Gardening Calendar for April - Colorado State University Extension Tri River Area Mesa Delta Montrose Ouray Counties

Sunday	Monday	Tuesday	Wednesday	Thursday	Friday	Saturday
Week 1
Call the Dial-a-Garden Message weekly at 970 244-1706 to learn the latest for the week. Average last spring frost of 28 ^oF. in Palisade is April 3.	Aerate the lawn as soon as possible to help improve root growth and plant vigor. This will increase drought resistance and help reduce disease and insect problems.	Water the lawn a couple days prior to aerating to improve penetration of the aerator tines. Use an aerator that pulls a plug of soil from the turf.	Cool season grasses (Kentucky bluegrass, tall fescue, and perennial ryegrass) can be seeded at this time. Keep the seeded areas moist to ensure germination.	Damage to lawns on the south and west sides of building and along sidewalks may be due to winter feeding of mites. Watering occassionally during the winter helps prevent this problem.	Carrots, beets and other cold hardy vegetables can be seeded in the garden two weeks prior to the average last spring frost of 28^o Fahrenheit.
Week 2
Sprays for the Ash Borer (Podosesia syringae will be needed soon. Check with the Dial-a-Garden Message for timing. Average last spring frost of 28 ^o in Grand Junction: (elevation - 4850) is April 10; (elevation - 4620 feet) is April 11.	Apricots are the first fruit trees in our area to bloom. If the tree is small enough, covering it with a sheet and hanging a 5 watt light bulb in the tree can often protect the tree from April frosts. Turn the bulb on nights when frost is forcast.	Call 244-1710 for frost warning information.	Evergreens that were `burned' during the winter due to winter dessication will show that damage this month. Euonymous planted on an east or south exposure also will show such damage. Provide protection next winter if such damage is evident this spring.	Sycamores should be protected from anthracnose with preventative fungicide sprays if wet weather occurs during budbreak. Avoid the tendency to over-fertilize your lawn. Applying a small amount of fertilizer is OK but applying too much can increase turf disease problems.	White pine weevils can kill the top whorls of spruce and pine. Terminals should be protected prior to egg laying by overwintering females.	When ditch water is available, avoid the tendency to over-water lawns and gardens. Fruit trees may not need watering until the first of June if water was provided just before the water was turned out of the ditch last November. Over-watering in the spring can increase disease problems and nutrient deficiencies.
Week 3
Prune honeysuckle to remove dead and damaged terminals that may contain eggs of the honeysuckle witch's broom aphid. As soon as these shrubs begin growth, a systemic insecticide spray will help control this insect and other honeysuckle-damaging aphids.	Roses should be pruned one week prior to the average last killing spring frost. Check the climatic data to determine that date for your community.	Average Last Spring frost of 28 ^o F. in Gateway is April 21; Average last spring frost of 32^oF. in Palisade is April 21. The average last spring frost of 32 ^oF. in Grand Junction (elevation - 4850 feet) is April 23	Begin mowing your lawn as soon as it is three and three-quarter inches high. Cut the lawn back to a height of two and one-half inches.	The Cooley spruce gall insect causes a pinecone-like distortion where new growth begins. This disfigures the tree. Sprays to control this insect must be on before the over-wintering insect lays its eggs in late April.	Damage to lawns from sod webworm will begin at this time. Check for these insects and treat if necessary. If you have birds working your lawn they probably will provide all the control you need for this insect.	Gum formation on the trunk and branches of peach, apricot, cherry and plum (prune) could be due to Cytospora Canker. This amber colored ooze is indicative of this fungal problem.
Week 4
Sprays to prevent the Hackberry nipple gall should be applied when hackberry leaves are one-quarter unfurled.	Using wettable powder formulations of insecticides and fungicides will avoid damage (phytotoxicity) to new plant growth.	Wet weather when aspen leaves are expanding increases problems with aspen leafspot fungus. Treatments of a fungicide can be applied to help avoid this problem.		Tent caterpillar larvae may be present on fruit and shade trees. A dormant oil spray made earlier should have controlled these leaf-feeding insects. Don't forget to apply a dormant oil next year.	Sprays to control Tent Caterpillar larvae work better when a couple drops of a liquid dishwashing soap is added to each gallon of spray.	Pine needle scale crawlers will be emerging soon. when they are active is the best time to control them with a spray of an insecticide. Use a wettable powder formulation of insecticide to avoid burning the needles.
Week 5
	Average last spring frost (28 ^o F. in Montrose is April 25; Fruita is April 26; Delta is April 27.	Early spring winds can cause damage to Globe Willows and other trees.	Average last spring frost (28 ^oF. in Paonia (elevation - 6200 feet) is April 29; Cedaredge is April 30