SPRING IS IN THE AIR
Finally, April has arrived. March was good to us this year. We had some cold days and nights, but it was winter. Conversely, we had some very nice warm days as well. The bottom line is that March was kind to us gardeners—unlike the other winter months. This year is nice because all the winter rain put moisture in our soil and filled up our streams, rivers, and reservoirs. I took a soil temperature reading on March 26th. Our soil temperature is at 46 degrees, which is nice.
Remember that our average last frost date for this area is around April 20th. With our current soil temperature and this frost date, don’t get ahead of yourself. Be patient, especially when planting summer-blooming annuals and summer vegetables.
Here are a couple of dates to keep in mind:
- EARTH DAY is Tuesday, April 22nd
- NATIONAL ARBOR DAY is Friday, April 25th
Consider planting something in support of these days. We must support nature and protect our environment.
HERE ARE A FEW APRIL GARDENING THOUGHTS AND TIPS
- Now is the time to feed our evergreens. I recommend the ESPOMA ORGANIC plant food line, such as Holly-tone, Plant-Tone, Azalea-Tone, Garden-Tone, and more. You just can’t go wrong with Espoma products.
- When planting this month, remember the golden rule of planting: “Right plant, right location.” Please be aware of your sun exposure and read the growing habits of any plant you are thinking of planting.
- Many of you with lawns will be mowing now. DON’T BAG YOUR CLIPPINGS! Did you know that grass clippings are 85% water and break down quickly, returning 20% of the nitrogen to the lawn?
- Hardy vegetables such as cabbage, broccoli, lettuce, etc., can be planted now. But warm-season vegetables such as tomatoes, squash, and cucumbers should be planted closer to May, when our soil temperature is warmer, and we are past the frost date.
- If you see earthworms in your soil, consider yourself fortunate. Earthworms are our soil aerators, and they leave behind castings that are great organic nutrients for our soil.
HAVE A HAPPY APRIL & PLANT A LITTLE HAPPINESS!!!!!!!!!!!!!!