The Almanac
Average temperature: High 83, Low 60
Rainfall: 2.42 inches
Earth Day is April 22 and National Arbor Day is April 24
1. Moon phases
Full moon: April 1
Last quarter: April 10
New moon: April 17
First quarter: April 23
2. Moon sign planting dates
Above-ground crops: 17, 18, 22, 23,26, 27
Below-ground crops: 3, 4, 5, 8, 9, 10, 13, 14
Control weeds and pests: 11, 12, 19, 20, 21
Prune trees and shrubs: 6, 7, 15, 16, 24, 25
Time to plant
3. Vegetables: Calabaza, cantaloupe, cassava, chayote, cherry tomato, cucumber, dasheen, eggplant, Jerusalem artichoke, jicama, lima bean, malabar spinach, malanga, New Zealand spinach, okra, pepper, roselle, Seminole pumpkin, snap beans, squash, Southern pea, sweet potato, tamarillo, yam and yard-long bean
4. Flowers: African daisy, ageratum, aster, bacopa, balsam, begonia, black-eyed Susan, blue daze, browallia, bush daisy, cat’s whiskers, celosia, cleome, coleus, coreopsis, cosmos, crossandra, dahlberg daisy, diascia, gazania, gaillardia, gerbera, goldenrod, impatiens, Joseph’s coat, lantana, licorice plant, lisianthus, marigold, melampodium, Mexican sunflower, million bells, moon flower, nicotiana, nierembergia, pentas, periwinkle, porterweed, portulaca, purslane, salvia, sunflower, torenia and zinnia
5. Herbs: Anise, basil, bay laurel, borage, cardamom, chives, coriander, dill, borage, edible ginger, lemon balm, oregano, Mexican tarragon, mint, oregano, rosemary, sage, savory, sweet marjoram and thyme
6. Bulbs: Asiatic lilies, achimenes, African iris, agapanthus, amaryllis, Amazon lily, blackberry lily, blood lily, bulbine, caladium, canna, crinum, dahlia, eucharis lily, gingers, gladioli, gloriosa lily, society garlic, tuberous begonias and rain lily
