Plants in Flower
• Flowering cherry, Redbud, Ajuga Weigela, Bloodroot, Columbine, Bleeding heart, Pieris, Jack-in-the-Pulpit, Trillium, Anemone, Azaleas

Fertilizing
• Fertilize shrubs if not done in March.
• Fertilize vegetables at planting per recommendation.
• Once you can determine whether your fruit trees have any fruit, you can decide how much fertilizer to give them.

Planting
• Many gardeners prefer to transplant azaleas in April so they can group the plants according to their flower color.
• Divide liriope, ajuga, mums, violets, and other perennials.
• Plant most shrubs and trees.
• The following vegetables can be planted this month: beets, cabbage, Chinese cabbage, Swiss chard, broccoli, cauliflower, onion, and potatoes.

Pruning
• Prune spring-flowering plants like azalea, lilac, forsythia, spirea, and weigela after the flowers fade.
• Prune berry producing shrubs like holly and pyracantha while in flower to prevent complete removal of all of this season’s berries.
• Disbud roses and peonies for large specimen flowers.
• If needed, trim spring flowering trees like Bradford pear, flowering cherry and redbud.
• Cut out any winter damage that may have occurred this year.

Spraying
• Spray the following landscape shrubs for the following insect pests: azalea-lace bug, boxwood-leaf miner, euonymus-scale, hemlock and juniper-spruce mites and hybrid rhododendron-borer.
• Spray iris beds for iris borers.
• Spray broccoli, cabbage and cauliflower for worms if needed.
• Spray your squash plants near the base of the stem to control squash borer.
• Continue through June 1 and use only the recommended insecticide. Begin weekly tree fruit sprays after flower petals fall.
• Start a fungicide spray program for your bunch grapes this month. Follow with weekly sprays.
• Continue with rose spray program.
• Scout or observe your landscape plants before spraying. Pests may not be present.

Lawn Care
• Maintain mowing height of fescue and bluegrass at 2 1/2 to 3 1/2 inches.
Do NOT fertilize.

Propagation
• This is a good time to layer new plants by lowering a branch of your favorite shrubs and covering it with soil and a stone.

Specific Chores
• Visit your local garden centers and nurseries to see what plants and products are available.
• Mulch all of your landscape plants as needed. Pine needles, cypress mulch and pine bark are good mulches.
• Prepare labels for all new plants and keep records on how well they perform.