April

• Many trees and shrubs such as gardenias begin blossoming and actively growing.

• Keep your eye out for aphids, who literally suck the life out of new leaves. They'll leave a sticky substance where that disgusting layer of sooty mold will develop and thrive. To avoid sooty mold problems later on, control aphids now.

• To keep gardenias dark green and healthy, feed them every 6 to 8 weeks with a fertilizer containing iron.

• Feed your French hydrangeas this month, and plan on repeat applications in late spring, midsummer, and late summer. Use 10-10-10 fertilizer.

• Remove any old mulch from around roses, and apply a fresh, 3-inch layer of bark or pine straw.

• Begin spraying programs for roses to help prevent powdery mildew and black spot.

• Control tea scale on camellias now. They are easier to kill now because they haven't yet formed a layer of protective wax on their disgusting little bodies.

• Bulbs will rot if they don't get good drainage, except for Cannas; they'll grow right at the edge of a lake.