Lawn care
7. Freezing February temperatures affected lawns but most survived and have begun growth.
8. Patches of dead or recovering weeds are easily found and should be replaced with good grass.
9. Complete feeding of bahia, bermuda and St. Augustine lawns to encourage spring growth.
10. Delay feeding centipede and zoysia lawns until they begin new growth.
11. Weed-and-feeds can be substituted for regular feedings.
12. Know your weeds and the herbicides that provide control; make applications as needed.
13. Fertilized but yellow lawns can often be regreened with an iron only application.
14. Check the soil acidity of all home lawns; adjust the pH if needed.
15. Mow zoysia lawns to the desired 2- to 3-inch height.
16. Remove weeds, adjust the pH and till the ground before installing a new lawn.
17. Starter fertilizers supply phosphorus to help new lawns with root growth where permitted.
18. Chinch bug activity is likely slowed by cold weather but keep controls ready.
19. Mole crickets can be a problem in bahia, bermuda and zoysia lawns; control as needed.
20. Spring is often dry; water when lawns begin to show moisture stress as permitted.
21. Adjust sprinklers to avoid sidewalks and roadways and water only the turf.
22. Apply up to three-quarters of an inch of water at each irrigation.
23. Change the oil and service air filters of gas-powered equipment.
24. Sharpen mower blades when the cutting edges begin to dull.
25. Edge lawns growing along sidewalks.
26. Aerate lawns and remove thatch if needed.
27. Don’t fight the shade; consider another ground cover for these problem spots.
Landscape chores
28. Plants have been severely affected by the February freeze and died back to near the ground.
29. Many frozen plants have green stems and new shoots; remove the dead and wait for recovery.
30. Prune the dead from declining plants several inches into healthy wood.
31. Keep damaged plants moist and apply fertilizer as growth resumes.
32. Prune spring flowering trees and shrubs after the blossoms fade.
33. Some tropical palms are severely damaged; remove brown fronds and wait for bud growth.
34. Manage healthy palms by only removing brown fronds plus fruiting stems as needed.
35. Replacement plants may not be available or of a smaller size and more expensive.
36. Plant a tree, shrub or vine on April 22, Earth Day, or April 24, National Arbor Day.
37. Remove declining cool season annuals and add spring warm weather selections
38. Make sure the root balls of all plant are moist at planting time.
39. Build berms at the edge of root balls of new trees and shrubs to direct water to the roots.
40. Give all poinsettias a spring trimming; repot new ones or add them to the landscape.
41. Maintain 2- to 3-inch mulch layers with trees and shrubs; 1 inch in flower beds.
42. Water annuals and perennials when the soil begins to dry or they show signs of wilting.
43. Use slow-release fertilizers that can feed landscape plants for months.
44. Palms need special feedings; use fertilizers made for palms every three to four months.
45. Inspect older trees and trim as needed before the hurricane season begins.
46. Be safe; have arborists do pruning of larger and older trees.
47. Trim old flower stalks from amaryllis, amazon lilies and other spring flowering plants.
48. Water new plantings as needed to keep the soil moist.
49. Divide perennials before the really hot weather arrives.
50. Train vines to a trellis or arbor.
51. Add a water feature to the landscape; clean established ones.
52. Transplant and feed water lilies and bog plants.
Fruit and vegetable plantings
53. Hurry to plant tomatoes, peppers and eggplants in the garden.
54. Select larger transplants for this time of the year.
55. Remove cool season crops completing their harvests and add the seeded crops.
56. Many bananas have dead trunks but should send up new shoots; remove declining portions.
57. Tropical fruit trees may be dead back to the trunk or ground; prune away dead portions.
58. Tropical fruit trees dead below the grafted desirable variety should be replaced.
59. Control citrus psyllids at each flush of growth; use sprays or soil treatments as instructed.
60. Apply minor nutrient sprays to citrus trees at each flush of growth.
61. Finish granular spring feedings of all fruit trees.
62. Start sweet potatoes to have transplants for May.
63. Pant tropical vegetables that won’t mind the summer heat and humidity.
64. Complete herb plantings before hot weather arrives; many grow best in containers.
65. Feed vegetable plantings lightly every three to four weeks or use a slow-release fertilizer as labeled.
66. Help maintain a moist soil with a 2- to 3-inch mulch layer with all but citrus.
67. Add edible fruit bearing trees, shrubs and vines to the landscape.
68. Blueberries need a very acid soil; have the soil pH checked before planting.
69. Grow blueberries in pine bark fines or add them to non acid soils.
70. Transplant papaya seedlings to the landscape, keep moist and feed monthly.
Foliage and houseplant care
71. Most Easter bulb arrangements don’t rebloom in Florida; discard the bulbs and keep the pots.
72. Outdoor tropical foliage plants are likely dead down to near the ground or container.
73. Trim off the dead and if sending out new shoots keep moist and fertilize.
74. Indoors winter weary foliage plants would love a filtered-sun location outdoors to recover.
75. Groom to reshape and remove declining portions.
76. Trim overgrown stems of foliage plants to make cuttings.
77. Repot foliage plants that have outgrown their containers.
78. Trim Christmas and holiday cactus if needed to keep compact; root the cuttings.
79. Transplant amaryllis that flowered during the winter to the garden or grow in containers.
80. Insects like scale, mealy bugs and thrips may need an insecticidal soap or oil spray for control.
81. Move orchids and bromeliads outdoors to a shady location.
82. Repot orchids and bromeliads when they begin spring growth as needed and begin feedings.
83. Replace poorer quality plants with new selections.
85. Consider using foliage plants for shady landscape sites.
Tom MacCubbin is an urban horticulturist emeritus with the University of Florida Cooperative Extension Service. Write him: Orlando Sentinel, P.O. Box 2833, Orlando, FL. 32802. Email: TomMac1996@aol.com.
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