By Anita Gall
Nebraska Extension Master Gardener
April 1 – What is a hardiness zone? I’m Anita Gall University of Nebraska Master Gardener. The hardiness zone is based on 30-year averages of the lowest winter temperatures at specific locations. It is then divided into 10-degree Fahrenheit zones and again into 5-degree half-zones. The map reads we are in zone 5a. It doesn’t take into consideration our temperature fluctuations in winter, high temps in summer, or drought. I recommend you choose plants that are in Zone 3 or 4, we do raise some Zone 5 plants, but they may succumb to winter.
April 2 – As the weather begins to warm up, we get excited to get into the garden or landscape. Now is an excellent time to cut ornamental grasses down, look at shrubs, and remove any dead or broken branches. Bear in mind that some shrubs bloom on old wood, and you need to wait until after they have bloomed to prune, an example, lilacs and some spirea. Prep beds for planting but don’t get in a rush to plant perennials or annuals yet. Even though we have had some very nice days, it is not unusual for us to have a mid-May freeze or snowstorm. I’m Anita Gall University of Nebraska Master Gardener.
April 3 – When planting, the most important step is the bed preparation. I’m Anita Gall University of Nebraska Master Gardener. Whether you are planting trees, shrubs, perennials, or annuals it is money well spent when creating a friendly living environment for your plant. Soil that has been compacted by sprinklers, pets, walking, or driving needs to be loosened up. Add organic matter to your area and then loosen the soil with a hand spade or a tiller, you do have to be careful that you don’t repack the soil when tilling.
April 4 – Did you know that plants are like most humans and enjoy interaction with each other? I’m Anita Gall University of Nebraska Master Gardener. Plants tend to be healthier if they are planted together as they can help protect each other from sun, wind, snow, and heavy rains. When pairing plants consider their water needs and plant similar needed ones. Think about color combinations and when they bloom. You will want to plant a mix of spring, summer and fall blooming plants together as well as varying heights. Plant the shorter varieties to the front of the bed and taller plants to the back.
April 5 – Do you get confused by the terms annual and perennial? I’m Anita Gall University of Nebraska Master Gardener. An annual is a plant that lives for one season and is sensitive to frost in our area. It is usually safe to plant annuals around Mother’s Day or after, as mid-May is the average “frost-free” time. A perennial is a plant that comes back year after year. They are usually outdoors or ‘hardened off’ when you buy them and can typically be planted or moved in April. If you purchased a perennial from the greenhouse, you will want to harden it off before planting it.