April 2021

Water lawns, gardens, trees and shrubs once to twice a week depending on temperatures, spring wind and snow/rainfall.
Inspect your sprinkler systems to make sure they are in good working order.
Water annuals, perennials, etc. in containers twice weekly depending on container size.
Remember that new plantings will require more water the first year!

Apply a good fertilizer on trees and shrubs, if not done in previous months.
Fertilize cool-season lawns such as parkblend and bluegrass with a good fertilizer.
Fertilize warm-season lawns such as buffalo, bermuda and grama with a good warm-season lawn fertilizer in late April or early May.
Fertilize houseplants with a good water-soluble fertilizer. Be sure not to over-fertilize or over-water houseplants, and never fertilize a sick plant
Start improving your garden soil by mixing in organic material such as compost.
Fertilize established roses with a good rose food.
Fertilize container gardens with a high phosphorus blooming formula fertilizer.
Fertilize vegetables with a good organic vegetable food.

Plant shade trees such as ash, elm, sycamore and cottonwood for cooling shade in the hot summer.
Plant ornamental trees such as flowering plums and crabapples for their gorgeous flowers in spring.
Plant fruit trees such as apple, cherry, pear, plum, apricot and pomegranate for delicious fruit for many years to come.
Plant flowering annuals and perennials in your garden for wonderful flowering all summer.
Plant up or refresh your containers with annuals, herbs, perennials or small shrubs. Remember the saying “Thriller, filler, spiller!”
Plant natives for a beautiful low-water xeric landscape.
Plant ornamental grasses for a spectacular show in the fall.
Plant your summer bulbs such as dahlia, canna, gladiolus and lilies.
Plant roses for their sheer beauty.
Prune established roses in early spring.
Lay a cool-season sod or seed a new lawn.
Annual flowers such as sunflowers, cosmos, zinnias or morning glories can be directly sown in the garden. You can also seed perennial wildflower mixes!
Remove spent flowers from roses and flowering plants to promote repeat flowering.
Refresh mulches as needed.

Clean your garden area by removing debris to prevent unwanted over-wintering pests. Watch out for butterfly cocoons! Refresh with a fresh layer of cypress, cedar or pecan mulch.
Look out for early aphids and eliminate as necessary.
Bring samples of insects or damaged plants in plastic bags to our pharmacy for solutions to problem areas. (We can also identify plants for you!)
Inspect roses and other foliage for powdery mildew and other diseases.
Apply chelated iron (or soil acidifier with iron) to chlorosis-prone trees and shrubs such as chitalpa, maples, aspens, willows, euonymus and photinia.
Apply a good systemic to trees and shrubs for yearlong protection from insects.
Kill early weeds with a good weed killer.
Apply pre-emergent to gardens and lawns to prevent seed germination.

Plant warm-season vegetables such as tomatoes, peppers, beans, cucumbers, squash and melons.
Improve soil in vegetable beds by adding BTE or home compost.
Continue planting seeds for the upcoming summer season!
Plant onion sets, strawberries, rhubarb and asparagus.
Plant herbs such as basil, rosemary and tarragon. Clean up wintered herbs and cut back 1/3 to ½ for healthy new growth.
Plant vegetables in successive planting so that you have continuous harvesting throughout the growing season.

Protect any tender plants from freezing with a frost cloth. Protect small plants with leaves or mulch.
Start a new compost bin.