April is a great time to institute your spring vegetable garden if you have n’t already . If you live in the more northern grasp of the Southern Plains , April is likely your first chance to imbed . Those of us in Central and South Texas have likely been Robert Frost - free for at least a couple of weeks by now . nerveless - time of year vegetable will really be wind down this month , although some may last through May farther north . As soon as you pull them from the garden you’re able to replace them with quick - weather crops such as love apple , pepper , watermelon , cantaloupe , green beans , eggplant , mash , pumpkin , and miltomate . If you implant tomatillos , plant two ! They are not ego - fecund , so you ’ll require to have two plants for them to yield .
Do n’t forget the herbaceous plant , which will make your vegetable harvest that much more delicious . April is a practiced time to imbed tried - and - dead on target herb such as St. Basil the Great , oregano , thyme , and Florence fennel , as well as the lesser - used but equally mythical lemongrass oil , lemon balm , Nepeta cataria , and horseradish .
With increased plant growing in April comes an increment in pests . Check your garden industrial plant for blighter on a regular basis this calendar month so that you’re able to capture problem too soon before they make too much wrong . thing to look out for :
Deadhead wither blooms . The blossom of the early outflow bloomers will be pass by April . you may contract the quondam and fading blooms to encourage the product of fresh 1 . I ’ve found that this is a much - have a go at it gardening undertaking for many gardener . Something about taking out the old to bring in the new is especially satisfying .
portion seed and seedling with your fellow gardeners!When you ’re put in your garden this calendar month , ensure to necessitate your friends what they are planting this class . Share notes , along with seeds and plants . Leave some space in your garden for data-based new works that you may get from fellow gardeners . Do n’t have any ally who garden ? Look for a public seminal fluid or plant interchange in your domain .
It ’s time to start think about your lawn in businesslike . In Central Texas I unremarkably have to pout double in February and March , but in April mop starts to be a more regular task . Make certain you are mow before any sess have a chance to go to seed . This is also a great sentence to lie sod for warm - season grasses . Sod laid in April will have time to make good root before the passion of summertime sets in in June .
April is also a good time to fertilise your lawn , because the grass is actively growing now and able to take up the fertilizer . Granular fertilizers tend to be more economic than liquid ones , with less peril of burning the grass . There are a number of granular organic alternative on the market , such as Espoma , Safer Brand , and Dr. Earth . Read the bag carefully and come after the coating instructions . In general , you need to keep off implement more than one Irish pound of nitrogen per 1,000 square feet of lawn .
You may postulate to water your plant life more than you realize . Although it ’s not summer yet , the warm temperature , abundant sunshine , and dry winds of April can dry out plants , peculiarly tender new single . Keep tabs on your garden beds , your lawn , and any shrubs or tree that are still getting established . And while you ’re at it , give yourself a crapulence of water too !
— Karen Beaty is a horticulturalist at the Lady Bird Johnson Wildflower Center in Austin , Texas .
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April is prime time for getting your warm-season veggies and herbs in the ground.Photo: Hans Linde/pixabay.com
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Tomato hornworms can be easily handpicked; other pests may need to be sprayed.Photo: Pam Carter/pixabay.com
Snip back old blooms of early spring bloomers like this giant spiderwort (Tradescantia gigantea, Zones 8–11) for a fresh flush of blooms.Photo: Karen Beaty
Consider starting a seed exchange with your gardening friends or joining a public one in your area.Photo: Karen Beaty
If you want to lay sod, do it now so that roots have time to establish before the weather gets too hot.Photo: Senior Airman Meagan Schutter/U.S. Air Force
April weather can be deceptively dehydrating to new plants. Make sure everything is well watered until established.Photo: Karen Beaty
