April 2025 Tips

Dear Gardening Friends,   Spring has been trying to come but it’s been a slow, cold and windy slog! As I write this (Thurs 3/27) The snow has finally melted but yesterday it was snowy although it didn’t stick for long. Who knows what April will bring?! There are things to be done in the garden, but patience is still required.   It’s best for nature not to remove too much leaf litter and plant stems left up over the winter as they are both good habitat for beneficial insects. So, when do you clean up? The best advice is to wait for a week of consistently above 50 temps. This gives the insects and larva a chance to come out. It’s OK to leave leaves in the garden as long as they aren’t smothering the crowns of plants/bulbs and prohibiting their growth. Thanks to the cool March there is still plenty of time to prune thanks to the slowdown of budding. Remember not to prune any spring blooming shrubs until after they bloom. If you need advice on pruning, call for a consultation. We can work through it together and you will learn proper pruning techniques for the future. You can also look up pruning advice on specific trees and shrubs at any “.edu” or botanical Garden site. Don’t go to chat rooms to get advice, it may not be accurate. If your tree/shrub has broken or damaged branches those should be pruned back to a main branch or stem. Don’t leave stubs is one of the basic rules of pruning.  Many damaged shrubs can just be cut back, and they will regrow. My Oak Leaf Hydrangea is so badly damaged from rabbits I’m going to cut the whole thing back about 8 inches from the ground and hope for the best. Before starting any pruning or gardening chores clean and sharpen your tools. It makes a HUGE difference. Even your shovels will dig better after cleaning and sharpening. You can use a regular knife/pruner sharpening blade for shovels. Give it a try, you’ll be amazed. Be mindful not to walk on the soft wet ground. If you leave a footprint, stay off. Whatever it is can wait till the soil dries out a little. As I write this there has been very little rain and the soil is firm. Rake or sweep up the road grit from the driveway and road edges. You can also rinse the area down with a hose to dilute the salt and road chemicals. There seems to be a lot of black knot fungus on flowering cherry and plum trees. It can affect ornamental and fruit bearing trees. The affected sections look like swollen black knots on the branches and should be pruned out 8 inches away from the “knot”. This is a highly contagious fungal disease so don’t ignore it. Disinfect your tools after working on an infected tree. For information go to:      http://plantclinic.cornell.edu/factsheets/blackknot.pdf Ornamental grasses should be cut back before the new growth starts so now is a good time. Wear long sleeves as they have “razor” edges which is why deer don’t eat them. Don’t be in a rush to divide or move perennials. The soil should be above 50 degrees and form a loose clump in your hand before you start any moving or dividing. Again, patience pays off in the end. It’s doubtful we will be able to do anything other than clean up for the next few weeks. A lot will depend on how much rain we get and how wet the soil is. If you’re dying to do some gardening, work on your houseplants. This is a good time to repot, trim and give them a good washing/dusting. If there is a whitish/yellow crusty surface on the top of the soil, it’s a good clue to repot and replenish with fresh soil. The buildup is a concentration of salts which is not good for the plant. This can also occur on the outside of the pot. If so, it can be scrubbed off with a wire scrubber or brush. Check your houseplants for any insect or disease problems. Identify what the problem is before trying to treat it. An easy way to ID the problem is to GOOGLE possible problems on that specific plant. Select a “.edu” site to do the research. That way you’re getting scientific results.     Garden Consult:   It’s not too early to start planning changes and improvements for your garden. Just contact me for an appointment to get a head start on the season.   I’m also available for a pruning consult. You can learn proper pruning techniques so you can do it yourself in the future. A garden or pruning consult will save you time and money in the long run.   Lessons from Nature and Amanda’s Garden Perennial Plant Sale will be Saturday, May 17th 9:00- 2:00. Put it on your calendar so you won’t miss it. More details will be in the May Garden Tips along with a list of available plants. Carrie Kling will also be here with unusual dahlia tubers for sale. Happy gardening! Lyn Chimera Lessons from Nature 170 Pine St. E. Aurora, NY 14052 [email protected] 716- 652-2432   Copyright © 2025 Lessons from Nature, All rights reserved. You're receiving this message because you requested to receive Lessons from Nature newsletters. 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