April is a wonderful time to be in your garden, and that’s true now more than ever. The garden can be a calming, peaceful place during this stressful time. Hopefully you can use some of your “stay at home” time to start seeds, plant, trim and relax.
Here are some April gardening tips to keep both you and your yard healthy and happy.
Plant Subtropicals, Summer Annuals and Perennials
This is a good time to plant subtropicals like bougainvillea, gardenia, hibiscus, avocado, citrus and Hong Kong orchid trees. Getting these plants into the ground from now into early summer will give them time to get established before winter.
It’s also time to switch to summer annuals like petunias, zinnias, Rudbeckia, coreopsis, asters, cosmos, sunflowers and marigolds. Plus the weather is still cool enough to add perennials. Try Alstroemeria, verbena, Asclepias tuberosa (the host plant of Monarch butterflies), and agastache.
Fight Powdery Mildew
Spring weather can bring ideal conditions for powdery mildew. It attacks roses, grapes, melons, squash and other susceptible plants. One way to fight it is to hose off these plants every morning with a jet of water. Fungicides can also slow mildew’s spread. If you’re still having trouble staying ahead of it, look for plants and seeds that have been bred for resistance.
Deadhead for More Flowers
To keep your roses, annuals and perennials blooming longer, remove the old flowers. If you leave them on the plant, the plant will start seed production rather than creating more flowers. After you deadhead, give the plants a light feeding to help with new growth.
A lot of information for April Gardening Tips 2020 comes from the Master Gardener Association of San Diego County. They are a great resource for all of your gardening needs including planting, pests, vegetables, and water use. They even have a free hotline where you can get your home gardening and pest control problems answered.