April in High Desert Gardens Pt I

Posted by Robert Dailey Apr 12, 2007

In the high desert (USDA Zones 6 and below and above 5,000 feet) you’ve undoubtedly already experienced some spring-like days, and you’re dying to get out in that garden and Do Something!

Even if you’re still inclined to sit by the fire, take a few hours today, get some fresh air, and start some garden chores that really need to be done now.

Cleaning Debris

Somehow, during the winter, those cold winds have swept leaves and other debris into the corners of your yard, under and against trunks of trees and into the dried stems of perennials.

You’re also going to find grass and other materials that have matted under the snow.

Now’s the time to get out there and clean up that mess.

Take those leaves, old mulch, grass and any other organic debris and put it in your compost pile.

Pruning

You’re also going to be pruning some of your plants, like Russian sage and butterfly bushes, so add that waste to the compost as well. You can prune your Russian sage and butterfly bushes down to 8 to 12 inches from the ground, although some people like to make their pruning less drastic and cut back them back one-third instead to one-half instead.

Roses need to be pruned back now as well. At least the floribundas, English and hybrid teas. Climbers can wait until after May blooming.

You can also put down some fertilizer now, as long as it is not high in nitrogen. High nitrogen fertilizer encourages green growth, and you don’t want a lot of that until the last frost has passed (and that’s after May 15 for most people in the high desert.)