PBOG’s Garden To-Do List for March into April

  • Remove winter greens from containers, once unfrozen

  • Rake out beds, trim brown stalks, assess winter damage and prune out

  • Prune shrubs such as inkberry, holly, yew that may be overgrown

  • Prune butterfly bush, caryopteris, smoke tree, St. Johnswort, and other cutback shrubs

  • Shear ornamental grasses 

  • Shape lavender, sage, germander, thyme and other woody herbs by cutting off at least 1/3 of the old growth

  • Cut back any perennials left standing last fall

  • Edge beds

  • Plan to divide and transplant fall blooming perennials mid April to mid May

  • Continue dormant pruning of fruit trees and other deciduous material

  • Plant containers with spring flowers when nights are reliably above freezing

  • Plan for first spraying of horticultural oil on fragrant viburnum, V. carleii, to prevent damage from snowball aphid

  • Return contracts for tick and mosquito spraying, antidesiccant and deer repellent and compost tea applications – along with fine garden maintenance!

  • Prune raspberries and blueberries if not done earlier in the winter

  • Sow seeds of salvia and lettuce indoors now but hold off on starting more vegetables until April 10 for basil, tomatoes, eggplants and peppers

  • Houseplants can be fed a diluted fish fertilizer every two weeks for a spring pick-me-up