Spring has sprung and the garden is the place to be right now!
In the Garden
- If you didn’t do it last month, get your garden beds ready for spring planting.
- Amend soil for planting with Lobster Compost. It adds nutrients, improves drainage and breaks up clay, making it easier to establish new plants.
- Use Preen to prevent weeds in your garden beds, so you aren’t spending your summer hand-pulling them out later. (If you’re planning to start seeds in your garden beds, wait to apply until seedlings are at least 2-3” tall).
- Warm-season veggies are arriving this month, so make sure your raised beds are ready.
- Refresh existing soil with Lobster Compost to replenish nutrients that were used up last year.
- For new beds, fill with Coast of Maine Raised Bed Soil, a pre-made soil for raised bed gardening that eliminates the need to make your own. It’s organic and can also be used in containers.
- If you’d prefer to make your own soil, we recommend a ratio of 40% topsoil, 40% compost, and the remaining 20% a mixture of vermiculite, peat moss, and organic matter such as manure and earthworm castings.
- Once the frost date has passed, it’s safe to start planting warm-season annuals, veggies, and herbs!
- When picking up your veggie starts, get any supports you’ll need for them. Installing trellises and cages at planting is much easier than trying to get them set up around larger plants.
- Don’t forget the fertilizer!
- GardenTone is a great all-purpose herb and veggie fertilizer and TomatoTone is perfect for all tomato plants.
- Feed annuals with Dynamite for up to 9 months of fertilization with one application.
- If you started warm-season plants inside, harden them off before transplanting them in your garden after the frost date. Put them outside during the day and then bring them back inside at night for around the week to acclimate to their new environment.
- Most seedlings are ready for transplant once the frost date has passed, and they’ve reached a specific size. Check your seed packet for more information on each seed variety you’ve started.
- You can start warm-season seeds directly in the garden once the danger of frost has passed.
- Plant summer blooming bulbs, like gladiolus and dahlias, in your garden or containers once the frost date has passed.
- Fertilize at planting with BulbTone.
For the Landscape
- Even more trees, shrubs, and perennials have arrived and will continue to arrive all month. And with temperatures getting warmer every day (we hope), it’s a great time to be planting outside.
- Use Lobster Compost, to amend soil, and Root Stimulant¸ to help roots acclimate and help prevent transplant shock when planting.
- If you have issues with Voles, protect new plants by using mesh Vole Bags to keep the roots safe.
- Spring-blooming trees and shrubs will be finishing their bloom cycle by the end of April or the beginning of May. Once they’re done blooming, you can prune them as needed.
- Continue keeping an eye out for pests, they’re becoming more and more active as the days get warmer.
- Neem Oil is an organic triple action control (insects, fungus & mites) that is safe to use on edibles as well as ornamentals.
- Bee Safe is a triple action that is safer for bees. While it is safer, it’s still a good idea to spray when bees are not actively visiting the plant in question.
- Rose Shield is also a triple action that’s a bit stronger than Neem Oil, however it is not recommended for use on edibles.
- Rose RX is a systemic insect control that provides up to 6 weeks of protection. It’s an excellent choice if you have a plant that gets the same pest/disease problem each year around the same time.
- Eight Insect Control is a strong insecticide that can kill over 140 types of insects.
- Ladybugs and/or Praying Mantis will be available once temperatures are warm enough to ship and release them. These “good bugs” feed on pest insects like aphids and are the ultimate “organic” pest control.
- Fungal problems can also start cropping up in April, especially if we’ve been rainy. Caught early, fungal problems are easy to resolve and rarely impact the overall health of a plant.
- Copper Fungicide is an organic fungal control that treats multiple fungal problems including Powdery Mildew and Leaf Spot. It is safe for use on edibles.
- As they are all triple actions, Neem Oil, Bee Safe, and Rose Shield, are excellent choices for many fungal problems as well as insect control.
- Fertilize your plants! New plantings can be fertilized as they’re planted, and older plants can be fed once they start putting out new growth.
- Use HollyTone for acid-loving plants.
- Apply RoseTone to roses to get them ready for their upcoming bloom
- Perennials and blooming shrubs can be fed with FlowerTone.
- Fertilome Tree & Shrub can be used for all trees and shrubs.
- With plants leafing out and bursting into bloom everywhere, it’s easy to get concerned when one of your plants doesn’t seem to be coming out of dormancy. Don’t write it off as dead just yet. Sometimes a plant just takes a little longer to wake up, especially if spring is a little colder than normal. We recommend waiting until May before making any decisions about removing/replacing plants.
- Summer perennials will be starting to emerge. If needed, large perennials can be divided once new growth starts to emerge.
- Mulch around your plants. Mulch helps retain moisture which will be helpful come summer. It also insulates root systems, protecting plants from freezes during winter.
In the Lawn
- As warm-season grass breaks dormancy, make sure to give it a boost with Jonathan Green VeriGreen
- Continue your war on weeds by applying Bonide Weed Beater Ultra or Jonathan Green Lawn Weed Control according to the instructions on the bag. Warm-season weeds will be becoming more and more active as the temperatures continue to rise and they’re easier to control when they’re young.
- Apply Eight Insect Granular Control now to kill grubs before they emerge as fully-fledged Japanese Beetles in May. It’s works on other lawn-based pests like ticks and fleas.
- If needed, there is a window of time to overseed cool-season lawns. Mid-April to Mid-May, depending on the weather and temperatures, is the best time to overseed in spring if you can’t wait until fall.
- With summer on its way, it’s not recommended to seed a new cool-season lawn at this time. You run the risk of high summer temperatures cooking new grass before it has a chance to develop deep enough roots. Fall is the best time to seed a cool-season lawn.
- It’s still a little too early to seed or sod a warm-season lawn, but it’s the perfect time to find out where you can get what you need when the time is right.
- While Ken Matthews Garden Center does not carry warm-season grass seed, we do order Zoysia sod once the temperatures are warm enough and we have enough requests. Click here to learn more about sod and how to get on the list.
For Your Pond
- Use Simply Clear to jumpstart your pond with beneficial bacteria to clarify water and break down sludge.
- Once water temperatures are consistently above 40°, you can feed your fish Spring & Fall Fish Food. Avoid giving your fish regular (or summer fish food) until water temperatures are above 50°.
- If temperatures are warm enough, pond plants will be arriving towards the end of the month. Take the time now to figure out what types of plants you want to add, so once they’re in stock you know exactly what to pick up!
Miscellaneous
- Fill hummingbird feeders and set them out. Male hummingbirds will start showing up around mid-April, so make sure you’re ready to entice them to your yard.
- As we move further into spring, light intensity is starting to change. Keep an eye on your houseplants, some may need to be moved away from windows if they start getting too much direct sunlight.