Garden Patch: APRIL

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April is the month that Zone 7 has its average last frost. After the last frost date, it is generally considered safe to plant tender seedlings outdoors. Last frost dates are estimates, so while you can anticipate the last frost, your best bet is to rely on the weather forecast or local recommendations! It’s widely known that, though the average last frost date is towards the end of April, you should wait until after Mother’s Day to plant!

• Scatter annual flower seeds in flower borders. The fine seeds need no covering. The plants grow rapidly and provide colorful blooms in early summer.
• You can sow seeds outdoors directly into the garden for beets, carrots, Swiss chard, kohlrabi, late cabbage, leaf lettuce, mustard greens, collards, turnips, radish, spinach, bunching onions, and peas.
• Plant new trees and shrubs by the end of the month.
• Continue to stay on top of and pot up your tomato seedlings. 
• Resist planting out warm season summer veggies! The chance of a late frost is still high, and warm days can be deceiving.
• You can still start seeds indoors of okra, squash, cucumber, melons, and watermelons. Sow vining crops in individual peat pots since these do not transplant well if the roots are disturbed.
• Plan new landscaping projects on paper first. Do not overplant. Be sure you know the mature size of each plant and allow for growth.
• Cover Brassica crops with floating row cover to protect from cabbage moth and flea beetle damage if these little critters have been a problem in the past. They tend to come out a touch early.
• Keep “hilling up” potatoes.

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All credit and special thanks to Angie Lavezzo at Sowtrueseed.com 

Check out the full guide by using the link below.