The experts at Tagawa Gardens give us tips and timing for our gardening success.
Early April
- Cut back late summer-flowering plants like Russian sage, blue mist spirea, and butterfly bush to encourage lush growth. These plants bloom on this year’s growth, and this will encourage new growth.
- Remove all tree wrap around the middle to the end of March to prevent insects and disease.
- Start these seeds indoors: peppers, New Zealand spinach, collards, beets, and eggplant.
- Start these seeds outdoors: carrots, kohlrabi, peas, radishes, sage, spinach (not New Zealand), and turnips. Also from plants and roots: Chinese cabbage, parsley, spinach, broccoli, kale, cauliflower, potatoes, onion sets, and asparagus roots.
Mid-April
- Start these seeds indoors: celery, leeks, onions, lima beans, endive, and escarole.
- Start these seeds outdoors: parsnip, beet, carrot, endive, escarole, lettuce, pea, parsnip, and turnips. From plants: broccoli, brussels sprouts, cauliflower, collards, and kale.
Late April
- Outdoors: Plant spring bulbs and roots: ixia, lily of the valley, anemone, lilies, freesia, gladiolus, dahlia, canna, and peonies. Plant acclimated perennials.
- When active growth appears on roses, fertilize with a rose food according to the label.
- Prune roses back to approx. 1-2 feet above the ground or to live wood. Don’t prune climbers except to shape or remove dead canes.
- Fertilize all established plants with new growth using a 5-10-5 or similar fertilizer.
- Fertilize trees and shrubs.
- As weeds begin to actively grow, spray with weed control according to container instructions.
- Apply borer control only if you find evidence of borers and you did not apply in March.
- Spread out mulch mounds around perennials and roses.
- Remove tree wrap if you haven’t already, as it’s an excellent incubation area for insects and diseases.
Early May
- Plant these outdoors: broccoli, peas, beets, Brussels sprouts, carrots, collards, kale, radishes, spinach, tomatoes with Wall o’ Water only, sage, pansies, all potted perennials, summer flowering bulbs. Make sure to ‘harden’ (slowly acclimate) the plants before planting them in the ground.
- Prune roses back to approximately 1-2 feet above the ground or to live wood. Don’t prune climbers except to shape or remove dead canes.
Mid-May
- Start these seeds outdoors: corn, snap beans, mustard, pumpkin, summer & winter squash.
- Plant these outdoors: anything already listed in early May, plus lemon balm, New Zealand and Malabar spinach, all herbs, annual flowers, dahlia tubers, gladiola corms, and all potted perennials (hardened off).
Late May
- Plant these outdoors: anything already listed in early and mid-May, plus cucumbers, pumpkins, summer & winter squash, basil, lima beans, peppers, corn, and tomatoes.
