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April Gardening Tips of The Month
Fruit
and Nut Trees
Plant Citrus Trees -
Young two to five year old trees transplant most successfully. Larger,
older trees are more costly, harder to transplant without injury (to
yourself and the tree), and suffer more from transplant shock. It will
generally be three years after transplant before fruit production and
that is the same whether you plant a 2 year old tree or a 10 year old
tree. Go small!
Thin
deciduous fruit to 6 inch spacing. The earlier this is done after
fruit set, the more size response will be expected in fruit remaining on
the tree.
Give
special attention to deciduous fruit trees, provide adequate soil
moisture for fruit sizing in the late April and May period.
Apply
nitrogen and zinc to pecan trees to produce normal size leaf growth and
to enhance kernel development. Pecans also need more water than most
other shade trees.
Herbs
Frosty
winter nipped your herb garden? It is usually safe to prune winter
damage from your herb plants anytime after mid-March - perfect now, if
you haven't yet taken care of this garden chore. Inspect your Basil,
Lemon grass, Peppers, Mexican Tarragon and other frost sensitive plants
closely, looking for new growth emerging on the lower half of the plant.
Use sharp shears to cut the plant back by 1/3 to 1/2 or more, down to
healthy new side shoots. Top dress the plants with new compost and water
well for a fresh start.
Small
white balls of frothy foam may show up on the new growth of some of your
herbs in spring, especially on Rosemary, Sage and other woody perennial
herb plants. These 1/4 - 1/2 inch "balls" are the protective hiding
place for the nymph of a relatively harmless insect called a
"spittlebug" (Philaenus sp.) which feeds on the plant's sap and uses
the foam to hide itself from predators. Spittlebugs are easily rinsed
off your plants with your garden hose.
Often
in Spring, we find a Dill or Fennel plant in our garden loaded with
aphids and their sticky mess. Aphids usually occur at low levels
that are not very harmful to the plant - merely rinse them off with your
garden hose and wash your picked herbs well before cooking with them.
Insecticides are not generally recommended on herbs, since they are used
for cooking. A weaker plant may become heavily infested - either pull
and discard the plant, or leave it in your garden as a source of food
(aphids) to attract
ladybird beetles and other
beneficial insects.
Landscape
Plants
As
the weather warms and days lengthen, adjust your irrigation timer to
water more frequently. Be sure to run your system long enough to wet the
top two feet of soil. Deep, infrequent watering is much better than a
daily sprinkle.
Tree
water use, desert types being the exception, increases rapidly during
this period of leafing out and gradually higher air temperatures.
Allow
your wildflowers to go to seed. They will produce a natural healthy
feast for birds as well as reseeding themselves to come up again in your
yard next year.6
Make
plans for
Arbor Day, The Last Friday in April.
Most
woodpecker damage occurs during the period of breeding and territory
establishment, February through June.
Roses
Continue
fertilizing established roses, liquid fertilizers can be added at 2 week
intervals, follow the directions on the container.
Turf
Begin
fertilizing Bermuda grass lawns during late April or early May. Follow
the directions on the container.
Vegetables
Plant
SeedsBeans (Lima & Snap), Black eyed Peas, Carrots, Cucumbers, Jicama, Melons (Cantaloupe, Muskmelon), Okra, Green Onions, Peanuts, Radishes, Summer Squash, Sunflowers
Plant
TransplantsJerusalem Artichokes
Include
edible and cut flowers in your vegetable garden. In addition to adding
beauty they will attract beneficial insect pollinators which will
increase your fruit set.
Don't List . . .
Do
not prune citrus except to remove dead or damaged wood and branches
obstructing pathways, views, or structures.
Do
not use pre-emergent herbicides in an area in which you intend to plant
seeds.
Do
not plant seeded Bermuda until the soil warms up in mid to late May.