The very end of April brings me outdoors planting all types of arugula, lettuces, chard, and spinach. Plant potatoes as soon as the ground is workable. Check for pests and diseases. In planting zone ten, you have only a few items to do in your garden as well. ), For an onion that stores long into winter, try the, Beets: Why not try Botanical Interests’ colorful. However, getting your garden to this state of nirvana takes a lot of patience, care, and, most importantly, it needs to be planned well in advance. April Gardening Tip Early spring is a wonderful time to enjoy brisk, sunny days outdoors as you clean up your gardens and watch your plants slowly begin to grow. Thin new fruit on citrus, apple, and peach trees. Weed as needed. Close again before sundown. Stop picking asparagus so that the plants do not exhaust themselves. By mid-month set out seedlings of cabbage, broccoli, and Brussels sprouts if the soil is not excessively wet. Cover your planting beds with clear or black plastic sheeting for a week to 10 days to warm the soil. While you may have to start some seeds indoors in March and April, you can transplant your seedlings outside in May or June and experience a long, productive growing season. Yes, I will be starting seeds indoors again this year. Keep celery moist by regular irrigation. May be why start to go bad a few weeks before I can get them in the ground. For most crops that can be started indoors, seeds should be started about 6-8 weeks before your last spring frost date. Keep the garden free of weeds. Enter your location above to get your spring and fall planting dates!. Here are six ideas for starting a garden on a budget without breaking the bank. Prepare celery and potato trenches by adding a layer of well-rotted manure or garden compost to the trench area. Watch for borers and caterpillars on trees. Use biological pest control for greenhouse pests such as greenhouse whiteflies and spider mites. Sow seeds of chervil, dill, fennel, parsley, pot marjoram, and sorrel. Spray peaches, nectarines, apples, pears, plums, and almonds with a copper-based fungicide. Remove winter mulch from around fruit trees, vines, and perennial vegetables when they flower or begin to sprout new growth. Hang codling moth traps on apple trees. Get busy with these vegetable garden tasks this April: Prepare vegetable seed beds by removing all weeds. Prune back canes of raspberries planted last year to about 12 inches (30cm). If you keep a Coleus as a house plant you can still start cuttings for transplant to the garden. Timing for all planting is based on first and last frost dates. This gives the plants plenty of time to grow large and healthy enough to survive their eventual transplanting to the garden. Never apply them to frozen ground, over-saturated ground, or right before a large rain event. Turn the compost pile when it thaws. Cover prepared soil with sheets of black plastic to keep it drier and warmer in preparation for planting. Before planting out cool-weather crops started indoors, harden off young plants from winter sowings–broccoli, cauliflower, kohlrabi, leeks, onions, lettuce, peas, and broad beans. Plant greenhouse tomato plants in large pots, or plant them in grow bags. In the northern regions, the first asparagus is starting to appear; cut the stems when they are 4-6 inches (10-15cm) high. Top asparagus crowns with well-rotted compost. You should begin preparing your garden well before it’s actually time to start … For details about starting seeds indoors, see my step-by-step guide. Starting Seeds Under Grow Lights in April The following seeds can be started indoors. Propagate thyme by layering creeping stems and severing them when the roots have developed. Ventilate the greenhouse and cold frame when the outside temperature rises above 40ºF (4ºC). Check out Seeds Now for Zone 3 and Zone 4Organic, Non-Gmo Seeds 1. In cold-winter regions, spring weather may be weeks away. By the end of the month, you can plant outdoor tomatoes, and tie them gently, but firmly, to stakes to secure them. Prune fruit trees cutting out crossing branches. Clean pots thoroughly. Make further sowings of dill, fennel, parsley, and pot marjoram. Start planning the fall garden. Sow in a cold frame, plastic tunnel, or beneath cloches in areas where frost may still come. Ventilation should be increased on warm days as much as possible to prevent the buildup of diseases in the damp atmosphere. Direct sow tender warm-weather crops when the danger of frost is past and the weather is mild–plant out pole and bush snap and Lima beans, eggplants, pepper plants, casaba, celery, corn, okra, salsify, squash, cucumbers, cantaloupe, watermelons, Chinese cabbage, and black-eyed peas. Thin heavy-cropping nectarines and peaches when the fruit is ½ in (1-1.5 cm) in diameter. Move large containers outdoors and fill them with potting mix mixed with compost. If you need to purchase seed starting materials, check out my Amazon shop. If you're looking for an aesthetically pleasing vegetable garden, or you don't want to dedicate space in your yard to a garden plot, consider starting an edible garden of plants that are beautiful and functional. Fallow soil to conserve moisture … Dig a 5-cm (or more) layer of compost, well-rotted manure or green waste into beds. Clean the Garden. April is the best month to plant those frost tolerant vegetables like spinach and carrots. In the garden in April, sowing, planting and weeding are three key gardening jobs that should be well under way. Before slugs, snails, and pillbugs invade your leafy greens, head them off with beer traps. Prune autumn-fruiting raspberries. Start the seeds of summer vegetables that require 8 weeks or more indoors. Keep grass from going to seed. We'll tell you the earliest dates to plant vegetables in the spring and the last dates that you can plant for a fall harvest, based on average frost dates for your location..