April Sustainable Garden Checklist

There's a rush of activity in the first week of April at the Yogardens homestead, so much so that we are having a hard time keeping up with all that has to be done!

Being a notorious To Do Lister, I have compiled the following checklist to keep me on track:

how I felt all winter

1. April 1st is a great date to get your seeds in containers for indoor growing 6-8 weeks prior to the

apple tree to be pruned

last day of frost, typically after Victoria Day weekend here in Canada,

2. The winds were harsh this year for us and tore up our garden quite a bit, so we tidied up by trimming damaged branches and twigs, raking the lawn, pruning roses and shrubs, and finally clearing back the perennials I left as winter habitat for insects and other anthropods,

amendments

3. Amend the garden soil and raised veggie beds with bone meal, compost and ash collected over the winter from the fireplace,

4. Refresh the lawns with a solid raking to aerate and remove winter moss growth, reseed bare patches as needed,

5. Feed the roses - they are starving after winter rains and snow (I will post Rose Care Tips in the next few weeks - stay tuned!)

6. Weed your garden beds now before any cool season weeds go to seed - it takes up to seven years to clear the soil of weeds after it has gone to seed once!

7. Direct sow cool-season crops such as snow peas, lettuce, spinach, arugula, carrots, beets, kale and Swiss chard,

8. Start seedings of brassicas such as cabbage, Brussel sprouts, broccoli and cauliflower now if you haven't yet to transplant later in the summer,

start seeds

9. Turn your compost pile, add extra 'greens' (Nitrogen) if very dry and not breaking down quickly, or add your 'browns' (Carbon) if a bit on the wetter side,

10. Add layer of mulch (shredded leaves, mushroom manure, Sea Soil, etc) to your garden beds as soon as you see new growth on your woody perennials - this will help keep weeds away, beds moist and feeds the soil.