Tom’s April Tips

1. As temperatures warm, remove protective winter coverings from plants.
2. Replenish mulch around existing plants to a depth of three to four inches. Keep mulch away from trunks.
3. Weather permitting, dig and move trees and shrubs prior to bud break.
4. Monitor trees and shrubs regularly.
5. Review insect and diseases that gave you problems last year. The sooner you detect damage, the easier it is to control.
6. Control apple scab on Crabapple with a fungicide just as leaf buds begin to open. Spray should be repeated every 10 to 14 days until dry weather begins.
7. Avoid pruning Oaks and Elms between mid-April and mid-July.
8. Divide and move perennials every three years to prevent them from overcrowding.
9. Deadhead spring bulbs when they are done flowering to direct energy back into the bulbs. Discard tulips that only produce large leaves but NO flowers.
10. Plant a tree in celebration of Arbor Day!