DENVER — Looking on the bright side, a dry, windy April was unfavorable to the grubs of Japanese beetles living in our lawns. Apply a grub killer or milky spore to further hamper them.
Don't be in a big rush to green up your lawn with lots of water. Turf that isn't babied is tougher and more resilient to summer heat and drought.
Also on the bright side, fruit trees and other spring-blooming trees and shrubs are having a good spring. Absent a late frost, pears, plums, peaches, cherries, apples and crabapples should produce decent crops. Ornamentals such as redbud, Oregon grape holly and forsythia are also blooming well.
Looking ahead, home gardeners need to get busy transplanting seedlings. Many can stay outside since they thrive with warm days and cool nights. I've got nice pots of rose campion, verbascum, foxglove, and dianthus that are basking on my patio.
Move tomato seedlings up to bigger pots. Every time you transplant them, bury the stems deeper in soil. Roots will form on the underground stems, making them into stronger plants. Continue to keep them in a warm, sunny spot indoors. It is still too cool at night (and soil temperatures are still too cool) to plant them in the ground.
I've been moving lots of indoor plants, such as geraniums, outside under shade cloth. It's a bit risky but my south-facing brick patio adjoining my brick house create a warmer microclimate. You may want to be more cautious.
More Proctor's Garden:
- Here's how to sow seeds for spring
- What you can plant safely now
- Despite the wind, it's time to plant and fertilize
- The quick and simple way to make your own geraniums
- Start your garden prep now with seed catalogs
- Indoor and outdoor plants
- It's pea planting time
- How to grow your own salad
- Time to plant pansies for spring
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