General Gardening Tips:


• Color is everywhere this month! April bloomers include azaleas, rhododendrons, dogwoods, redbuds and magnolias.

• Other landscape plants with interest now include andromeda, flowering almond, camellia, daphne, forsythia, pussywillow, weigela, Harry Lauder's walking stick and spirea.

• We recommend fertilizing annuals, perennials and flowering shrubs and trees with Barretta Flowering Plant Food. This product contains slow-release nitrogen, sulfate of potash, iron and other micro-nutrients for overall plant growth and development.

• We recommend feeding all your evergreens (hollies, boxwoods and yews) and deciduous trees (maples, oaks and ash) with Barretta Tree & Shrub Food. This product contains slow-release nitrogen, sulfate of potash, iron and other micro-nutrients for overall plant growth and development.

• For all your new spring plantings, we recommend using Barretta Starter Plant Food at the time of planting. This will encourage root growth and help get the plant off to a vigorous start.

• Time to plant fruit trees and grapes. Some fruit trees need a pollinator (two different kinds that bloom at the same time).

• Put down a landscape fabric throughout the flower beds before mulching and you will eliminate weeding problems. If you cannot, or you wish not to use landscape fabric and you still want to control weeds, then use Preen or Amaze and Cockadoodle Doo 100% Organic Corn Gluten Meal Earth-Friendly Weed Control. These products come in several different size packages.

• If you haven't already, prune roses and cut back liriope and ornamental grasses before new growth begins.

• Plant pansies, violas and primroses for early spring color in the landscape.

• Fertilize bulbs with a slow-release fertilizer such as Barretta Flowering Plant Food as they emerge.

• Start tuberous begonias and canna bulbs indoors to be ready for May planting. We have a great selection of summer flowering bulbs in stock.

• Barretta has thousands of varieties of beautiful perennials to choose from with fresh shipments arriving this month.

• Apply Preen, Amaze or Cockadoodle Doo 100% Organic Corn Gluten Meal Earth-Friendly Weed Control to garden beds to prevent weeds from germinating.

• Potted roses arrive in early April at both Barretta Garden Center locations. Plant now for beautiful color all summer long.

• Plant gladiolus every week up to July 1st and enjoy flowers all summer and fall.

• If you have a pond in your landscape, begin feeding your fish when water temperatures are above 50 degrees. You can prevent algae in your pond with floating barley bales.


Pest Controls:

• Many pest problems begin to appear in April. If you have plants that you suspect may be facing a pest problem, bring in a representative sample to our plant clinic at either of our stores and speak with one of our plant specialists. We will diagnose the problem and recommend the appropriate control. Listed below are some of the problems that can appear this month along with the proper controls.

• Watch out for tent caterpillars in cherries, crabapples and plums. When the caterpillars are small (less than 1" long), you can spray with an organic product such as Thuricide or BT. These products are only toxic to caterpillars. If you wait until the caterpillars are longer than 1", however, you will need to spray with Sevin.

• Bark beetles and borers can affect landscape plants such as pines, fruit and shade trees. Use Borer Spray or Thiodan. See our bulletin on borer control.

• Leaf gall and flower gall on azaleas can be controlled with Copper Sulfate.

• On apple, hawthorn and other rosaceous host plants, now is the time to stop cedar-apple rust by using one of the following products:Immunox, Daconil 2787 or Mancozeb.

• Fruit trees should be on a regular spray program. See our Fruit Tree Spray Program bulletin.

• Boxwood leaf miner and boxwood psyllid can be controlled in late April or early May by spraying  Ortho Systemic Insect Killer Pt, Cygon or Sevin. See our bulletin for more information.

• Juniper scale can be controlled in April using Sevin or Malathion.

• Pine tip moth and the pine sawfly larva can be controlled with one of the following products: Cygon or Ortho Systemic Insect Killer Pt.


