April is the busiest month of spring up North. This is the time when trees, shrubs, evergreens, perennials and other hardy plants are set out. And the sooner this is done, the better. Any orders for plants, seeds, fertilizers and supplies should be taken care of at once, for the demand at this season is heavy and shortages are inevitable.

If summer-flowering shrubs are to bloom their best, they should be pruned hard early in the spring. This recommendation holds true, whether the. subject is a rose of Sharon, hardy hydrangea, clethra or chaste-tree. The more tender hypericums and the hardy seashore shrub, tamarix, should also be pruned. In all cases the best bloom is produced on the young shoots that develop after pruning.

Hills of snow hydrangea, on the other hand, should be cut to the base each year. Clethra, if allowed to grow tall, will produce its flowers only at the top. A hard annual pruning will give better and longer bloom. Vitex, because it develops such long stems in a season, should be reduced to within a foot of the base. This practice is especially desirable for the species, Vitex macrophylla.

While you are pruning the summer flowering shrubs, also cut some stems from the glossy abelia. This will encourage prolonged bloom. After pruning these shrubs severely, follow with an application of a complete fertilizer such as 10-8-6, using 4 pounds per 1000 square feet.

The summer or florist’s hydrangea does not produce a wealth of blooms if cut back drastically. If the tops are cut to the third bud, flowering will usually improve. However, in some cases it is the tip bud that flowers. So the wisest course is to experiment, pruning the plants in various ways. Only by doing this will you find the most successful method.

It is outdoor seeding time. Over most of the Northeast it is warm enough to sow most of the vegetables. However, in the most northern areas, coldframe protection is still necessary. If your garden space is limited, run the rows only 1 foot apart. Read the rest of this entry »