April Cruel

“April is the cruelest month,” so said American poet T.S. Eliot in his work “The Waste Land.” Scholars argue about his meaning but gardeners know exactly what he meant. The promise of April always disappoints. We are tempted to think that winter is over and then comes a snowstorm! Late freezes kill off some of our plants. We worry about fruit tree blossoms coming out too early only to be nipped by frost and make a good harvest doubtful. April showers bring May flowers and sometimes they bring a washout of our flowerbeds. Then again, some years we wonder if we will get any rain at all in April. To quote another famous American, when we think of April, ”Don’t be Cruel.”

April is a good month to fertilize our lawns if we haven’t done it yet. Fertilize lightly or you may cause more problems later. Fall is the best time for good lawn fertilization, but we’ll talk about that when it rolls around. This a good month to start plants indoors. Annuals, perennials, vegetables, most seeds can be started now. Some people have luck starting seeds in a sunny window but I always need to supplant sunlight and use artificial light. First average frost is May 15 so there is just enough time to get the seedlings off to a good start before acclimating them and then transplanting them out into the world to fend for themselves.

April also brings Arbor Day, April 19, when we are urged to plant a tree. Even though fall is best for planting trees, spring is the second best time for planting bare root or balled and burlapped nursery stock. Trees in containers can be planted anytime. The disadvantage of planting in a season other than fall, is that the trees demand more care. Watering the equivalent of at least an inch of rain per week, about 15 to 20 gallons per tree, is crucial to establish the tree and insure future health.

Speaking of, and for, our largest plants the trees, will you indulge me in a pet peeve? As I wander around my neighborhood of northeast O’ville I am confronted with the hideous practice of topping trees. Everywhere I look I see these poor trees butchered and looking like a tornado just roared through, stripping them of their glory. This practice seems to be growing and it is probably the worst thing that can be done for the health of our urban forest. Trees matter! I hope to cover this in more detail in a future column, but for now let it suffice to say “DON”T TOP TREES!” Don’t an April Fool.

May 22 is Earth Day. April showers bring May flowers but many of our native woodland wildflowers are April flowers. They must rush to bloom while the bare trees are still allowing enough sun to reach the forest floor. Take a walk and see how many you can find.

If you believe in planting peas on Easter you better get going. Dr. Bob Liggett and Ken Speakman, champion giant pumpkin growers, perennial winners of the Pumpkin Show contest, tell me they start their pumpkins indoors on April 20.

Most migratory birds are beginning to move through. The peak migration of warblers will be later this month and into May. Good time to get out those field guides and remind us of what they look like.

Things to do in the garden:

Do an inventory of your lawn and garden. Using a notebook, wander your grounds and note things you need to do and ideas you want to implement. Divide perennials, move a shrub, start a new bed, renew the lawn, order mulch or topsoil, there are lots of things to do.

If you haven’t done it already, now is the time to apply a pre-emergent to prevent crabgrass. Apply before April 15, not because of taxes but before the forsythia blooms. That is the time when crabgrass seeds germinate.

Most annual flowers can be seeded directly into the soil after the danger of frost has abated. Some popular annuals that you should consider starting indoors are: snapdragon, wax begonia, sweet William, impatiens, sweet alyssum, petunia, gloriosa daisy, blue salvia, viola, pansy and zinnia, among others. This can save you a considerable amount of money that you can spend on a perennial.