It’s time for this month’s edition of #HowDoesYourGardenGrow!

April is a transitional month for many things. It marks the true end of winter and the beginning of spring. The threat of frost has passed… although, it is Texas, so we never say never. The songbirds are coming back through on their annual migration, and we can see so many beautiful birds here in Texas that we don’t normally get to see. However, there is one problem. Many of our birds are coming back from their journeys carrying the deadly salmonella virus with them. In an effort to keep the birds in your yard safe, clean your feeders and watering stations. Simply take them down, empty them out and wash everything with a solution of 1 ounce bleach to 1 gallon of water. Make sure the feeders are dry before filling and rehanging them. If you can accomplish this weekly that would be awesome. The more often you do it, the less likely you are to transmit it at your feeding stations.

Gardening in April is loads of fun! The fall and winter crops are finishing and the spring crops are getting a good start in the warmer soil.  It is the best time to get your cucumbers, eggplants, cantaloupe, okra and summer peas in the ground so they can get a good start. Peppers, pumpkin, squash and watermelon should already be in the ground, but it’s not too late to get them started if you haven’t already done that. Be diligent with your weed control to keep those weeds from taking over in your garden as the days get longer. You can pick weeds by hand, use a garden weasel or similar tool, or mulch your garden with newspaper and hay. It will block the sunlight and prevent weed growth, and at the end of the season you can scoop it up and add it to your mulch pile.