Spring has officially sprung, and this beautiful weather says it’s time to get out in those gardens!
Check our April Gardening Tips for what to plant, prune, fertilize, and watch out for this month.
Happy Gardening!
APRIL GARDENING TIPS
This is a Great Time to Plant!
PLANT:
• Annuals & Perennials – Supertunia, begonia, impatiens, coleus, penta, alyssum, marigold, sweet potato vine, zinnia, caladium, dianthus, lantana, pincushion, salvia, blackfoot daisy, coral bells, verbena, etc.
• Edibles – Tomatoes, squash, peppers, cucumbers, beans, corn, okra, eggplant, melons, strawberries, herbs, fruit trees, pecans, grapevines and berry bushes.
• Trees, shrubs, vines, ornamental grasses, groundcovers, including St. Augustine, Bermuda & Zoysia sod.
• In all new plantings, use Covington’s Soil Builder containing compost, greensand & expanded shale (holds 38% of its weight in water) to break up clay, add nutrients, retain moisture & revitalize microbial activity.
• Also use our Covington’s Potting Soil containing peat moss, screened compost, screened pine mulch, rice hulls, a wetting agent, organic fertilizer (derived from bone & blood meal), and Vitazyme, an organic bio stimulant. With this potting soil, you’ll be able to grow the largest flowers and the biggest tomatoes in town!
PRUNE:
• Groundcovers: Asian jasmine, mondograss, and liriope to remove old growth.
• Evergreen shrubs to re-shape & remove winter damage. Spring flowering shrubs/vines when finished blooming (Indian hawthorn, azalea, forsythia, quince, viburnum, Carolina Jessamine, wisteria, etc.)
• Trees to remove dead/damaged growth, or to remove lower limbs to raise canopy. Don’t “top” trees. To prevent spread of oak wilt, prune Red Oaks or Live Oaks in late summer, or use pruning paint on cuts.
• Mow lawn regularly at recommended height (1½” for Bermuda and 2” for St. Augustine & Zoysia).
WATER:
• Container plants, flower beds, shrubs & trees as needed to keep healthy. To improve water retention, add Soil Moist & Expanded Shale (or Covington’s Soil Builder) when planting.
• Top dress landscape/flower beds with 2–3-inch layer of mulch to help retain moisture, reduce weeds, and maintain soil temperature.
• Trees installed for less than two years must have special care to ensure a strong and healthy root system. See our Plant Article on Tree Care for the First Two Years on our website or come by and pick one up.
CONVENTIONAL FERTILIZATION, WEED, DISEASE & PEST CONTROL SOLUTIONS
FERTILIZE:
• Flowers, veggies and herbs with Covington’s Premium Flower & Garden Fertilizer or use Ferti-lome Gardeners Special for your herbs and vegetables.
• Newly planted trees and shrubs every 3-4 weeks for the first year with Ferti-lome Root Stimulator.
• Trees, shrubs, groundcovers, and perennials with Covington’s Tree and Shrub Fertilizer.
• Lawn grass with Covington’s Premium Lawn Fertilizer 21-7-14 or Covington’s High Performance all nitrogen 25-0-0 fertilizer.
• Fruit & pecan trees with Ferti-lome Fruit, Citrus & Pecan Fertilizer. To strengthen foliage and increase nut production on pecans, add Hi-Yield Zinc Sulfate at bud break, and repeat 6 weeks later.
• Roses with Ferti-lome Rose Food or Ferti-lome Rose Food with Systemic Insecticide.
WEEDS & DISEASE CONTROL:
• Spot treat broadleaf weeds such as dandelion, henbit & clover in St. Augustine or Bermuda grass with Ferti-lome Weed Out.
• Spot treat nutsedge and crabgrass with Bonide Sedge Ender now for best control.
• Apply Scotts DiseaseEx Lawn Fungicide or Bonide Infuse Lawn Fungicide to St. Augustine for fungal infections including Take All Patch and Brown Patch. For added protection, spread ½ inch layer of Canadian Brown Sphagnum Peat Moss on infected area and water in.
• Use Ferti-lome Systemic Fungicide for powdery mildew, disease & fungi on hawthorne, photinias, roses, etc.
• Use Ferti-lome Fireblight Spray or Bonide Copper Fungicide on pears, pyracanthas, and photinias while in full bloom to prevent fireblight.
• Continue spray program for fruit and nut trees. Use Ferti-lome Triple Action or Bonide Fruit Tree Sprays.
INSECT & PEST CONTROL:
• Use Bonide Grub and Insect Granules beginning mid-April for grub & chinch bug control.
• Use Hi-Yield Slug & Snail Killer to control slugs and snails on flowers and foliage.
• Control aphids, spider mites, mealy bugs, thrips, and other problem insects w/Bonide Systemic Insecticide.
• For best control of scale & to kill borers in the trunks of trees, use Ferti-lome or Bonide Systemic Insect Drench which protects for months.
• For fungus gnats in houseplants, use Hi-Yield Systemic Insect Granules.
• For rabbits, use Rabbit Scram and/or Bonide Repels-All Spray.
• Use Hi-Yield Fire Ant Control to control fire ant mounds and infestations.
ORGANIC FERTILIZATION WEED, DISEASE & PEST CONTROL SOLUTIONS
FERTILIZE:
• Newly planted trees and shrubs with Garrett Juice Plus to help prevent transplant shock, increase beneficial microorganisms, and encourage root development.
• Flowers and perennials with Happy Frog Acid Loving Fertilizer.
• Vegetable gardens with Happy Frog Tomato & Vegetable fertilizer.
• Use Good Natured Texas 2-Step Fertilizer on shrubs/trees, Bermuda, St. Augustine, ryegrass & fescue.
• Use Corn Gluten Meal 9-0-0 to feed turf and prevent weeds. Also spread Dry Molasses to enhance weed control and encourage healthy soil.
• Apply Garrett Juice Plus once a month to your landscape to increase beneficial micro-organisms in the soil and to reduce the need for water.
• Add Texas Greensand for deep greening in lawns, trees and landscape plants.
WEEDS & DISEASE CONTROL:
• Spot treat grassy and broadleaf weeds with 20% Vinegar. Add 2 oz. of Orange Oil per gallon of vinegar to enhance the kill on weeds and grasses.
• Apply Horticultural Corn Meal on landscape plants, vegetables, and turf grass for disease control.
INSECT & PEST CONTROL:
• Apply live insects such as ladybugs and praying mantis.
• Repel mosquitoes with Cedar Warrior Granules or spray Bonide Mosquito Beater. Use Mosquito Bits with BTI to kill mosquito larvae in standing water & to control fungus gnats in flower beds and containers.
• Use Ferti-lome Come and Get It Spinosad Bait for extra protection from fire ants or use 3-4 ounces of Orange Oil per gallon of water as a drench on ant mounds.
• Spray Orange Oil in areas infested with pillbugs, sow bugs and spiders.
• Control slugs & snails with Bonide Slug Magic or Sluggo Plus w/Spinosad.
• Use Diatomaceous Earth for crawling insects.
• For bugs & fungus use Ferti-lome Triple Action Plus containing Neem Oil. Also, it is safe to use after petal fall for insect problems on fruit trees.
• Use Bonide All Season Oil for scale on fruit trees, hollies & crape myrtles.
• Use Natural Guard BT at dusk or use Spinosad for worms on cole crops, lettuce, chard & cabbage.
• Use eco-friendly Armadillo Repellant in a convenient hose end sprayer to get rid of armadillos.
• Use Rabbit Scram and/or Bonide Repels-All Spray to deter pesky flower-munching rabbits.
Happy Gardening!