12 Garden Tasks to Complete in April

12 Garden Tasks to Complete in April

12 Garden Tasks to Tackle in April

Depending on the year, April can either be the first view that we have of spring, or it can already be in full swing and be quite dry. Here in the Okanagan, we need to be prepared for both scenarios. While some of the items on this list could have been completed in March, they will definitely be able to be completed in April. 

1.  Once the garden soil dries a bit, you can transplant out the cool weather seedlings that you started in February and March. Vegetable seedlings like broccoli, cabbage, brussel sprouts, kale, onions, and leek are all able to be planted out as soon as the soil is workable. Flower seedlings that are good candidates for an early start are snapdragons, sweet peas, and stock. 

2.  Direct sow peas, radishes, and leafy greens. Stagger your harvest by transplanting cool season greens and direct sowing. 

3.  Divide any flowering perennials that haven’t been divided in 3-5 years to maintain their vitality. Daylilies, Hostas, Delphiniums, and Irises will all bloom with renewed vigour if regularly divided. 

4.  Plant any new perennials of asparagus, rhubarb, strawberries, berry bushes, and flowering perennials.

5.  April is also a great month to get those seed potatoes in the ground. Just ensure that the soil has dried out a little so that they won’t rot prior to sprouting. 

6.  Apply mulch around perennials, trees, and shrubs now, before the hot weather arrives, to maintain moisture in the soil. 

7.  Heavy snow and ice can cause branches on trees and shrubs to break over the winter. Prune out any damaged, broken, or dead wood. 

8.  It’s the last chance to plant any bare root trees and shrubs that you may have ordered. Ensure that they get planted while they are still dormant.

9.  Keep your new transplants well-watered. April can be deceptively dry and those transplants don’t have root systems that can handle any drought yet. 

10.  If you are wanting to have more flowers blooming from snow melt right through to peonies, take some time to walk through garden centres, city parks, and neighbourhoods to see what is currently blooming and take notes/pictures of what you want to plant in the future. 

11.  Deadhead daffodils, tulips, and hyacinths once the blooms fade but leave all of the foliage to die back naturally. Doing so ensures that the plant isn’t putting energy towards making seed and allows the leaves to gather as much energy as possible for next year’s bloom. 

12.  Hopefully you left the dead foliage on your perennials over the winter to protect both the plants and the beneficial bugs that shelter within the dead material. If you did, now is the time to  finally cut that dead foliage down. Consider using the chop-and-drop method to create easy mulch or move the material to the compost pile. 

May all your transplants thrive, and may your spring flowers not be eaten by your spring lambs.

Nadine

March to-do list

March to-do list

It’s March!

Here are the 9 things that you should do now to get your garden started off right.

1. If you want to enjoy delicious garden tomatoes in the summer, now is the time to get the seeds started. Tomato seedings should be started 6-8 weeks before your last frost date. Around here, that means now is the time to get those seeds started. Remember that these seeds will want a warm, cozy temperature to get started in and will require LOTS of light once they have germinated to avoid leggy plants. A leggy seedling will never turn into a strong plant so give your seedlings the best start to life.

This seedling will never become a strong plant
This seedling has a good start

2. Add a top dressing of compost or aged manure to all garden and vegetable beds.

3. If you tested your soil last fall, now is the time to add the necessary amendments based on the results. Your soil test results will tell you what nutrients are required and the amount of amendments required. (What? You didn’t get a soil test in the fall? Make a reminder to take samples and send them off this September.)

4. Plant any bare root trees and shrubs now. They will still be dormant and will awaken in their new home ready to burst into growth.

5. Plant any berry bushes like raspberries, blueberries, or haskups now.

6. Get an early start on the vegetable garden by planting cool-season crops like peas, carrots, radishes, spinach, broccoli, and onions. These crops can be seeded directly into the garden as soon as the soil is thawed.

7. Now is the time to divide any perennials in your yard that haven’t been divided for 3-5 years. It’s easy to do. Dig up the entire root ball and slice through the roots with a landscape knife or a shovel. Divide each root ball into 2 or 3 pieces and either replant the divisions in another location in your yard or garden or gift the divisions to someone else. One of the original pieces of root ball can be replanted in the original location to grow on. Division of perennials is necessary every 3-5 years to avoid overcrowding. You will be rewarded for your efforts with healthier growth and more flowers. 

8. Now is the perfect time to plant asparagus and rhubarb into your garden. Asparagus roots will take three years to develop into large enough plants to harvest so the sooner you get them into the ground, the sooner you can start enjoying fresh asparagus directly from your garden. 

9. Late winter is the time to prune apple and pear trees but leave your stone fruit trees (plums, apricots, peaches, cherries) alone for now. Pruning of stone fruit trees now can allow open up the tree to disease from silver leaf and cankers. If you aren’t sure how to prune a fruit tree, consult a local arborist, as incorrect pruning can lead to a structurally weak tree and loss of fruit.

Nadine