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Starting more seeds and hardening off seedlings is an ongoing project that starts in March right into May. With veggies, we start early and plant seeds in succession, so we can transplant seedlings at various stages of maturity - this ensures that the crops don't all come at once. Now is a good time to start your peppers, eggplant, petunias, geraniums and other slower germinating seeds. Mid-month we'll start tomatoes, cucumbers, melons...working back from planting date by the number of weeks on the packet.
Plant. Don't wait for the 'traditional May 24 planting weekend' to plant frost-hardy trees, shrubs, evergreens, perennials (that are not 'soft' and greenhouse forced), roses and hardy annuals like pansies, violas, ranunculus, anemones and spring flowering bulbs which are in full bloom in pots at your favourite garden retailer.
By mid- April, weather permitting, we'll be direct sowing some of our more cold-tolerant crops such as beets, broccoli, salad mixes (including choy and kale), peas, potatoes, leeks and carrots. Direct sowing is our favourite way to grow many veggies as it is so straight forward, and eliminates all the costs associated with seed starting indoors or buying seedlings. You can save up to 90% off the price of store-bought transplants by direct-sowing seeds in your garden.
Time to buy trees, shrubs, evergreens and dormant roses for the garden. The selection at retailers is the best. Be careful to avoid 'soft' perennials that have been greenhouse forced to blossom early.
Top dress your beds with compost wherever you plant. Don't bother "digging it in", the worms are happy to do that work for you- pulling compost down into the soil, producing nutrient-rich worm castings.
Setup your rain barrels and garden furniture. You never know - if we have a warm snap this month, you're going to need somewhere to sit while you enjoy that sun!
Rake your lawn with a soft rake once it's dry enough to walk on. You want to get those grass blades standing up and remove any debris.
Sharpen the blade on your lawn mower and change the oil. You'll likely be too busy to do that when it's time to start mowing in May. Hopefully by now you've ditched the gas mower for electric, but if not, that's up to you.
Cut back perennials left standing over the winter, allowing this year's growth to peak out. Ornamental grasses get cut down to 3-4 inches, and hydrangeas just have their blooms cut off if you prefer sturdier stems, or all the way to the ground for big, floppy flowers. You could put this material in the compost or do like Ben and add it with the straw he is using in the vegetable garden for mulch. Eventually it will break down there while providing the benefits of mulch in the meantime.
Speaking of mulch, make sure you add a thick layer of compost or composted manure to the vegetable garden before putting down your mulch. 3-4 cm will do. Feeding your soil now is a great way to ensure a successful crop this season.
Summer flowering trees and shrubs, such as potentilla and butterfly bush, can be pruned now, but don't waste any time, if you haven't already, as they are ideally pruned in winter during dormancy.
Start your dahlia bulbs and other summer flowering bulbs inside using 1-gallon pots and a quality potting mix, which will give you a jump on their blooming season.
Apply dormant spray. Control overwintering diseases and insects on all fruit trees, roses, most shrubs and deciduous trees with an application of dormant spray. You will buy two bottles [likely in one box] one is Dormant Oil and the other is Lime Sulphur. Mix according to directions and apply when night temperatures are reliably above zero Celsius and BEFORE the blossom or leaf buds open.
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