Planting Annuals (Flowers and Vegetables) in April in the Ground – With the exception of cold crop vegetables and pansies, most flowers and vegetables that we plant in our beds and gardens in this region ARE NOT FROST HARDY, that is, they will be damaged/killed by a late frost. In this region, the last (typical) frost date is May 15-20. As such, it is advised to protect these tender plants from the elements through May 15-20. We know that the big box and grocery stores are selling warmer season annuals in late March, but buyer beware! Aside from the possibility of frost damage, soil temperature dictates when and how fast roots develop, so if you plant annuals in cold soil, they’ll just sit there anyway, no matter how much or how often you fertilize them. When the soil warms you can feed the hell out of them, but you can’t wake up dormant roots in cold soil by feeding them. Remember, we’re here to not only sell the best products; we’re here to guide our customers on how BEST to use our goods and products. Therefore, we choose to wait until late April/early May (depending on the weather) before we bring in most of our susceptible annual flowers and vegetables for your perusal and purchase.
Planting Perennials, Shrubs, Trees in April – These are all perfectly hardy plants; they’re ready for planting as you see them in the Nursery Yards. No threat of damage from unexpected cold snaps, or even ice. Make sure that you properly prepare the site prior to planting, allowing for root development and irrigation. We recommend utilizing a starter fertilizer in each planting hole, such as Espoma’s Bio-Tone Starter Plus to give the root system a jump start.
Fertilizing Landscape Plants – Permanent landscape plants (young trees, shrubs, perennials, bulbs, ground covers) should be fed twice each growing season: as growth begins in the spring, and after the growing season ends and plants are dormant in the fall. Fertilize trees with formed fertilizer spikes, driven 6-12” into the soil at the trees’ drip line, using 3 spikes for each 2 inches of tree trunk caliper measured 3-4’ above the ground. Shrubs, perennials, bulbs, ground covers should all be fertilized with slow-release, high-organic granular fertilizers broadcast over top of the soil or around the base of the plants and then thoroughly watered in.
Mulching Beds in April – If you haven’t worked on your beds since last fall, it is imperative that before you add this season’s mulch, you prepare the beds properly. Most of last year’s mulch is still on the beds. However, since it was applied, it has been greatly corrupted by weeds, grasses, trash, and other negative elements. It has also formed a significant crust over the past months, which, unless scarified, will prevent moisture from penetrating into the root zones of the plants in the beds. So, clean up the beds first, then order or pick up your desired mulch, enough so you will have a CUMULATIVE DEPTH OF 3” OF MULCH in your beds. (Too much mulch inhibits water and fertilizer from getting to the roots of the plants.
Insect, Disease and Pest Control on Susceptible Trees, Shrubs, Roses, and Perennials – At the beginning of the growing season it is prime time for pest PREVENTION on all susceptible plants.
BioAdvanced Tree & Shrub Protect & Feed will control most varieties of chewing and sucking insects (including caterpillars) that attack our plants for the entire growing season with a single, systemic application. Applied as a drench to the soil at the base of trees and shrubs, it is absorbed by the roots and translocated throughout the plant providing full coverage from the trunk to the branches to the leaves. Whether insects chew or suck on leaves or burrow into bark, BioAdvanced’s systemic protection gets them! Easy to use and highly effective!
Be sure to take advantage of our BioAdvanced Tree & Shrub Dual Action 32oz. Concentrate Reg. $28.99 – Sale $23.99 from April 8th through April 30th, plus a rebate you can either complete online or mail in that could save you up to $10 for every $35.00 spent. Limit up to 3 rebates per household.
Protecting Trees and Shrubs from Wildlife – Deer are actively seeking food; so are the mice, squirrels, ground hogs and rabbits. They all want a piece (or lots of pieces) of our shrubs, roses, perennials, bulbs, etc. They are just waiting for nice tender new growth to appear that is ripe for eating. Our garden center has a wide variety of these products (too many to list) available for your use. Granular products are applied to the perimeter (on the ground) of beds and around plants. Liquid products are applied directly to the foliage of the susceptible plants. Effectiveness varies per type of product from 3-4 weeks up to 2 months per application. All are organic controls derived from one or a mixture of several of the following ingredients: Caspian pepper, black pepper, garlic, putrescent egg solids, rosemary and mint oils. These work by overloading the deer’s olfactory senses and aid in controlling active feeding. All of the options we offer have a ready to use option, so no mixing is necessary. Try any of these safe and effective products.
Okay, it’s spring 2022; the pandemic is not in our every thought this year, and hopefully it’ll remain only a wary memory. We hope all of you are ready to spend lots of time outside this spring, and a significant portion of that time will be on lawns and in gardens. The best part of the year is immediately ahead of us!