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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. Plant trees, shrubs, evergreens, and roses (later in the month). Fact is, if the plant is winter hardy and has not just come out of a greenhouse, where it became soft and frost sensitive, all dormant plant material will survive and thrive in April planting, even if there is frost in your area.
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.
Worm castings. Our secret to starting the best seeds. We add one tenth worm castings to seed starting mix. We use 10 scoops of ProMix to one scoop of worm castings. Worm castings convert the raw, organic material in the soil into a rich material that is loaded with microbes, beneficial bacteria and mycorrhiza, all of which assist in the growing process of all plants, especially in their early stages of growth.
Cut back roses and remove winterizing.
Start seeds indoors. Virtually all transplants that you wish to plant out come mid to late May should be started this month. Start now: 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.
When frost is out of the ground, sow your first crop of peas, carrots, onions, lettuce, radishes and mesclun mix directly in the soil. These are somewhat frost hardy and can take the light frost of late April and early May.
Lawn. Rake gently to raise grass blades and open the root zone to oxygen. Feed with a fertilizer that contains slow-release nitrogen or use corn gluten for a natural alternative to chemical fertilizers. Thin patches are best thickened with 2 to 4 cm of lawn soil or triple mix spread over the area, grass seed broadcast over the area by hand, rake smooth [gently] and step in the works to bring soil/seed together. Water until germination occurs.
Prune apple trees now [not when the buds are swelling].
Don't work the soil over or even walk on it until it has dried to the extent that you do not leave the impression of your boot when you walk on it. Once the soil has dried, apply a layer of 2 to 4 centimeters of triple mix or 70% compost/30% sharp sand to your entire garden. Do not turn it under: let the earthworms do this for you.
Remove the spent soil from last year's containers: spread this on the garden. It is good stuff, just not good enough to use again in your containers.
Hang out your hummingbird feeders late this month.
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