Gardeners Checklist: Here Is What to Do on the Week of April 21

By Ron Kujawski

* Transplant seedlings of tomatoes, peppers, and eggplant into individual pots or flats before they get crowded in the original seed flats. Apply a diluted solution of an organic fertilizer, such as a kelp extract, to the transplanted seedlings.

* Set out transplants of onion, leeks, broccoli, cabbage, and cauliflower. To reduce transplant shock and get the young plants off to a good start, cover them with a lightweight row cover. Though row covers are light enough to prevent damage to the transplants, I use bamboo or metal hoops to support the row covers. 

* Start seeds of summer and winter squash, pumpkins, melons, and gourds indoors. Since these grow fast and will be ready for transplanting to the garden by the end of May, sow seeds in individual pots rather than seed flats. I like to use biodegradable pots such as peat pots, coir pots (made from coconut husks), paper pots, or cow pots (made from cow manure and not the cow itself, in case you’re wondering). These pots make transplanting easy since you plant the pot and all.

* Hold off on transplanting marigolds, zinnias, and other tender annuals outdoors. However, you can set out snapdragons. They bloom best in the cool temperatures of spring and early summer. Though blooming often slows or stops with summer heat, snapdragons will bloom again in fall if plants are continually deadheaded.

* Fertilize miniature roses with the same fertilizer as used for large roses, but apply slightly less than a tablespoon per plant. Apply fertilizer to roses in April, June, and mid-July.

* Plant herbaceous perennials. If frost is in the immediate forecast, protect the plants by covering with a bushel basket, hot cap, or similar device. After a couple of weeks, the plants should be established well enough to tolerate frost.

* Pull up any garden weeds that are flowering. If you wait too long, they’ll set seed. Garlic mustard, now in bloom, is a particularly prolific seeder, each plant capable of producing hundreds of seeds.

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Friday, April 25th is Arbor Day. There are many ways to celebrate Arbor Day; the most obvious is to plant a tree in your landscape. If you have no room in your own landscape, then donate one to your community. With municipal budgets being stretched, most towns would be appreciative. If planting or donating a tree is not an option, at least hug a tree on Friday. Such behavior may result in odd looks but will be less conspicuous if we all join in……………. You go first!

Ron Kujawski began gardening at an early age on his family's onion farm in upstate New York. Although now retired, he spent most of his career teaching at the UMass Extension Service. He serves on Berkshire Botanical Garden’s Horticulture Advisory Committee. His book, Week-by-Week Vegetable Gardener’s Handbook, is available here.