Monthly Garden Chores for April – East Coast Edition

This is a guest post written by my buddy Heather from Massachusetts.  I thought it would be fun this year to post Monthly Garden Chores from both the West Coast and East Coast. You can see my April garden plans for my Seattle, Washington garden HERE.

Springtime in New England means about six weeks of rain, which I always think of a ‘waking up nature’. Today alone it must have rained six inches! Soon all the trees and bushes will start to bud, have you ever noticed that buds are different colors depending on the trees and the leaf color?

Seeds I’m Starting Indoors this Month

April 1st begins the 7-week count-down to planting day {May 20th around these parts}. So this month I’ll begin the seeds, that I haven’t already started to get the garden started come planting day.

~Garlic & Onions were planted last fall and beginning to come up with little green sprouts

~Tomatoes were started in February, and already about 6” tall {I added soil last month to the stems to deepen the root system}

~Brussels Sprouts, Swiss Chard, Kale, Eggplant, Jalapenos & Broccoli were started in March and are now little seedlings happily growing under my grow lights

~Beets, Beans, Carrots, Corn & Peas I’ll start in a hoop-greenhouse this month because they don’t transplant well. Note to self: build three hoop greenhouses.

~Start Basil, Pumpkins, Cilantro, Dill, Thyme, Oregano and Echinacea under the grow lights.

What I Plan to Transplant Outside this Month

Can I get an aaaaah-men! It’s rainy and windy which means it’s officially spring! In fact, my teenager wore shorts and a t-shirt to school today because “mom, *eye roll* it’s warmer than 40*, and we have the ‘40* rule”. It’s true; I had to put a cut-off temperature on the shorts! Essentially, it’s now shorts-weather here in New England, so although we can’t transplant anything this month I will spend the month sighing longingly at the garden.

Plants and/or Bulbs I Plan to Purchase this Month

Ya know how you pop into the feed store with the kids for some pine shavings for your flock and bring home two Barred Rock chicks? HA! Just Kidding! We actually had a plan. Because we have a small coop and only want a few chickens {and there is a 6 chick minimum purchase law in MA} we all agreed to get two Barred Rocks and coordinated with a few friends to make a 6-chick order. Now we have two Black Sex-links, two Rode Island Reds and two Barred Rocks – a whopping 6 chicken flock J All these breeds are cold hardy and heavy layers, so perfect for our area and needs. These two-week-old chicks are super energetic and are constantly running around and JUMPING in their brooder-box.

What I plan to Harvest This Month

Although I could clip some lettuce for a salad, I think I need to transplant them to larger pots or move them out to the greenhouses {I have yet to build} and let them get a little larger before I make a nice big, fat salad.

Houseplants and Indoor Bulbs

Good News! The oil and soap solution reader Mari suggested in the comments of my March post worked like a charm on the scale infestation my lemon tree had gotten. The scale infestation was really, really bad. I mean dis-gus-ting. The scales were multiplying, hanging off the leaves and branches, sticky stuff all over the plant and floor, and there were little bugs flying all over. {In full 80’s fashion} it was totally groady.

Mari suggested mixing 1 tsp ordinary liquid kitchen soap plus 1 tsp {any} cooking oil plus 1-quart water. Then shake and spray the entire plant. Make sure to spray the stem, top and bottom of the leaves and the soil at least every two-three days to eradicate all the various stages of the bugs. The best part? It’s homemade, and safe for plants, including veggies and is perfectly safe to use around pets and chickens.

Every day it has been above 30* I’ve wheeled my lemon out to the south-facing front steps and hosed it down with the mixture. I’m happy to report I’ve seen a drastic difference and I’ve even got a half-dozen or so lemon buds growing. Thanks Mari!!

Weed and Pest Control

The chicken tractor is a huge hit! I can’t help but wonder what the heck they’re eating so greedily in my perfectly normal looking yard, but I’m lovin’ it.

Lawn Care Projects

I have a confession to make. There is a giant pile of rubber mulch from when my garden was the site of a kid’s play set. I’ve donated the majority to a pre-school and have the rest to bag up for sale, but it’s a mammoth labor-heavy job.

Anyone else have an ugly, you-don’t-want-to-do job waiting for you in the yard this spring?

~ Heather

**These garden chores are based on my Zone 5b Southeast/Boston MA location. Find your garden zone HERE.