April Planting Guide

Bedding Plants

     Evaluate your flower beds of cool-season bedding plants carefully in late April and early May. When they are past their prime, pull them up and throw them in your compost pile. Then prepare the bed and plant warm-season bedding plants that will thrive here in summer. 

Bulbs

     Plant caladium tubers or started plants in shady areas this month. 

Pruning

     If you need to, prune spring-flowering shrubs, such as spirea, viburnum, quince, azalea, camellia, jasmine and mock orange as soon as they finish flowering. 

Vegetables

     Excellent hot weather vegetables that can be planted now include cucuzzi, cushaw, eggplants, peanuts, pumpkins, Southern peas, hot peppers, lima beans, luffa gourds, okra and yard-long beans. Continue to plant transplants of tomatoes and peppers and seeds of snap beans, squash and cucumbers.