Added on April 7, 2025 Sara Swanson

April 2025 Gardening Advice

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Pansies. Photo credit: Jennifer Fairfield.

by Jennifer Fairfield, Garden Mill

Five years ago, we were in the throes of the COVID pandemic, and many people were starting gardens for the first time, for a variety of reasons — because it was hard to get out and get groceries, because stores didn’t have as much available as usual, or because people were looking for things to do with their families while they were stuck at home. I know many people who kept their new hobby up after that, as well as some who didn’t.

This year, I’m hearing lots of people say they are starting a garden or expanding their garden because they are concerned about the cost of groceries, or they are looking for a relaxing, outdoor activity to take their minds off everything going on around them.

For me, gardening has always been a way to step away from the day-to-day stressors of work, family, and the world in general. It helps to center me and give my mind a rest. It’s a great way to get fresh air, enjoy the natural world, and just not worry about much. It’s almost a form of meditation — and I get great stuff to eat, too! Whatever your reason for gardening, we’re here for you!

NOAA (the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, which is where all our weather data comes from) has come out with their updated prediction of our weather for the next three months, and it looks like we are going to have a wet, warm spring. Just what we need to give our gardens a great start! But there are also things you should do to help your gardens have a great year.

Flowers, Trees & Shrubs:

First – and this is one of the most important pieces of advice I can give at this time of year — avoid walking on your lawn and in garden beds when they’re wet, if at all possible. You risk compacting the soil under your feet, which is bad for your soil and your plants, including lawn grass. Compacted soil makes it harder for water to penetrate, meaning your plant roots aren’t able to get the water they need, and potentially causing runoff and soil erosion. It is also harder for plant roots to grow through compacted soil, which leads to less growth and overall unhealthy plants. I know it’s hard to resist getting out there to get everything done, but you’ll be doing yourself and your gardens and lawn a favor if you can wait.
If you didn’t cut back grasses and perennials in the fall, don’t be in a hurry to do it now. It’s best to wait until daytime temperatures are consistently in the 50’s to give the beneficial insects that have spent the winter in or on stems and leaves of your plants, or under the leaf debris on the ground, a chance to wake up and head out.
When cutting back woody and semi-woody plants — such as Russian sage, lavender, and some thymes — decide how much you want to trim based on where you see new growth, and how you want the plant to appear. For a fuller appearance, cut them back to about 6” from the ground so that they will branch out more. If you want a taller plant, just trim branches to help get the shape you are looking for.
If you covered perennials with mulch for the winter, as it starts to warm up, pull the mulch away from plants that are starting to poke up out of the ground to help the soil warm up more quickly and reduce the chance of mold. Add compost to the soil around your plants after you have removed mulch. This helps improve the soil’s structure and adds nutrients.
Wait to add new mulch to your planting beds, trees, and shrubs until the soil has warmed up fully – usually after Mother’s Day. Putting down new mulch too soon can keep the soil from warming up and slow your plants’ growth and flowering. Spring mulching should be done in a thinner layer than fall mulching – just two to three inches is perfect for helping to suppress weeds and keep the soil temperature and moisture consistent. Avoid mounding mulch around tree trunks – and don’t let your landscapers do it! “Mulch volcanoes,” where mulch is piled high against a tree trunk, are among the worst things you can do for trees, as it causes damage to bark, can kill roots, and leads to roots girdling (strangling) the tree trunk. A 2”-3” even layer of mulch spread around the tree, starting from 2” away from the trunk, is just what your tree needs.
Winter can leave our yards looking like a debris field, with ice, heavy snow, and wind causing twigs, branches, and leaves to be scattered all over. On a day when the ground isn’t too wet, so you’re not risking compacting the soil, get out and get the larger debris gathered up before mowing season begins. If you can, pile the debris somewhere on your property that is out of the way, to provide habitat for creatures, including some bees, butterflies, and other beneficial insects. Insects we don’t necessarily think of as beneficial will also use dead wood, providing food sources for birds and other creatures.
You can apply an organic weed preventer to your lawn early this month to help keep the seeds of dandelion, crab grass, and other weeds from putting down roots when they germinate. It won’t kill perennial weeds that already exist in your lawn but will keep new seeds from taking hold, and application timing is critical for success — it needs to be applied before seeds germinate, but not so early that it gets diluted by rain before it can work. If you’re looking for something to kill existing weeds, I highly recommend Captain Jack’s Dead Weed Brew as an organic alternative. Because it only kills foliage, not roots, it takes a few applications to truly kill a perennial weed permanently, but it does the best job I’ve found of any organic weed killer around. Just understand that it is a non-specific herbicide, which means it will kill the foliage of anything it comes in contact with, so use it carefully around plants you don’t want to damage.
Most annual flower seeds should not be planted until the soil temperature is at least 65° to 70°, but sweet pea seeds can be planted outdoors when soil temperatures have reached 50° and bachelor’s buttons and calendula are good to plant at soil temps of 60°.
Pansies and primrose can go out in the garden now, but keep row covers handy. Even though these are pretty hardy plants, temperature dips below freezing can cause some damage to the new growth on these plants still. Row covers can help protect your plants from frost and freeze by keeping the warmth of the soil around the plants.
Towards the end of the month, divide summer-blooming perennials that you didn’t get to in the fall. If you divide spring-blooming perennials now, they may not bloom this year, so it’s best to wait until they are finished flowering or until fall to divide those.
Plant dormant trees and shrubs once the soil can be worked. It is important to keep newly-planted trees and shrubs thoroughly watered throughout the year, and all the way up until the ground freezes. Newly planted trees and shrubs are not as efficient at pulling water from the soil as established ones, so they need lots of available moisture to survive.
Check to make sure you have what you need for the season. Replace or repair gloves and garden hoses that have holes, as well as garden supports and stakes that have broken or worn down. Mend or replace fences that leave your plants vulnerable to deer and rabbits. Make sure your power equipment is in good working order and that pruning and cutting tools are sharp.

