April

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May

Lawns:

Now is the time to plant Bermuda, centipede, St. Augustine and zoysia grasses in areas of the Carolina where these grasses thrive. Established warm-season lawns can be fertilized in early May.

Annuals:
Keep early-planted salvia, marigolds, snapdragons, celosia, petunias and zinnias flowering all season long, pinch off flowers right after they begin to fade. Pinching these plants back will also encourage side-branching, thus more blooms.

Prepare plants now for dry weather. Use a thin layer of mulch 2-4 inched of pine straw, wood chips, or shredded leaves to conserve water in the soil for use by the plant.

Perennials & Bulbs:
Add spring-like color to the summer and fall gardens by planting such tender warm-season bulbs as gladiolus, caladiums, cannas and dahlias.

Fast-climbing clematis should be pruned and trained to prevent it from becoming an unmanageable mess.

Don't be in a hurry to pull out plants damaged by last winter's cold. Wait another month. Even if the top appears dead, you may see signs of life returning from the soil surface. Even when killed to the ground, plants with established root systems grow quickly and often overtake newly planted ones.

Prune wisteria now and throughout the summer to control six and shape and for a few blooms throughout the season.

Trees & Shrubs:

Azaleas, climbing roses, camelias, and rhododendrons can be pruned after they have finished blooming.

Azalea leaf gall shows up now. It is not too destructive-just pick off the leaves and burn them to prevent spread of the leaf gall.

Fertilize crape myrtles with one cup of 8-8-8per plant to get abundant summer bloom throughout the summer months.

Roses

Cutting a rose - The removal of too much wood and foliage can seriously weaken your roses, especially during the first year. Leave 2-3 well-developed leaves between the cut and the main stem.

Vegetables & Herbs

Heat loving vegetables such as corn, cucumbers, okra, squash, peppers, snap beans, eggplant and watermelon can all be safely planted.

A five inch mulch around tomatoes and peppers now will help prevent blossom end rot later.

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