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This Month in Your Garden
APRIL |
Roses |
 April is rose month! My garden is full of thick
buds, ready to burst, and soon I won’t be able to
pick them fast enough. This is when I tell my
neighbors to help themselves! The bushes all look
so healthy, but you must look carefully now to prevent
any small problems from becoming big ones.
First of all, look closely at the new buds for
aphids clustered on them. If you see them, blast
them with the hose every morning and they will
leave.
Check to see if your leaves have any yellow on
them for early stages of Black Spot. That will
start on the lower leaves, because more than likely
it has been waiting in the soil. If so, use a fungicide
to quell the dreaded fungus. I had the most
success with copper-based fungicide last year.
Also, I have already seen the sawfly larvae
(the one that skeletonizes the leaves). Use a horticultural
oil to smother them where they live-on the
undersides of the leaves. Doing these things early
will prevent further problems later in the season.
You may notice some Powdery Mildew on
new growth, especially if you live near the coast.
This usually improves once the weather is drier,
but you can spray for it if it is causing distortion of
the new growth.
This is the time to start fertilizing, once you
have at least four inches of new growth and the
young reddish leaves are turning green. If you use
chemical fertilizer, then use it half strength for the
first time, then next month you can go to full
strength. Fish emulsion is a great jump starter for
the roses too, and any of the wonderful organics
you wish to add to improve your soil, such as alfalfa,
or cottonseed meal, and half a cup of Epsom
salts per established rose bush (only 2 tablespoons
for new roses).
The attention you give your roses this month
will make a difference all year! |
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Perennials and Shrubs |
 There is plenty to do in April,
so let’s hope the weather cooperates with plenty of
warm, sunny days to inspire us to roll up our sleeves
and get busy!
Most plants that are responding to the warmer
weather and longer days are showing signs of new
growth that looks like a smorgasbord to all kinds of
insects like aphids, whitefly and caterpillars of all
sorts. A good strong blast with the hose or hand
picking will contain most invasions if caught early.
Releasing predator insects that can be found at nurseries
are another good solution. The best defense is
making sure your plants are healthy enough to withstand
a little damage without being overcome by a
few insects. This is accomplished through good,
healthy soil, correct placement of plants for their
needs, and of course, choosing the right plants for
your environment.
Keep your clippers in your pocket as you work
in your garden and use them to clip new growth on
shrubs that want to send out sprawling limbs. Pruning
a little now and then is much better than waiting
until the bush has lost its line and requires a major
reshaping.
It is likely that your garden soil has lost most of
its nutrients over the last year and it is time to replenish
them. The use of balanced, organic fertilizers
that do not destroy the micro activity in the soil
and provide sources of nourishment for plants as
they need them throughout the growing season is
one good option. Another option is a layer of compost
mulch used on top of the roots of shrubs and
perennials, keeping it replaced as needed throughout
the growing season.
An extra source of some minerals may be
needed by some plants at this time of year. Watch
for yellow leaves with green veins which is the sign
of a lack of iron in shrubs like hibiscus and gardenias.
Treat with a fertilizer that contains chelated
iron.
There are some perennials that will give you all
leaves and almost no flowers if they are given too
much nitrogen when fertilized. One of those is the
Bearded Iris. If you are not getting blooms, but
plenty of tall green leaves, and the rhizome is close
to the surface of the soil, in the sun, try giving them some bone meal scratched in around the roots.
Watch for gall mite on your fuchsias. It looks
like the new leaves on the tips are all tight and
crumpled up. Catch it early and cut it off, throw it
in the garbage and sterilize your clippers! Keep on
top of it and you will keep your plants healthy and
beautiful all season.
If you still aren’t busy enough, there is still
plenty of time left this month to plant almost any
perennial or shrub, including the tropical group,
starting about mid-month! |
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Fruits, Herbs and Vegetables |
 April marks the second
month of prime planting season for Orange
County. If you began planting seeds last month,
you will see an earlier harvest. If you didn’t get
around to it, you still have plenty of time. Vegetables
to start planting include: beans (bush and
pole), beets, carrots, corn, cucumbers, endive, jicama,
lettuce, pumpkin, radish and squash
(summer and winter). You can also begin heat-loving
edibles such as cantaloupe, eggplant, lima
beans, okra, peppers and watermelon.
