April Gardening Tips

If you have a sunny space, seed snap beans, pole beans, lima beans, okra, sweet corn, Southern peas, summer squashes, and melons. Set out transplants of tomatoes, cucumbers, eggplants, and peppers. Plant caladiums bulbs in partial shade to full sun. If you are placing the bulbs in very sandy soil, mix in some organic matter such as compost or peat to help retain moisture. Water several times a week to help plants get established. Feed plants every two months with a fertilizer such as Miracle-Gro Liquid All Purpose Plant Food 12-4-8. Cut back flowering shrubs as the blooms fade.

Fertilize fruit trees, nut trees and shrubs and mulch around trees and shrubs. Fertilize the lawn after new growth has started. Choose a fertilizer (not a "weed and feed") with little or no phosphorus unless a soil test indicates the need for it. A fertilizer with controlled-release nitrogen yields longer-lasting results.