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North Mississippi Gardening Tips
April, 2003

April Notes

This is the month that gardening activities really get going in north Mississippi. The weather is becoming more pleasant and mild. Old-timers say that before warm weather is here for good there will be one more cold snap occurring when the wild blackberries bloom. This is referred to as "blackberry winter." According to meteorological data collected over the past quarter century or so, the median date of the last spring freeze is between April 1 and 10 for our area of Mississippi. Since this coincides with the blooming of blackberries I would say the old-timers knew what they were talking about, so you better hold your breathe and hope that those early transplants of tomatoes and peppers you couldn't wait to set out don't get hit by blackberry winter!

This is also the month of the most important festival in the Christian religious calendar. Easter, April 20, commemorates the death and resurrection of Christ. It is therefore most appropriate that nature is at her most exuberant at Easter-time. Lush foliage, in the freshest lettuce greens and copious, brightly colored blooms, push through seemingly barren earth in an astonishing show of color. This abundant display, all the more glorious following the cold, bleak months of winter is a tangible reminder for Christians that they serve a living God who sacrificed his only Son so that they may enjoy an "eternal spring" after their earthly existence.

Annual and Perennial Flowers and Vines

Planting a garden around a theme can be a fun project for you, your family, or can be a great club, group or community project. Some typical garden themes could be: Shakespearean Garden, Medicinal Herb Garden, Fragrance Garden, or White Garden. Perhaps more appropriate for the season would be an Easter Biblical Garden. There are many plants suitable for this type of garden. Some are mentioned in the Bible, others could be included through their mention in legends and traditions associated with this religious holiday. Some plants to include would be: hyssop (a branch was used to give a drink of vinegar to Christ on the cross), tansy (believed to be one of the bitter herbs of Passover to be eaten at Easter-time), Easter lily (Christian symbol of resurrection), aloe (used by Nicodemus and John to prepare the body of Jesus for burial), mustard, wormwood (both mentioned in scriptures in the Bible), coriander (believed by some to be the manna of the Bible). These are just some of the plants that could be used. A good source of information would be "Plants of the Bible" by Willard S. Smith and Margaret O. Goldsmith.

Trees and Shrubs

It is not the best time, but you can still plant balled and burlapped or container-grown trees this month. Mulch newly planted trees and shrubs to retain moisture and control weeds. Do not pack the mulch against the trunk. Be careful and pay close attention to watering as the season progresses. This is not a good time to plant any bare-root trees, as the leaves have already emerged and chance of survival would be slim. Prune any wayward, diseased, or dead branches from spring ornamental trees only after all petals have fallen. Fertilize spring-flowering ornamental trees after the petals fall. It is always best to base fertilization on a soil test, but in case you haven't done one lately for your spring-flowering trees, here is a general recommendation: one pound of 5-10-15 fertilizer per inch circumference of the tree measured three feet above the ground. For evergreen trees, use a slow-release formula at a rate of one pound of fertilizer per inch circumference of the tree, measured three feet above the ground.

Vegetables and Herbs

I bet if you are a vegetable gardener you are already enjoying some of your cool-season vegetables, such as greens, radishes and others. It's time now to start thinking about your warm season veggies. Actually, until the soil warms to above 60 degrees Fahrenheit most warm season vegetables will not germinate reliably. If you're planting watermelon, cantaloupe, or okra the soil temperature should be at least 75 degrees Fahrenheit for good germination. You can gain a little time by warming the soil yourself. To do this, spread clear (not black) plastic over the prepared planting bed for 10 days. Once the soil temperature has reached the right temperature you're ready to plant. How do you take the soil's temperature? Buy a cheap little thermometer and stick the whole thing into the ground with the business end (bulb) at the planting depth. To help maintain soil warmth and deter insects you can cover the seeds beds with floating row covers. You can purchase these from the local farmer's co-op, garden center or nursery. Vegetable transplants such as tomatoes and peppers will not grow substantially until day temperatures are consistently 75 degrees Fahrenheit or higher. Test after test has shown that tomatoes planted when soil and air temperatures are warm bear fruit not significantly later than unprotected plants set out earlier during cool weather.

Fruit

Fruit tree planting time has passed. Now is the time to concentrate on control of insect and disease problems. It is a temptation to skip the spraying of the home orchard at this time because there are no visible apples, peaches, pears or plums on the trees. Don't fall for that. If you don't keep up the spray program now you will have a time of it when the fruit is visible. Call your local Extension office and ask for the publications that have the spray recommendations for your fruit trees.

Back in February when this report was written the deer had made a feast of my strawberry patch. By this time, I hope they have moved on to greener pastures and I can enjoy some strawberry fruit next month. For the rest of you, the main concern now will be to keep the weeds out of your strawberries. The best weed control for me (other than the deer, who are not very selective) is to mulch the bed early in the season.

If you have bunch grapes, you will need to spray with a complete home orchard spray. The most damaging disease for my bunch grapes and the most difficult to control for me has been black rot. It is aptly named as the fruit turns black, shrivels up, and gets hard as a rock. I find I can grow muscadine grapes so much easier and with no spraying at all. Our native grape makes great jelly, jam, cobbler, juice and wine (for those so inclined).

Lawns

Warm-season lawns are still going through the spring transition time from dormancy to green-up. There is little to do for the lawns at this time other than (in my case) keep the wild onions and other weeds mown so as not to compete too much with the emerging grass. Fertilization should wait until later this month or until early May for most of north Mississippi.

Mulching

Mulching is a good idea taught to us by nature herself. In a natural forest, leaves cover the ground in a thick mat. This natural mulch prevents weeds from competing with the trees for nutrients, regulates the soil temperature, conserves water by cutting down on evaporation, and prevents the surface soil from washing. Natural mulch also returns nutrients to the soil as it decomposes.

Mulch applied at this time of the year keeps the soil cool around shallow rooted plants, prevents the soil from drying out, and helps to control weeds. A plant's roots will generally grow much more quickly and vigorously in moist, mulched soil. There are countless mulches available for use in the garden. In fact, "mulch" does not refer to any specific type of material. It refers to the use of the material. Some of the most common mulches are bark, pine needles, stones, leaves, rotted sawdust and bark chips. All of these materials should be spread thickly enough to insulate and prevent weeds from sprouting. Generally, applying a two to four inch thick mulch is sufficient. Be careful not to allow mulch to crowd or touch the trunk or lower stems of plants, shrubs and trees. Crowded trunks will stay moist, becoming more susceptible to insects, diseases and rot.

The vole (pine mouse) is a pest that takes advantage of mulch-crowded trunks. The vole gets thirsty in the summer and hungry in the winter and will crawl up through the mulch and chew on your shrub or tree. The resulting damage looks a lot like when a beaver gnaws on a tree. The best prevention is to keep your mulch an inch or two from the trunk.

By taking a lesson from nature and mulching your trees, shrubs and plant, you can help them to perform up to their natural potential. And besides, any idea that cuts down on the need to hoe weeds is certainly worth checking out!

Lelia Scott Kelly, Ph.D., writes North Mississippi Gardening Tips monthly and is a Horticulture Specialist with the Mississippi State University Extension Service. Her office is in the North Mississippi Research & Extension Center, Verona.