When planning for your summer harvest keep
in mind how much you need for your family and
friends. Keep your personal tastes in mind - don’t
plant edibles that you are not interested in eating.
Grow what you love. Think about diversity for
your garden; try new hybrid varieties or heirlooms.
And don’t go overboard when planting old favorites.
Although you may love tomatoes now - if you
plant too many, you may be sick at the sight of
them by summer’s end. Stagger your plantings
throughout several weeks or months for optimal
enjoyment. If you plant all your seeds at once, you
may end up harvesting them all at the same time as
well.
For those with large rows of edibles, be vigilant
about thinning them out. Give your vegetables
room to grow and in some cases, especially lettuce,
transplant these pieces to other areas of the garden.
Also, be proactive about pest problems. If you
start to see evidence of aphids or slugs, you can
treat these problems early and not affect the majority
of your harvest. |
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Water Gardening |
 Basic Aquatic Plant Types
Look beyond waterlilies and
lotuses…
Besides the obvious waterlily and lotus choices
that beginning water gardeners might be instinctively
drawn to, there are a wealth of other plant
types to choose from. Floaters and bottom dwellers,
as well as an endless variety of plants that
grow in the shadows, provide something for everyone.
The only rule is … No rules. Try anything you
like. Many people are surprised to find their favorite
terrestrial garden plants grow just as well partially
submerged in a shallow garden pond. Explore
the possibilities. They are endless.
Underwater Plants
Underwater plants live out of sight and don’t
contribute a great deal to aesthetics, but they do
offer a variety of other benefits. They filter toxins
from the water, such as fish waste and salts, that
contribute to algae growth. These plants also provide
supplementary food for pond fish who nibble
on their tender roots and foliage, keeping the plants
pruned. And they add oxygen to the water during
daylight hours. However, since these plants feed
off that same oxygen at night, they are not recommended
as a substitute for mechanical aeration. If
your pond contains fish, you will need to supply
supplemental oxygen 24 hours a day.
Free-floating plants, whose roots hang suspended
in the water, also add elements of beauty
and function to a garden or patio pond. Water hyacinth,
fairy moss, water lettuce and common duckweed
are some of the most commonly used plants,
which filter toxins from the water and add oxygen
to a pond’s chemistry, much like submerged plants.
These plants require still areas of water to grow
and multiply and can often take over the entire
pond surface. They can be easily skimmed off the
surface and kept thinned out.
Thinned plants need to be disposed of properly
to prevent damage to the local environment. Seal
them tightly in a plastic bag with no water inside
and place them in a trash bin where they will be
transported to a local landfill.
Marginal Plants
Marginal plants fall into the general category
of plants that can be planted in the shallows of a
garden pond, partially submerged in water. Grasses, reeds, rushes and a variety of other bulbous
plants like irises and calla lilies fall into this
versatile category. Mixing vertical, spiky marginals
like sweet flag and iris with low growing, softer
plants like moneywort and varieties of arum creates
a natural border that enhances the garden pond
environment.
Combinations are endless and offer room for
experimentation. Have a garden favorite? Try it as
a marginal. Some of these plants grow as well in
ponds as they do in dry flowerbeds. This adaptable
group ranges from a few inches tall to over 8 feet.
Many, like the common canna, are so varied and
vibrant in their coloration that they compete for
attention with even the most breath taking waterlilies
and lotuses.
Bog Plants
Bog plants like wet feet and are often planted
around the damp periphery of garden ponds. They
require either very shallow standing water or very
wet conditions. Bog gardens are often created with
leftover flexible liner or shallow earthen trenches
made to collect rain water or overflowing pond
water.
A wide variety of plants grow well in bog conditions,
including commonly available bulbous
perennials, milkweed, lobelia, primrose, mallow,
spirea and most varieties of ferns. Many marginal
plants do well in these areas, as well.
These plants are often added to a garden or
patio pond to attract wildlife. Butterflies, moths,
frogs and turtles are often drawn to marshy areas
when inviting plants are present. You may even
want to create just a bog garden filled with only
these plants. The wealth of wildlife they attract
brings the beauty of mother nature right into the
backyard, and what could be better than that? |
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