LIFESTYLES’

mEtercre .

MONTHLY GARDEN CHECKLIST

Oniy April Fools plant annuals now

APRIL CAN be one of the most frustrating months of the
year. Each warm, sunny day that passes presents a new call
to our long neglected gardens. The problem is, whenever we

answer that call,
upon.

To make matters worse, every
retailer on the block is trying to
tempt us with colorful arrays of
bedding-out plants. I implore you
to resist these evil temptations
unless you have a suitable area to
start some planters and/or hanging
baskets. Only an April Fool would
consider planting annuals out at
this time of the year.

In spite of the high probability
of mucking about in foul weather,
there is much to do in the month
of April. Here is the usual
checklist:

¢ Lawn Care — The wet weather
will increase the need for dolomite
lime and fertilizers. As both the
calcium in lime and the nitrogen in
lawn food are water soluble, the
more rain we get the faster these
essentials are leached out of our
soils.

If you have a moss problem,
wait. Keep checking the long-range
forecasts. If we luck out and get an
extended spell of warm, dry
weather, start battling the moss.

First, power rake the area and
apply moss killer when you can
expect 48 hours of dry (snicker)
weather. You can now apply your
dolomite lime and lawn fertilizers.

Removing the moss may have
left you witha few bare patches. [f

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we get rained on or (shudder) snowed

so, over-seed the area with a
shade-tolerant grass seed in the
warmer weather of May/June.
Look for mixtures which contain
poa triviallis (rough stalked blue
grass).

violas are the only possible excep-
tions, and even these are risky if
they were grown in a warm
greenhouse.

This does not hold true for
perenniais and alpines; they can be
planted any time. April is one of
the best months to plant these and
supplies are usually good.

Perennials which have been
‘pre-started’ in four-inch pots are
best, but the bare-root plants

over the

garden gate

The contrel of lawn weeds
should begin this month. Try to
match your response to the prob-
lem. In other words, if you only
have a few weeds, pull them out.

If you have more than you can
pull but not a fawn full, spot apply
a liquid weed killer. If you have a
field of «weeds instead of a lawn,
rip it out and start over. Do not
use weed and feed!

© Flower Beds — Once again,
forget the annuals! Pansies and

Geoff Tobiasson

found in packages can -be suc-
cessful if planted before May.

Summer-flowering bulbs, tubers,
and corms should have been
planted by now. Dahlias,
gludiolas, and all of the major
bulbs must be in by the middle of
the month.

Be fastidious with weeding. If
you give careful attention to their
elimination now, you will be faced
with far fewer problems in the
future.

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13 - Friday, March 30.

Now is the time to condition
your soils with all of that great
compost which you made over the
winter months. If you are not the
environmentally aware citizen |
had hoped you were, you will have
to resort to composted mushroom
manure (odd concept), or com-
posted steer manure.

Be careful of fresh manures as
they can contain harmful soluble
salts and high levels of nitrogen,
both of which can burn tender
roots.

ff you have a cheap source of
fresh manure and have to take it
now, add it to the compost bin in
layers rather than applying it to the
garden now.

The addition of dolomite lime
and bonemeal will sweeten the soil
(lower the pH) and provide a good
organic source of phosphorus, the
flower and root-generating
nutrient.

A few of your favorite fiowers
could be sown directly into the
ground during this month, but you
will have greater success if you
start them indoors. Exceptions to
this would be sweat peas and
nasturtiums, which can be sown

1990 - North Shore News

any time now,

* Vegetable Beds — Follow the
same procedures with regard to
weeding and site/soil preparation.
By mid-month, you should be able
to sow most of your vegetable
crops directly into the garden.

Tender plants such as tomatoes,
peppers, squash, cucumbers, etc.
should haye been started indoors.
You should begin ‘hardening’
these off by exposing them to out-
door temperatures during the day.

® Trees and Shrubs — You may
continue planting these larger ele-
ments of the garden through most
of this month. Be careful with
plants having their roots in burlap
sacks. The warmer the weather,
the greater the risk.

Extra watering should be con-
sidered. Avoid bare-root plants all
together.

Feed your trees and shrubs now.
As mentioned previously, compost
which has been enriched with bone
meal is best.

Applications of general purpose
6-8-6 will do the trick for mast
shrubs if you have to resort to
sleight of hand rather than Mother
Nature’s magic.

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