Indoors
- Start seeds of tomatoes, peppers, eggplants, perennials, and annual flowers under indoor lighting or in a bright sunny window.
- Start a garden journal. Keep record of what, when, where and the results of your plantings.
- Take cuttings of house plants. Repot house plants if needed.
- Start canna roots in a large pot to set outdoors in May.
- Start seeds of flowers for transplanting outdoors in May.
Outdoors
- Have garden soil tested by a laboratory for soil levels and pH prior to beginning a new garden. Test will provide valuable information on what amendments will be needed.
- Prepare garden soil if not done in the fall. Remove dead plants and debris, remove weeds, top with 1 inch compost or till in cover crop/composted manures. Do not plow, till, or spade soil until it is dry enough. If lump of soil squeezed in your hand does not fall apart when tapped, it is too wet to work.
- Top asparagus beds with fertilizer or compost.
- Move broccoli, cabbage, and cauliflower seedlings outdoors to a cold frame or protected spot. Seeds may also be planted directly into the garden.
- Dig up clumps of hosta to be divided and replant.
- In mild weather, plant roses, trees, and shrubs.
- Top-dress lawn with compost, fill in low spots, and reseed.
- As soon as planting conditions are right, sow peas, potatoes, sweet peas, poppies, and other cool weather crops.
- By mid-month plant seeds of carrots, beets, kohlrabi, parsnips, spinach, parsley, cabbage, radishes, leaf lettuces, and turnips.
- Tie up ornamental grasses (for easy removal) and cut back to a few inches above ground level.
