There is no better way to get a superior head start then to sow, grow and “harden off” plants in a cold frame. Cold frames — by their nature of being sunk down into the heat of the Earth and with a radiant-enhancing cover (glass preferably) magnifying the sun’s rays — induce and protect your plants from frost and inclement weather in both the spring and fall. You can produce year round grains and vegetables because you can have starter plants ready when you want and need them. Build or buy a cold frame or two, or clean out an old abandoned one on the side of the house.
2. Hoop It Up. A month ago, I warned everyone about how fast the various perennials would be growing towards the heavens, like a beanstalk in a fairy tale, but it’s no fairy tale how beautiful and upright your tall perennials can look. Or how hideous and bent over like a troll those will become if not tended to. Stake, cage, hoop or tie them up.
3. Bulberiffic. This is the best time and place on the planet to grow bulb-type plants for the summer and autumn garden. Of course, dahlias should be on everyone’s list, but so should gladiolus, liatris, calla lilies, daylilies, peonies, hostas, hardy cyclamen, Asian lilies, oriental lilies, begonias and astilbes. All of these are on the racks for sale.
4. Pinch me, baby. I recently discussed the how and why of pinching, and then pinching again, your fall-flowering sedums, mums and asters. In fact, I pinch early shoots as well when they are 4 to 5 inches tall. This week, if you look around, these plants might already be 8 to 10 inches tall. This means you need to go look around, pinching those babies again or for the first time.
5. Containerize. With the arrival of April, severe cold weather is banished from the land, and the garden outlets are full of beautiful, hardy perennials and small woody ornamentals, even early vegetable offerings. It’s a great time to plant containers for the deck, patio or front entrance with spring plants. Then, if you pull these plants out in June, you can plant a summer container using the spring perennial in and around your yard for years of enjoyment (a double bonus round). I especially like blueberries for this use. Containers are easy to grow and harvest, as well as water.
6. Lime away. This is the perfect time to remember that lime is the miracle drug of many a garden or plant. Deciduous shade and specimen trees like lime, as does your lawn, orchard, vegetable garden, perennials, flower beds, vines, roses and most non-indigenous ground covers. Go to a farm and feed store and buy big bags of pelletized lime for easy, dust-free and precise applications.
7. They’re back. Those pesky caterpillars that tortured and devoured your plants the past two years will certainly be back, although in lesser numbers because of increasing predators. Look for them first as egg sacs — small half inch, glistening gray, styrofoam-looking structures around twig ends. Squish them. Spray the plants with host-specific BHT products found at well stocked garden and greenhouse centers. If you’d rather, you can prune them away, but be sure to sack them in the garbage — or they’ll crawl right back out. You can also incinerate them if you’re allowed to have an outside fire where you live.
8. Other Garden Snatchers. April is the time when the sun’s daytime duration combines with soil and air temperatures to accelerate the growth and expansion of weeds, slugs, bugs and mice (we’ll talk about mice next week). No matter if you did these chores last week, go back out and do them again, pull weeds, re-apply pet safe slug bait, set mouse traps, hoe and mulch.
9. Tend your children well. Those gorgeous bulbs’ offspring are fading already. Deadhead their blooms as they wither. Till and cultivate the soil. Fertilize and weed so next year’s crop is even better. How you tend your spring bulbs when they finish blooming will determine how much energy they can store in their warehouse for next year’s performance.
10. Stockpile. Think of what it is that you use a lot of, or need all of the time around your yard, and lay in those supplies now while supplies are available and inventories and selection are at an all time high. Get a load of topsoil and mulch, buy bags of fertilizer and lime, and an ample supply of slug bait, herbicides, gloves, insecticidal soap, socks, hoses and stakes so that you are ready for any tasks. Don’t be tricked into thinking you’ve gotten all the weeds out. The weather of ours will hatch another batch before your gloves have a chance to dry out.
And for all of you, stay dry and well!
________
Andrew May is a freelance writer and ornamental horticulturist who dreams of having Clallam and Jefferson counties nationally recognized as “Flower Peninsula USA.” Send him questions c/o Peninsula Daily News, P.O. Box 1330, Port Angeles, WA 98362, or email news@peninsuladailynews.com (subject line: Andrew May).