Fruit and Vegetable Gardens:

• Time to plant the following vegetables outdoors: Asparagus, Broccoli, Brussels Sprouts, Cabbage, Chinese Cabbage, Cauliflower, Celery, Chives, Collards, Horseradish, Kale, Lettuce, Mustard Greens, Onions, Parsley, Parsnips, Peas, Potatoes, Rhubarb, Spinach and Swiss Chard.
• Mix organic matter into your vegetable garden. We recommend cow manure, peat moss, and / or Super Fine soil conditioner as well as lime and vegetable food. See our bulletin on Preparing Vegetable or Flower Beds.

• Do not till or spade the vegetable garden if the soil is wet. It will clump and become very hard to work all summer. Soil should crumble as you work with it.


Lawns:

• April is a great time to get your lawn into shape by liming, seeding, fertilizing and preventing crabgrass and other weeds. Basic tips are provided here, but for more in depth instructions, please pick-up a copy of our brochure, "Guide to Year Round Lawn Care" or see a member of our staff.

• Seed the lawn with a good quality grass seed that is suited for the conditions of your lawn. Barretta Garden Center has our own custom blends of grass seed that are ideal for the various conditions in our area. Check out Barretta Sunny, Barretta Shady and Barretta Tuff Play for a thick, healthy, dark green lawn.

• Fertilize your lawn with one of Barretta's custom blended lawn foods. We recommend Barretta Premium for your spring application. If you are seeding the lawn, we recommend Barretta Select. Both of these products contain slow-release nitrogen, sulfate of potash and Granusol Iron.

• If needed, lime the lawn to raise soil pH. Lawns prefer a pH range of 6.2 - 6.8. If your tests show a level lower than 6.0, or you have not limed the lawn in the past two years, you should lime at the rate of 50 lb. of lime per 1,000 square feet of lawn area. This will raise the pH 1Ú/2 point. If you need to apply more lime, wait six weeks between applications. 

• If you have not done so already, prevent crabgrass in the lawn by applying Crabex or TEAM (if not seeding) or a product containing Tupersan (if seeding).

• If you are not seeding, you can also prevent perennial weeds in the lawn by applying Portrait as early as possible. It is important to understand that these products will prevent weeds from germinating, but will not affect weeds that are already growing in the lawn.

• To eliminate wild onion and other weeds that are currently growing in your lawn, use Trimec Broadleaf Weed Killer Qt, Ortho Weed B Gone (liquid) or Expel (granular). "DON'T USE THESE PRODUCTS IN THE FLOWER GARDEN".

• Stop grub damage by using one of these products: Merit, Dylox or Milky Spore. Apply Merit in mid-late april to prevent Grubs.


House Plants:

• Feed houseplants with a good quality indoor plant food such as Jack's Classic (water-soluble powder) or Osmocote (slow-release granular).

• If needed, re-pot root bound houseplants to a larger pot. Barretta stocks a full line of containers, including terra cotta, wood, concrete, ceramic and plastic. Use Barretta Potting Mix when repotting houseplants.

• Check the leaves of your houseplants for insects or any other problems. If needed, bring in a representative sample and one of our plant specialists will diagnose the problem and recommend the appropriate control.


Additional Information:

For more information to help you garden more easily and successfully, stop in the garden center and pick-up a copy of the following bulletins:

• Spring Lawn Care
• Crabgrass Control
• Grub Control
• Azaleas, Rhododendrons, Hydrangeas and many other plant varieties
• Shade Gardening
• Perennial Information Sheets
• Fruit Tree Spray Program
• Preparing Vegetable or Flower Beds
• Pest Appearance Timetable
• Proper Planting Instructions


April Reminders:

• To celebrate Easter, Barretta Garden Center has colorful Easter lilies and many other plants and gifts.

• Secretary's Week occurs this month so be sure to pick-up a plant to bring into the office.

• Celebrate Arbor Day and Earth Day this moth by planting a tree in your landscape. If you have children, this is a great way to introduce them to gardening.

• We have thousands of beautiful annuals in stock. However, listen to the weatherman and if there is a frost warning, be sure to cover these tender plants with a sheet, towel or frost cloth (NOT PLASTIC).