April Garden in
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Soil Test
Test your soil!
- Soil test kits are available at several locations in Mecklenburg County, including the extension services office at 1418 Armory Drive.
- Learn more about homeowner soil tests here.
- The NCSU guide to understanding soil test results for home lawns and gardens.
- Your soil test results are emailed to you when complete.
- Soil tests are no charge from April through November. And only $4 during December-March.
Perennials, Bulbs and Vegetables
- Prune back ornamental plants such as holly, nandina and pyracantha.
- Plant carrots, celery, collards, lettuce, parsley, radishes and turnips now.
- Set out warm season vegetables, such as corn, cucumbers, squash and tomatoes, after threat of frost is past (around mid-April in the Southern Piedmont).
- Place a little lime in tomato planting holes to prevent blossom end rot.
- Also, use a cutworm barrier, such as aluminum foil or paper cups with bottoms cut out (small tomato paste cans work great).
- Apply bone meal or super phosphate to spring-flowering bulbs.
- Top dress summer flowering bulbs with a complete fertilizer.
- Plant seeds or seedlings of annual vines such as morning glory, moonflower and passion flower after the danger of frost is past.
Lawn & Landscaping
- Mow cool-season lawns (Tall Fescue) at least weekly, to a height of 3 inches.
- Check your lawn for white grubs by using a spade to turn back a square foot of sod 2 or 3 inches deep.
- Dislodge the soil from the overturned roots and count the number of grubs. If you see more than 5 in this square foot area, treatment is necessary.
Trees, Shrubs & Groundcovers
- Prune
- Early flowering trees and shrubs as soon as blooms have faded.
- Deciduous vines, like wisteria and Lady Banks roses, after they finish flowering.
- Early flowering trees and shrubs as soon as blooms have faded.
- Keep roses well mulched, but keep mulch away from crown and lower stems.
- Fertilize
- Fruit trees during fruit set
- All spring flowering shrubs and vines after they bloom.
- Lightly fertilize blueberries a second time when they bloom.
- Fruit trees during fruit set
- Watch new tree growth for signs of fireblight, especially fruit trees.
- Remove any affected twigs and, if bark below the dead leaves is shriveled, cut several inches below the damaged area.
- Be sure to sterilize your shears afterward!
- Remove any affected twigs and, if bark below the dead leaves is shriveled, cut several inches below the damaged area.
- Watch for insect damage on new tender growth.
- Also, inspect established evergreens for signs of scale, boxwoods and hollies for leaf miner damage, azaleas and pyracanthas for signs of lace bugs.
Indoor Gardening
- Repot houseplants and put them outside on warmer days.
Always more to do!
- Honeybees are swarming, leaving their hives and seeking new hives. New swarms are not aggressive and should be left alone. Swarms that haven’t found a home will be collected March – June by local beekeepers.
