Note: This is general information for the entire state of Arkansas on what to plant in your garden in April. For specific questions about planting in your area, please reach out to your local county agent.
Many of us are ready and raring to start planting things, but remember there is always the chance of another cold snap, so be sure to wait until after the middle of the month to plant your warm-season plants.
For Central Arkansas, we usually say to wait until after April 10 to plant your warm-season plants, but we've recently had a frost on April 13, so be cautious!
Spring has definitely sprung, and our garden needs a lot of attention! Check out the garden chores we recommend doing this month:
Avoid pruning spring bloomers until they've finished blooming. Fertilize these plants immediately after bloom.
Remember to remove ⅓ of old canes from cane-producing spring-blooming plants like forsythia, quince, weigela, and spring-blooming spirea.
Do yourself a favor this month and replenish the mulch in your yard. Mulching is a great way to help prevent weeds and diseases in your garden, but mulch also helps to retain moisture and keep soil warm, especially on chillier days.
A mulch is anything that acts as a barrier between the plant and the soil and can be anything from newspaper or craft paper to wood chips or something a bit more aesthetically pleasing.
There are lots of mulch options. Spread down newspaper, shred your junk mail and lay that down. It doesn't have to be as aesthetically pleasing in the vegetable garden as it does in ornamental beds. Mulching a large garden may seem like a lot of work on the front end, but the amount of weeds it will cut down on will make it worth the effort.
Although you may find them in garden centers already, wait for more consistently warm weather (usually around mid- to late-April depending on where you live in the state) before planting your warm-season vegetables like tomatoes, eggplants, and peppers.
Plant okra, peppers, southern peas and sweet potatoes until later this month or around the first of May. Warm soil is critical for these plants. Plant too early and the frost may get to them, and then you will have to replant.
You can start moving houseplants back outdoors later this month, but you may want to wait until early May, especially if you live in North Arkansas just to be on the safe side. You can divide and repot your houseplants when you set them out.
Now is the time of year that honey bees start swarming, so keep an eye out on your property for masses of honey bees. If you see a swarm, contact your local county extension office for removal options in your area.
Thinking of starting a beehive? Check out our resources for keeping honey bees.
In March, April, or sometimes as late as May, eastern tent caterpillars will come out. Tent caterpillar nests may appear unsightly to homeowners, especially when exposed by severe defoliation. And numerous caterpillars crawling over sidewalks, driveways, and on buildings may be considered a nuisance. But these caterpillars don't present any danger to us. Just consider them native wildlife, which will be here for a short time, then gone again until next spring. (note on eastern test caterpillars courtesy of Arkansas Extension entomologist Dr. Jon Zawislak)
To protect your strawberry plants from pesky, hungry birds, you can put up bird netting. You will also want to watch for slugs, as they like a tasty strawberry.
If you have newly planted strawberries, you can encourage the production of runners by removing all their flowers the first season. You will also want to fertilize your strawberry beds around late August or early September to encourage a good bloom set next year.
Plant an herb garden this year so you can cook with fresh, homegrown flavors! If you are new to herb gardening, here are our top 5 favorite herbs to plant in Arkansas that are both very popular in recipes and easy to grow:
Itching to plant some other herbs? Dill, parsley, and fennel are great for butterfly gardens. 🦋
Learn more about Herb Gardening in Arkansas!
Last month, we started the process of digging and dividing our summer- and fall-blooming perennials, and there is still time to do this! Continue on this month, and don't forget - sharing is caring!
Also, like many of the other plants we will be planting this month, you will want to wait until mid-April or later to plant. See what flowers we recommend planting in April:
To encourage butterflies to spend some time in your yard this year, plant some butterfly-friendly plants in your flowerbed. Plant host plants for butterflies that will nourish young caterpillars after they hatch. These plants include: butterfly weed, parsley, dill, rue, passionflower, and tulip tree.
If your winter annuals still look good, fertilize them and enjoy them for another month. If they are not looking so great, replant them with some early warm-season annuals, such as callibrachoa, verbena, petunias, and begonias. Wait to plant heat-lovers like lantana and summer impatiens.
Spring-blooming bulbs that didn't bloom well this year may be sitting in poor soil and might benefit from some fertilizer. Fertilize these bulbs just after blooming with a complete fertilizer of 5-10-10 at a rate of 2 lbs. per 100 sq.ft.
Allow your spring-blooming bulbs 6-8 weeks of green growing time to let them replenish their nutrients. After your bulbs have had a good 6-8 weeks, deadhead (remove spent flowers from) hyacinth and tulips.
If you had smaller or fewer blooms than normal, your bulbs may be crowded and you can dig and divide those bulbs when the foliage starts to yellow or freely pulls loose when slightly tugged.
You can either replant these bulbs immediately, or you can knock off excess soil, let them air out for a few days, place bulbs in a box with newspaper, and store in a cool, dry place. You can replant these in the fall around October.
You can set out summer bulbs, such as cannas, dahlias, gladioli, and tuberoses) in mid-April. Be sure to plant gladioli several times at 2-week intervals for blooms throughout the summer.
Fertilize established roses once new growth is 2 inches long. Begin spraying to control black spot disease. For recommendations on what to use, contact your local county extension office.
Did you buy Easter lilies or receive them as a gift this year? Don't throw them out after their blooms are spent! These beauties will come back next year. Plant the bulbs in a sunny spot in your flower garden in well-drained soil and enjoy them late next spring and early summer.
Clematis
Dogwood
Iris
Redbud
Spring-Blooming Spirea
Tulip
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