April Gardening Calendar
Wondering What You Should Be Doing In Your Garden?
Gardening in the Bay Area of California in April is an exciting time, as the weather begins to warm up and the risk of frost diminishes. This month is crucial for setting the stage for a vibrant and productive garden throughout the spring and summer. Below is a calendar of key things you can be doing in your garden during the month of April.
Approximate Timing & April Gardening Activities:
Early April
- Fertilize, fertilize, fertilize! If you missed fertilizing in March, you’ll definitely want to get to it in April! Fertilize perennials, shrubs, trees, and your lawn.
- Flower Gardening: Sow or transplant summer-blooming flowers such as marigolds, zinnias, sunflowers, and cosmos. These can add color to your garden and attract pollinators. Also, consider planting native flowers to support local wildlife.
- Pruning and Cleanup: Prune spring-flowering shrubs like azaleas and camellias after they bloom. Clean up any remaining fallen leaves or debris from winter to reduce the chance of disease and pests.
- Irrigation System Check: Test your irrigation system and repair any leaks or broken sprinkler heads. Consider installing a drip irrigation system for efficient water use, especially important in the dry months ahead.
- Lawn Care: April is a good time to fertilize your lawn to promote healthy growth. If you're considering new lawn areas, you can also sow grass seeds as the temperatures are becoming more favorable for germination.
Mid-April
- Plant Summer Veggies & Herbs
- April is a great time to plant warm-season vegetables. You can start tomatoes, peppers, cucumbers, squash, and eggplants from seedlings. It's also a good time to sow seeds for beans, corn, and other heat-loving crops directly into the ground.
- Plant herbs like basil, cilantro, parsley, and dill. Most herbs prefer full sun and well-draining soil. Consider integrating them into your vegetable garden or planting them in containers.
- Lettuce and cool weather herbs like dill, cilantro, and parsley, can be planted in shade. You can utilize the shade from your tomato, and pepper plants once they are larger and plant your cool weather herbs in the same containers or beds.
- Support Wildlife: Consider adding bird feeders, bird baths, or planting native plants that provide nectar, pollen, and seeds to support local birds, bees, and butterflies.
Late April
- Happy Earth Day - April 22!
- Add mulch: Apply a layer of mulch around trees, shrubs, and beds to retain moisture, regulate soil temperature, and reduce weeds. Organic mulches like wood chips or straw are beneficial for improving soil health over time.
- Plant summer flowers like marigolds petunias alyssum and cosmos in the sun and impatiens and begonias for shady locations.
- Plant perennial plant starts for later summer bloom like Fuchsia, Rudbeckia, and Carnations.
- Pest and Weed Management: Keep an eye out for pests and diseases starting to appear with the warmer weather. To manage and prevent those pesty destructive aphids, we recommend Neem Oil or Bonide All Seasons Spray. You can also release Lady bugs at this time but don't do it and then spray. Sluggo is great to battle those annoying slugs.
- Pull weeds by hand or use mulch to suppress them before they become a problem.
- Step up watering of Houseplants as temperatures get warmer.
