Garden Chores – April and Very Early May USDA Zone 4 and 5

All plants grown in the high wind prairie, Midwest, in macro-climate zone 5(ish). Average dewpoint in summer is around 60. Soil is a loamy clay. Although my preference is organic, I have used commercial fertilizers from time to time. Gardening personality relaxed and experimental, purist about very little. Growing Days approximately 135
TC=Time Cost in minutes

dahlia bud - CElisabeth at 8th deadly sin ORG
Dahlia bud – CElisabeth at 8th deadly sin ORG

Spring Chores Completed

-Tree spray of Neem (with azadirachtin), dish soap, Captain Jacks Deadbug and Copper fungicide TC45
-Training branches of front pear trees TC10
-Replanting of the straggler tomatoes and peppers TC45
-Started a compost pile with the overwintered leaves TC15

Chores Due this month

-Tree Spray Neem (with azadirachtin), dish soap, Captain Jacks Deadbug and Copper Fungicide at petal drop. TC45

Inventory, TC60 DONE

Remove the winter stakes and fencing around the trees TC30 – DONE

-Update Experiments, upload video TC60

-Cayenne where there are bunny nibbles TC15 ONGOING

Clean up Memorial Garden DONE

Acidify the blueberry patch, cardboard grass and prune DDD TC20 DONE

-Start the new asparagus patch TC60

That squirrel nest…ugh. Do something! Mother Nature’s winds got the job done. Thanks, I appreciate you!

Fertilize…check your notes first! Likely asparagus patch, fruit trees and bushes, lilac. TC60 DONE

-Are we planting carrots or are the random reseeded volunteers enough? TC30

-Film, Edit, Upload:
+soil snacks TC60
+the No Germination list, detail changes made to planting process this year TC45

Prune Onion TC5 DONE

Clean out garden bench TC60 DONE

-Procure: Captain Jacks, fungicide, Mulch, SVB traps TC30

-Return Royal Anne to Lowes TC60

Mulch roses and trim the grass DONE

-Transplant into garden
+Onion TC30 DONE

Plant Direct:
+potatoes TC30 DONE
+spinach TC15 DONE
+peas (all) TC30 DONE
+gladiolus TC45 DONE
+greens TC15 DONE
+strawberries TC20 DONE
+canna DONE
+dahlias, plant with cilantro per Mountain View Gardens DONE except cilantro

Hook up and test the hoses TC20 DONE

Spray the boulevards TC60 DONE

-Service the mower, new oil and air filter TC45

Finalize the Garden Plan TC120 DONE

Start checking your favorite youtubers and kick ass people with garden websites cough for garden content and subscribe! James Prigioni (zone 7) is a favorite, as is Mark’s Garden Life (zone 6-7) and Sharon’s Garden (zone 5). I’ll add mine once I have more content. Edit: It’s March 2024 and I have a small yet growing collection of puppy, garden and weather content! See Bottom of Article.

Harden off the cool weather plants TCinfinity DAY 1 DONE

Double check the plan for the outdoor greenhouse. Is there room for all I want to do? TC30 DONE

Walk the garden plan and check for spot where water is pooling and any other changes. TC20 DONE

Assign stakes and pots TC60 DONE

move the bleeding heart NOT NEEDED, the little one came back!

Check compost DONE

set up hoses and hose pot DONE

Finish disinfecting pots TC120 I Skipped This

-set up trellis

-clean AC unit

move the iris asap!!! DONE

-Repot/Up-pot:
+Domingo TC10 DEAD
+Ranunculus TC15 DONE

+Peppers TC60 DONE

Check dahlias TC15 DONE

-Cardboard the Vine Paths

-Weeds begin to make their presence known, especially those darn dandelions. Time to ensure you have the tools you need to handle the problem, whether you are like me and DIY weed removal with hand pulling, mulch and ground cover, or if you employ a service to handle the weed control. Thank you Grandpa’s Weeder! Love that thing. Needs WD40 though. TCinfinity

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