Resist the temptation to do much digging or tilling in April, until the soil has dried out enough to crumble in the hand. If it forms a ball, it's still in danger of becoming severely compacted when worked or walked on. When the ground is able to be worked, seed cool-season vegetables directly into the garden. Divide perennials like hostas, daylillies, sedum, monarda and cone flowers. Replant with a couple of generous shovels of mature compost. Water after planting, and check every couple of days. Weed! Learn to recognize and pull weeds before the roots get deeply established and before they set seed. Prevent new weeds from seeing the light with a 1-2” layer of wood chips or well-aged compost. Remove spent flowers from spring-flowering bulbs. Spray fruit trees with dormant oil before bud break, and roses with lime sulfur before bud break to kill pests. The Guidelines below are from the Center for Plant Conservation. They have been adopted by The Native Plant Society of Northeastern Ohio, and the Society encourages all gardeners to look to them as best practices to the extent feasible. Ask for only non-invasive species when you acquire plants. Plant only environmentally safe species in your gardens. Work towards and promote new landscape design that is friendly to regional ecosystems. Seek information on which species are invasive in your area. Sources could include botanical gardens, horticulturists, conservationists, and government agencies. Remove invasive species from your land and replace them with non-invasive species suited to your site and needs. Do not trade plants with other gardeners if you know they are species with invasive characteristics. Request that botanical gardens and nurseries promote, display, and sell only non-invasive species. Help educate your community and other gardeners in your area through personal contact and in such settings as garden clubs and other civic groups. Ask garden writers and other media to emphasize the problem of invasive species and provide information. Request that garden writers promote only non-invasive species. Invite speakers knowledgeable on the invasive species issue to speak to garden clubs, master gardeners, schools and other community groups. Seek the best information on control of invasive plant species and organize neighborhood work groups to remove invasive plant species under the guidance of knowledgeable professionals. Volunteer at botanical gardens and natural areas to assist ongoing efforts to diminish the threat of invasive plants. Participate in early warning systems by reporting invasive species you observe in your area. Determine which group or agency should be responsible for reports emanating from your area. If no 800 number exists for such reporting, request that one be established, citing the need for a clearinghouse with an 800 number and website links to information about invasive plant species. [Note:  The Early detection&Distribution Mapping System (“EDDMapS”) has a website where invasive plants and other pests can be reported:  http://www.eddmaps.org.] Assist garden clubs to create policies regarding the use of invasive species not only in horticulture, but in activities such as flower shows. Urge florists and others to eliminate the use of invasive plant material. Following are some proven practices that will help get a corn crop off to a good start: * Till only when necessary and under proper soil conditions. Avoid working wet soil, and reduce secondary tillage passes. Perform secondary tillage operations only when necessary to prepare an adequate seedbed. Shallow compaction created by excessive secondary tillage can reduce crop yields. Deep tillage should be used only when a compacted zone has been identified and soil is relatively dry. Late summer and fall are the best times for deep tillage. * Complete planting by early May. The recommended time for planting corn in northern Ohio is April 15 to May 10, and in southern Ohio April 10 to May 10. But if soil conditions are dry and soil temperatures are rising quickly, and the 5-7-day forecast calls for favorable conditions, start planting before the optimal date. During the 2-3 weeks of optimal corn planting time, there is, on average, about one out of three days for field work. This narrow window of opportunity further emphasizes the need tobegin planting as soon as field conditions allow, even though the calendar date might be before the optimal date. * Avoid early planting on poorly drained soils or those prone to ponding. Yield reductions resulting from ‘mudding the seed in’ may be much greater than those resulting from a slight planting delay. Also, if dry corn seed absorbs cold water as a result of a cold rain or melting snow, ‘imbibitional chilling injury’ may result. Cold water can cause similar injury to seedling structures as they emerge during germination. Such injury in corn seed ruptures cell membranes and results in aborted radicles, proliferation of seminal roots and delayed seedling growth. * Adjust seeding depth according to soil conditions. Plant between 1.5 to 2 inches deep to provide for frost protection and adequate root development. In early to mid-April, when the soil is usually moist and evaporation rate is low, seed should be planted no deeper than 1.5 inches. When soils are warming up and drying fast in late May or early June, corn may be seeded more deeply, up to 2 to 2.5 inches on noncrusting soils. Consider seed-press wheels or seed firmers to ensure good seed-soil contact. * Adjust seed planting rates on field-by-field basis. Adjust planting rates by using the yield potential of a site as a major criterion for determining the appropriate plant population. Higher seeding rates are recommended for sites with high yield potential, high soil-fertility levels and water-holding capacity. Follow seed company recommendations to adjust plant population for specific hybrids. ...read more

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