April Ramblings
The plum trees in full bloom. The scent is amazing and the pollinators are so very happy.
Here we are in the lovely spring month of April, looking forward to all the sunshine and warmth, sitting out front with a yummy bevie while watching the trees leaf out and gardens bloom.
April weather can be somewhat unpredictable ... sometimes lovely, sometimes not... a month with a split personality.
These past few mornings have been lovely, a little bit nippy but no frost on the lawn.
As always in April though, the tulips, daffodils and other spring bulbs are popping up everywhere, showing off their brights Easter hues.
Magnolia's, forsythia's, camellia's and other spring flowering trees are covered head to toe in glorious blooms.
Peonies, lupines and other perennials are poking their heads through the soil.
Spring, glorious spring!
For those of you who feel like you are so far behind this year, relax! You truly aren't behind at all. Our last average frost date in Nanaimo and area is April 28th, so we are actually completely normal, and right on track.
Please do not get tricked into buying tomato, pepper, cuke, squash or corn seedlings at this time of year should you see them at the grocery stores or garden centres. They need warm soil and warm night time temps of 10C to thrive. Planting too early actually causes them to go dormant and sets you back by 6 weeks! Buy them in May to plant out when nights are reliably +10°C.
Plus, leave those 6 packs of warm weather annuals, like geraniums and marigolds, on the shelves for a few more weeks, at least! Brrr! If you need to wear a jacket of any kind, it is too cold for those warm weather annuals! Night time temps have been pretty cool!
So, what then can you be planting, growing and doing in your gardens this month? Read on, my friends, read on..
To Do ...
Plant out pops of colour to brighten your stoop, your mood, and your yard... Pansies, violas, and forced bulbs of all sorts offer long lasting colour in spring.
You can still be amending, if needed, in your garden beds... adding organic matter of all kinds so that your beds are ready to go when you are.
Fighting the slugs! Use a pet-safe slug bait that is iron-phosphate based... sprinkle in your gardens, do not place in clumps. Or use copper tape around the plants or the garden bed tops to fight slugs, too. Very effective, though expensive.
Vegetables to sow or plant now ...
- Peas! (seeds or starters!) Succession sow every two weeks!
- Artichokes! (starters)
- Asparagus, roots and seeds (roots give you crops in 2 years, seeds in 5 years or more)
- Shallots and spring garlic
- Cabbage (seeds or starters)
- Radishes
- Kale (seeds or starters)
- Broccoli, cauliflower (seeds or starter plants)
- Chinese greens such as pak choi (seeds or starters)
- Swiss chard (seeds or starters)
- Celery (starter)
- Carrots, beets, lettuce (seeds)
- Onion seedlings or sets
- Some herbs ... parsley, chervil, lavender, dill and cilantro.
Seed potatoes - Plant anytime from early April till mid-June. You have a huge window of opportunity for the potatoes! Succession crop for early spuds, summer spuds, and storage spuds.
Seeds to start indoors right now...
- Tomatoes! It is not too late but start them now.
- Sweet Peppers
- Marigolds
Annuals to plant directly into the garden .. from seed or hardened off seedlings in April
- Sweet Peas! (seeds or starters!)
- Snapdragons (starters)
- Dianthus (starters or seeds)
- Nasturtium (starters or seeds)
- Calendula (starters or seeds)
- Violas and pansies (starters)
- Sweet alyssum (seeds or starters)
- Poppies (seeds)
- Zinnias (seed, mid to late April)
- Sunflowers (seed, they like warm soil wo wait till the end of the month)
These past few mornings have been lovely, a little bit nippy but no frost on the lawn.
As always in April though, the tulips, daffodils and other spring bulbs are popping up everywhere, showing off their brights Easter hues.
Magnolia's, forsythia's, camellia's and other spring flowering trees are covered head to toe in glorious blooms.
Peonies, lupines and other perennials are poking their heads through the soil.
Spring, glorious spring!
For those of you who feel like you are so far behind this year, relax! You truly aren't behind at all. Our last average frost date in Nanaimo and area is April 28th, so we are actually completely normal, and right on track.
Tomato seedlings ...buy them in May! Not April!
Please do not get tricked into buying tomato, pepper, cuke, squash or corn seedlings at this time of year should you see them at the grocery stores or garden centres. They need warm soil and warm night time temps of 10C to thrive. Planting too early actually causes them to go dormant and sets you back by 6 weeks! Buy them in May to plant out when nights are reliably +10°C.
Plus, leave those 6 packs of warm weather annuals, like geraniums and marigolds, on the shelves for a few more weeks, at least! Brrr! If you need to wear a jacket of any kind, it is too cold for those warm weather annuals! Night time temps have been pretty cool!
At the Nitty Gritty Greenhouse and Potager.
So, what then can you be planting, growing and doing in your gardens this month? Read on, my friends, read on..
To Do ...
Plant out pops of colour to brighten your stoop, your mood, and your yard... Pansies, violas, and forced bulbs of all sorts offer long lasting colour in spring.
You can still be amending, if needed, in your garden beds... adding organic matter of all kinds so that your beds are ready to go when you are.
Fighting the slugs! Use a pet-safe slug bait that is iron-phosphate based... sprinkle in your gardens, do not place in clumps. Or use copper tape around the plants or the garden bed tops to fight slugs, too. Very effective, though expensive.
Plant artichokes now
With food prices soaring, supply issues, gas prices, and all the uncertainty in the world right now, there is no better time to start growing that you can fill your pantry with.
New to growing food? In addition to growing all those great veggies for fresh eating this summer, try something new and play around a little bit with crops that you can grow this summer to eat later...
Crops that you can leave in garden all winter (carrots, parsnips, garlic, brussels sprouts).
Foods that you can freeze (pretty much everything)
Plus those that you can process like yummy, organic, pasta sauce.
Potatoes and beets that can be stored in a simple cardboard box in the garage or basement.
Drying beans for a great homegrown protein source.
- Peas! (seeds or starters!) Succession sow every two weeks!
- Artichokes! (starters)
- Asparagus, roots and seeds (roots give you crops in 2 years, seeds in 5 years or more)
- Shallots and spring garlic
- Cabbage (seeds or starters)
- Radishes
- Kale (seeds or starters)
- Broccoli, cauliflower (seeds or starter plants)
- Chinese greens such as pak choi (seeds or starters)
- Swiss chard (seeds or starters)
- Celery (starter)
- Carrots, beets, lettuce (seeds)
- Onion seedlings or sets
- Some herbs ... parsley, chervil, lavender, dill and cilantro.
Seed potatoes - Plant anytime from early April till mid-June. You have a huge window of opportunity for the potatoes! Succession crop for early spuds, summer spuds, and storage spuds.
Still time to start your tomatoes from seed.. before mid-month.
Seeds to start indoors right now...
- Tomatoes! It is not too late but start them now.
- Sweet Peppers
- Marigolds
Direct seed Zinnia seeds in the garden at the end of the month for the best results...
Annuals to plant directly into the garden .. from seed or hardened off seedlings in April
- Sweet Peas! (seeds or starters!)
- Snapdragons (starters)
- Dianthus (starters or seeds)
- Nasturtium (starters or seeds)
- Calendula (starters or seeds)
- Violas and pansies (starters)
- Sweet alyssum (seeds or starters)
- Poppies (seeds)
- Zinnias (seed, mid to late April)
- Sunflowers (seed, they like warm soil wo wait till the end of the month)
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