April Gardening Checklist

Okay, here it is, already April and we are all craving some fresh new life, lush green leaves and colorful blossoms. In spite of the occasional days of warmth and glorious sun, though, we just know that winter is likely to hand us at least one more reminder of what changing seasons are like here in Minnesota.  Here are some ideas on how to enjoy this time of year in your gardens & backyards.

General

  • Get a soil test as soon as the ground thaws. This is especially important for new beds but should be done about every 3 to 5 years for established beds as well.  Go to U of MN Soil Testing site…
  • Start Spring cleanup as weather and soil conditions allow. Try to not walk on very wet soil; it is easily compacted. Damage done now can take a season or more to correct. Remove dead foliage and stems from perennials and cut ornamental grasses down to about 4 inches. Always check for any new growth before you cut. Remove last year’s stems above any new shoots to avoid damage and to provide a bit of protection against late frosts.
  • Add compost to your garden. Known as ‘Gardener’s Gold’, good high quality compost is a great conditioner for both sandy and clay soils. It improves water retention and drainage and  adds nutrients as well.  Read more…
  • Bring out garden tools. Clean and sharpen them if needed.
  • Be inspired! Stop in during our Linder’s Spring Open House and enjoy refreshments, walking tours of our Garden Center and bus tours to our Lake Elmo Growing Range!
  • Flower Marts will be opening soon!!  Linder’s Flower Marts have been in operation since 1988.  There are now over 50 Twin City locations. We carry a full line of annuals, hanging baskets, container plants, tropical plants, perennials, roses, and shrubs.  To find the Flower Mart nearest you call our hotline: 651-487-8565 or visit our Flower Mart Locations page.
  • Watch for the first butterflies of spring. The Mourning Cloak, a three-inch butterfly with dark-chocolate colored wings bordered with black-and-iridescent-blue spots and a buttery-yellow edge, emerges on warm days in the very early spring. Unlike most butterflies, this handsome flier over winters as a dormant adult folded into crevices and under tree bark. It can sometimes be seen on the wing while there is still snow on the ground, but typically appears in late March and early April.
  • Let your kids plan a vegetable plot of their very own. Young people often find that veggies grown with their own effort taste much better that the ’store-bought’ kinds. Have them try short season vegetables such as radishes and lettuces for a quick ‘reward’.  Or, they might be interested in a ‘Pizza Garden’ of tomatoes, peppers, basil, and oregano.

Birding in Your Backyard

  • Put up hummingbird and oriole feeders now. Most hummers and orioles arrive here between the last week of April and mid May but you will have better success in attracting these colorful birds if you have feeders waiting. Remember that hummingbird and oriole food spoils quickly, so put fresh nectar out every two or three days or daily if the weather is warm.

Lawns

  • Be patient and stay off lawns until you do not leave a footprint in the grass.
    Check your lawnmower and service if needed.
  • Late April to early May is the time to apply your Spring Fertilizer and Crabgrass Preventer.  Read more…

Vegetables & Annuals

  • There is an abundance of cold tolerant annuals to help to start your spring off on the right foot. Plant Pansies, Violas, Diascia, and Nemesia, Flowering Cabbage/Kale or a number of other varieties for early season color. There is still a possibility of hard frosts, so be prepared to cover your cool tolerant annuals or bring them into a porch or garage if hard frost is a threat.  Read more…
  • Continue starting seeds for warm season crops such as tomatoes, peppers and eggplant indoors. These need thoroughly warmed soil to grow well, so transplant them outside in late May. Cucumbers, squash, pumpkins and melons also need warm soil. They resent transplanting, so start them indoors in late April in ‘plantable’ pots to avoid disturbing their roots as much as possible. Transplant pot and all outdoors in late May while the plants are still small.
  • Many fast-growing warm season annuals such as sunflowers, morning glories, marigolds and zinnias can be started indoors in late April too.
  • Plant vegetables such as peas, lettuce, spinach, beets, carrots, cabbage, cole crops and radishes beginning about mid April as soon as the soil can be worked.  Cole crops include: asparagus, beets, broccoli, brussels sprouts, cabbage, carrots, cauliflower, celeriac, celery, garlic, globe artichoke, kale, kohlrabi, leeks, lettuce, onions, parsnips, peas, potatoes, radishes, rhubarb, rutabagas, spinach, swiss chard, and turnips. Plant small plots of quickly maturing crops such as radishes, lettuce, spinach, beets and peas every week or ten days so your harvest continues as long as possible through the cool spring season.  Read more…
  • You can also plant some of these again in late summer and early fall for one more harvest before winter makes its appearance. Purchase enough seeds to do a fall planting of these veggies now. Store them in a cool, dry, dark location to insure good viability at planting time.
  • Vegetables that are roots or tubers are really tolerant to frost if they are below the ground level.  This includes asparagus, beets, carrots, onions, potatoes, radishes, rutabagas, and turnips.
  • Start bulbs and tubers such as gladiolas, begonia, caladium, tender lilies, cannas, etc. in pots indoors in mid April so that they are actively growing by the time the soil warms enough for them to grow outside in late May. These delightful summer flowers need a head start on the growing season to give us the longest possible color. Asiatic and Oriental lilies and many of their new hybrids are winter hardy here and can be planted directly in the ground as soon as the soil is workable.
  • Experiment! Plan to add at least one new flower or vegetable to your garden this year. Part of the fun and reward of gardening is finding new plants to enjoy.

Trees, Shrubs, Roses, & Perennials

  • During early April, you may begin to uncover perennials and roses, but leave the covering material nearby.  The days may be warm, but a cold spell is still possible.  Keep mulch close by until the plants are hardened a bit and most danger of hard frost is past near the end of the month.
  • Plant trees, shrubs, and vines once the soil can be worked.  Be sure soil has thawed and is not too wet.  Soil should crumble apart after being squeezed in the palm of your hand.
  • Divide perennials that bloom mid-summer or fall shortly after new growth emerges.  These include asters, daylilies, and sedum.

Indoor Plants

  • Monitor houseplants for new growth. This is a great time to pinch the tips or take cuttings to propagate new plants. Both will encourage new, bushy growth closer to the base of the plant.
  • Begin fertilizing now if you haven’t already; use a good balanced fertilizer at half strength the first time. Be sure to fertilize your plants more as they start to grow, slowly increasing the frequency, as the weather becomes more favorable.
  • If you over-wintered geraniums in a cool basement, you may be seeing the beginnings of new growth. Pot them up in a fresh, porous potting mix and water. Read more…
  • Repot houseplants if needed.  Move into one pot size larger (1-2 inches in diameter more) and leave about 1 inch of space on top for watering.
  • Plants that are to go outside for the summer should be acclimated slowly.  Move them outside in stages, starting with an hour or two on a cloudy day and slowly making their exposure to the elements a little longer each time. Watch the weather; most house plants and tropicals need night temperatures above 55 degrees.