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Lawn, Garden & Landscaping

2013-03-25 16:09:23

Plants & vegetables that last in early April

Q-I’m always eager to start my garden every year. When is it “safe” to start and what plants will last if the weather isn’t ideal?

A-Spring is here!!!! Well I hope it is. I'm writing this in early March and today was beautiful, but it did just snow 2 weeks ago and we live in Kansas. Here is a list of things you can plant in early April and you should not have to worry about the weather. The disclaimer is, we live in Kansas and it can get very cold still but is unlikely too. Early season vegetables like potatoes, onions, lettuce, broccoli are a few. You can also plant most berries including strawberries, blackberries, and blueberries. Tree's and shrubs do very well planted in April. You can also plant perennials. Annual flowers are a bit more tricky. Our average last frost date is April 15th. What that means on an average year is that we will have our last frost on April 15th, that does not mean it cannot frost after that date. Some years the last frost might be in late March. This is not common but is possible. My recommendation would be to wait until close to the middle of April and look at a 7 day forecast and if it is not going to get cold you will probably be fine. You will have to pay attention to the weather as it is hard to predict and you may still have to protect your plants if it is going to get even close to a frost. Here is a list of annuals that can tolerate it on the cool side and are a little more forgiving than some in the cold. Petunias, violas and pansies, dianthus, snapdragons, and dusty miller. Annuals to plant when it is warm and there are no threats of cold temperatures include sweet potato vine, vinca, marigolds, moss rose, impatiens, and begonias. If unsure ask at you local independent garden center and they will best be able to help you with what is safe to plant and what is not.