Fertilize your rhododendrons and azaleas with an acid-based fertilizer if needed.
Gardening "To Do" Tips by Month for Chase, BC
If soil temperature is above 70 degrees, you can now plant eggplants, melons, tomatoes, squash, and peppers.
Manage weeds while they are small and still growing.
Watch out for pests in the garden. Trap moles and gophers as new mounds appear.
Check your plants for any insects, such as aphids, cabbageworms, black beetles, and root maggots and control as needed. (See our Pest pages for advice.)
When the soil is warm, apply a layer of mulch around your plants as long as there are no weeds. Mulch discourages weeds and helps to conserve moisture.
Continue to mow your lawn regularly. If you use any lawn food, be sure to keep it away from your plants.
Lay soaker hoses or drip lines on garden beds to conserve water.
Plant bedding flowers in moist soil and remember to keep them well watered.
Prune your flower shrubs after they have finished blooming—azaleas, forsythia, lilacs, and rhododendrons. You can also prune evergreens once new growth appears.
Fertilize your roses and check for diseases; treat if needed.
Cut back spring-blooming perennials to about 3 inches in height after they finish blooming. Sow more perennial seeds and set out new perennial plants.
Plant dahlias, gladioli, and tuberous begonias.
You can sow hardy annual seeds now, such as calendula, cosmos, and sweet peas.
