Cleaning the yard will be easier now – before it’ll get harder once everything has reached new dimensions! Now that new growth has come in you’ll be able to identify dead plants and branches easily. See, sometimes wait and see is the best strategy for gardening!
Deadhead spent spring blossoms such as daffodils and tulips. Do keep their leaves around for at least six weeks to help the bulbs restore energy for another beautiful bloom next year! If you haven’t already done so, take notes of how your spring bulbs did this year so you’ll remember locations and colors when bulb planting season comes around next fall!
Prune azaleas and other spring blooming bushes after once they have stopped blooming. This will give them plenty of time to produce buds for next year.
Now that the average last frost date has passed you can start growing warm season vegetables and annuals as the soil warms up. You can look-up that magical date on sites like Garden.org or Almanac.com. The latter puts Charlotte’s average last frost date on April 4th. Don’t forget though, it is the AVERAGE last day of frost so don’t be surprised if we get hit with a cold spell once again and read plant descriptions for soil temperature needs.
Remember to tend to your cool season vegetables and thin carrots, lettuce and others. Thinning will not only provide them with ample light but also the necessary growing space. Enjoy these baby greens in a yummy salad from your own garden! Keep up the watering and remember to factor in the warmer weather. Mulching around the bases will help keep the soil moist.
Later in April is also a great time to source your perennials and get them into the ground. This will give them plenty of time to establish roots before the days get scorchy! Pick your perennials, dig holes twice as wide as their size, place the plant and fill the hole with compost and soil. Finally, this time of year is also perfect for dividing existing perennials and providing growing stakes to prevent bending and breaking of bigger stalks. Do the work now for a beautiful show later this year!
