Year-Round Gardening: Unpredictable weather rules in April
Flowers bloom at Denver Botanic Garden.
Fredricka Bogardus
April can bring all sorts of weather. As it warms, your garden will start to grow. But beware of late April and early May weather mischief. Wait for mid-May to plant tender annuals and vegetables. It is unusual for us to get through April without at least a few hard frosts.
General maintenance
• Finish any cleanup of garden debris, if you haven’t done it yet, cut back ornamental grasses early in the month.
• Start weed control by digging up weeds as they emerge.
• Replace mulch if needed.
• Pay attention to the weather. Cover tender foliage with cloth, a box or bucket if the temperature drops below 25 degrees at night; remove covers the next morning
• Consider hanging some pheromone traps for yellowjacket wasps. Trapping them early reduces nesting. The traps are widely available and are specific to yellowjackets.
Lawn tasks
• Core aerate your lawn.
• Consider over-seeding, or application of a pre-emergent weed control/ Don’t do both as the weed control will prevent the seed from growing.
• Apply fertilizer to cool season lawns.
• Water as needed.
• Mow when grass exceeds 3 inches tall.
Trees and shrubs
• Plant trees and shrubs as early as you can work the ground; make sure they are well watered until established.
• If tree trunks are wrapped, remove wrapping early in April.
• Now is the time to plant bare root roses. Soak roots for 12 hours before planting.
• Deer and rabbits are hungry. Consider deer repellent for plants they occasionally browse.
• Roses, once new growth starts, late April to May:
1. Remove mulch from around the plants.
2. Prune dead or damaged canes first; prune remaining canes to 1 to 2 feet.
3. Fertilize with a rose food formulation of 9-14-9.
4. For climbing roses, do not prune live canes, but do cut back any dead or damaged ones.
Vegetables
• Plant cool season vegetables, lettuce, spinach, kale, peas, beets once soil temperature is up to 40 degrees. Thin plants when they emerge.
• Start tomatoes, peppers and basil from seed indoors.
Flowers
• Start seeds indoors for annuals, like zinnias and celosia, that need four weeks before transplant.
• Transplant summer and autumn blooming perennials.
Go to www.ext.colostate.edu for in depth information about the following:
• Roses – fact sheet 7.404
• Vegetables-CMG GardenNotes #720 Vegetable Planting Guide
• Tomatoes – Colorado Garden Notes #1817
• The Science of Planting Trees – Colorado Garden Notes #633
• Care of Recently Planted Trees – Colorado Garden Notes #6
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