Vegetables:

If you are starting plants from seed, get tomato seeds started indoors now, so they will be ready to put out in your garden in about eight weeks. Eggplants and peppers probably should have been started a couple of weeks ago, so if you haven’t gotten them started, you might want to skip them and just buy plants when the weather has warmed up. Peppers can take a while to germinate and eggplants take a while to get to a good size, and with our short growing season in Michigan, you’re not going to get a great deal of production from plants started too late. Heat-loving plants, including tomatoes, are some of the last to go out in the garden, once all chance of frost has passed and nighttime temperatures are consistently above 50°, which is usually around Memorial Day for Southeast Michigan.
You might be able to get away with planting some things outdoors sooner than you expect, depending on how well your soil is warming up. Raised beds and containers generally warm up sooner than in-ground gardens, and gardens that get lots of direct sun or are closer to your house will warm up quicker than those in shade or even partial shade, or are further from the house. Because different plants have different soil temperature requirements, the easiest way to tell if your garden soil is warm enough for planting is to test it with a soil thermometer. Transplanting into soil that is too cold may cause plants to stop growing for a period, so be sure that you know what soil temperature your plants prefer before you plant them out in your garden.
I know I mentioned this last month, but it bears repeating: Plants get their nutrition from the soil they are growing in and soil conditions can change over time, so it’s best to test your soil at least every couple of years. Knowing what your soil is lacking makes giving it what it needs to support good plant growth so much easier. It’s also a way to be sure that you aren’t spending money unnecessarily on fertilizers you don’t need. Test your soil before you begin planting, so that you can make whatever adjustments you need to without risking disturbing roots or seeds.
Turn your compost pile to ensure that everything is getting enough oxygen. A pile that sits for too long can become compressed, depleting oxygen at the center and bottom of the pile. Turning the pile will help to “fluff” the material, allowing more oxygen to get to all areas of the pile, and getting more oxygen to the material will help it break down more quickly.

For the Birds:

If you don’t have bird houses up yet, get them up now. Bluebirds, swallows, chickadees, wrens, kestrels, and many woodpeckers and owls will use nesting boxes in your yard. If you have a large pond or other wetlands on your property, you might attract wood ducks, mergansers, and other waterfowl with a nesting box.
Check existing bird houses before cleaning them out to make sure they aren’t already occupied. If the nesting materials in the box look at all new and fresh, leave them — it’s an indication you already have tenants. If the materials look old, clean them out to give the birds a fresh start.
Providing materials for birds to use in building their nests is great, as long as you are you putting out things that are safe for the birds. Some things, including dryer lint, can be bad or even dangerous for birds to use in nesting.
Are you wondering when hummingbirds will start arriving in our area? As of March 31st, they had made it to about Kentucky, but it won’t be too long before we start seeing them at our feeders, and orioles should be showing up at about the same time. Make sure your feeders are ready for them — check for cracks and replace them if needed. With warmer temperatures, put your feeders out during the day to help early arrivers find food. If the temps dip below freezing at night, be sure to bring the feeders indoors to prevent cracking.
I can’t stress enough how important it is to clean bird feeders regularly to help prevent the spread of bird flu and other diseases. Use a 10% bleach solution, and scrub any debris from the feeders. Rinse thoroughly after cleaning, and let them dry thoroughly before refilling. For hummingbirds and orioles, clean out nectar feeders at least weekly — more often (every two or three days, at most) when it’s above 80°. Along with cleaning feeders, one way to help cut down on the spread of disease is to have multiple feeders spread out around your yard so that the birds aren’t all trying to crowd around one feeder and passing diseases around the crowd.