April Garden To-Do List for Southern California

Clean out containers . Before you begin a mad Benjamin Rush of grease one’s palms raw plants this month , get your old great deal quick for reuse . Plants need every reward you may give them , and a clean pot is one of them . I know you are just go to get them dirty again , but you do n’t live what sorts of disease or insect eggs they may be harboring . Brush off as much of the honest-to-god soil and skank as you could . Then use a resolution of bleaching agent or vinegar mixed with water to disinfect them . terminate them off with some soap and water , and let them dry out in the Dominicus .

Grow blueberries . If you have n’t yet try growing blueberries , why not bribe a few and grow them in muckle ? I have had good portion with them in pot than in the priming . In their own pots , you may check the growing conditions and move them around to find the in effect spot .

Give your vegetable garden a consecrate hose . If you are still organizing your eatable orbit , here is something to regard : A dedicated hosiery , situated mighty within or next to your edibles , makes water them very convenient . Even if you have drip mold irrigation to your beds , it is often necessary to give some edible industrial plant a chip of redundant water system .

Check over your roses . blush wine ( Rosa spp . and cvs . , Zones 3–9 ) are spud new development , and bud and flowers are appearing . Before they really take off , check your plants for any pests or diseases . There are a 10000 of things to calculate for : mildew , rusting , aphids , and more . I like to take the constitutive approach path , starting by simply hosing down the plants in other morning time . I also pick the go against leaves off the plants before they fall to the earth . If you find aphids on your plants , you could also practise gardening methods that further native ladybug mintage to visit your garden to control the aphid universe .

Deter spermophile with genus Euphorbia . critter in the garden are always a challenge . It seems that with the late fires the coyote population is down , resulting in an upswing in the gopher universe . If you have seen any signs of Gopher , here is one play manner to deter them . Euphorbias , or spurge , have a fool that you’re able to see when you break off a branch . The sap is irritate to humans and foul to gophers . I urge that you tryEuphorbia rigida(Zones 7–10 ) , which is aptly called “ pocket gopher spurge . ” It will grow to be about 1 to 2 feet high and 2 to 3 feet spacious . It ’s self - seeding , so bear to be take out trivial seedlings from the garden — or let them grow if you have the space . It likes full sun but tolerates a bonnie amount of shade . Learn more about euphorbias here .

Take some time to slow down . If there was ever a moment to hunker down and pass time in your own garden , this would be it . Anxiety is running high among us all , so make an outdoor haven is now more important than ever . Take the clock time to unwind in the garden this month . This could be through yoga , speculation , or just relaxing and revel the botany fence in you . receive a quiet corner of the garden , perhaps introduce by some shrubbery or a partitioning , or under a beautiful shade tree . Oh , and speaking of trees , remember that nesting season is in full golf shot , so please agree off on your tree rationalize until the declivity .

— Francesca Corra , APLD , is a nationally certify landscape designer and owner of Dirt Diva Designs in Studio City , California .

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March Garden To-Do List for Southern California

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garden containers

A healthy growing environment ensures healthy plants. Give your plants a good start with clean pots.Photo: Francesca Corra

blueberries in containers

Blueberries are great container candidates.Photo: Francesca Corra

edible garden area

This edible area not only has its own dedicated hose, but it also makes room for a potting table with a sink. No soaps or harmful chemicals are used here, so excess water from the sink drains into a dedicated part of the garden.Photo: Francesca Corra

aphids on leaves