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April days are upon us. Those long spring days spent outside in our gardens are ahead of us. The temperatures are warming up and we start to see more and more buds and blooms. Now is the time when our garden to-do lists seem never-ending…and we couldn’t be more thrilled!

There are no days in the whole round year more delicious than those which often come to us in the latter half of April... The sun trembles in his own soft rays... The grass in the meadow seems all to have grown green since yesterday... though there is warmth enough for a sense of luxury, there is coolness enough for exertion. 

~Thomas Wentworth Higginson, "April Days”

Check these April gardening tips off of your April to-do lists and check back in with us next month for more! 

If our missed March’s list, you can find it here.

Tree Care Tips 

• Remove all winter tree wraps to avoid overheating of tree bark
• Wrapping your tree with burlap or tree guard helps you reduce the chances of harsh winter weather ruining the tree’s bark - and keeps the deer from having a nibble. But, once the winter season is done it’s time to say goodbye to the tree wrap. Leaving it on for too long can be harmful to the tree’s trunk and encourage pests and disease. Removing the wrap in April is a good rule of thumb as the likelihood of seeing another frost is low. 

Fertilize Shade and Fruit Trees Tips

• Make sure to apply fertilizer to your trees to help them stay healthy. Just like humans, trees need important nutrients to grow and for their overall health. Think of the fertilizer as their daily vitamin.  Some trees may need an application again in May. We recommend using G&B Citrus & Fruit Tree Fertilizer for fruit trees and G&B All Purpose Fertilizer for established shade trees and shrubs, we have both products are available now.

Deep Soak Trees And Shrubs, Especially If The Winter And Spring Have Been Dry.

• As temperatures start to warm up in early spring, start deep soaking your trees and shrubs.  The ground will likely be dry after winter, so a routine of 1 time per week is good to start.
• Always check the weather first! You don’t need to deep soak during a week that you have significant precipitation. You can always check Conserve Water for their weekly watering guide to see up-to-date watering recommendations for your area.
• If you do need to deep soak, here is what that means:
• 1- Turn your hose on a slow trickle and place it 4-6” from the base of the plant.  
• 2- Let the hose run between 10-30 minutes (this will be determined bythe size of the root ball, 2-3 gallons per inch diameter of the trunk.). 
• Deep soaking with a hose is the best way to water your new plants, trees, and shrubs to ensure they are getting enough water for the proper establishment of the root system.

Weeding, Pruning, Fertilizing

• Prepare Your Garden
• Get your garden ready for spring by removing any winter mulch from around your perennials and roses. Rake out debris from flower and shrub beds and move shrubs, if necessary, before things start to bud.  This will prevent mold and fungus from developing and spreading.  Fresh compost can be added to flower beds if the soil has dried out enough.

Prepare for Weeds & Pests

• Thinking ahead helps you avoid disaster further down the road. In April, systemic insect controls can be applied to shrubs and perennials. Keep the weeds in check by regular weeding before they take and start to spread. Check for and control insect infestations before they become a problem. When controlling pests and weeds, consider using biological controls before other harsher chemical treatments.  We carry a large variety of products to help with weed and pest prevention, bring photos of your plants and we’ll make sure you get exactly what you need. 

Lawn Care Gardening Tips

• Lawn Preparation
• Early preparation of your lawn will help keep it green with less water use through the season. Rake your lawn to remove winter debris and then aerate. This will reduce the chance of fungus growing, and will allow for the roots to get a head start with a deeper structure that will keep your lawn healthy and strong with less water.  Always check your sprinkler system to make sure nothing has broken over the winter.  Apply pre-emergent and fertilizer at the end of March and early April unless you plan to overseed your lawn.  We recommend Fertilome Weed Free Zone plus Lawn Fertilizer.

Watering Tips 

• You actually should not need to water your lawn in March or April unless you are watering in fertilizer. If it does seem particularly dry, water it every two weeks. Again, checking the guide from ConserveWater.Utah is a great way to make sure you’re doing your part to conserve water while giving your lawn the support it needs

Further Reading: Top Three Tips for Maintaining Lawns

Happy gardening to you! heck out our seasonal gardening tips for even more information and come on over to see us with any questions or to grab the products you need to help your lawn and garden thrive

Other useful links and resources:

Gardening It's All in the Family

Creative Gardening Pairings from Monrovia

If you look online, there are all sorts of watering tips readily available, but they are not always the same. It can be tricky to determine what are the best practices are for your lawn and garden.  Not only can watering needs vary depending on where you live, but also what type of soil you have as well as what you planted. As one of the top plant nurseries in Utah, we thought we should share some general watering tips that work best for gardens and lawns in North/Central Utah. Here are three things to keep in mind: 

Be sure to check the Utah Division of Water Resources Weekly Watering Guide before turning on your sprinklers.  

Watering Tip #1: Time of Day

The best time of day to water your lawn and planting beds is before 8am or after 8pm. Temperatures will be cooler and the water has more of a chance to soak down deep into the roots without evaporating (aka wasting water). Another reason to water early/late is that after watering is complete, the plant foliage dries rapidly. This helps guard your plants from fungal diseases. 

Watering Tip #2: Four Important Holidays

Four holidays to keep in mind when it comes to watering in Northern/Central Utah are:

• Mother’s Day
• Father’s Day
• Labor Day
• Columbus Day

These holidays are easy markers for the transitional time in watering schedules.  For example, when it comes to your garden beds and lawn, Mother’s Day marks the time to start watering regularly. With clay soil, it means your garden beds should be watered every 7 days and your lawn every 5 days. Father’s Day marks the day to increase frequency, Labor Day to decrease frequency, and Columbus Day means it’s time to stop watering and start winterizing. 

Watering Tip #3: Type of Watering

The type of soil you have as well as the irrigation system you use determines the length of time you should water your garden. For example, if you have clay soil your lawn should be watered for about 45 minutes if you’re using a rotating watering method but only about 25 minutes with a fixed watering method. Similarly, your clay soil garden beds should be watered for 60 minutes with a drip watering method but only 25 minutes with spray watering. Refer to the Conservation Garden Park chart for more information. 

Though these are great things to keep in mind, there will always be different factors, such as rainy weather or overspray by the neighbors, that can influence how much/for how long your garden and yard need to be watered.

If you have more questions on watering, we are here to help.  Pop on over and chat with one of our experts any time. 

Other useful links and resources:

Watering 101: How to Water Your New Plants

How Trees Can Help With a Waterwise Landscape