Southwest April Gardening Tips

For many, spring gardens aren’t a reality until Memorial Day hits, but for gardeners in America’s Southwest, the planting season can be year-round! Traditional “winter crops” can be grown with success, and with such early last-frost dates, new spring seedlings can be started and even plugged into the ground by this time. Here at Cooks Home Center we adore gardening just like most in the Southwest do! But how do you know if you’re properly prepared for your Southwest spring garden when there is so much to do? We’ve talked a lot about how to use recycled water to be the most efficient gardener on the block. But here are some other handy tips for April in the Southwest below:

1. Tend to all the winter growth.

If you haven’t had a chance to maintain what you’ve grown over the winter months OR you tend to let things go dormant during this time period, now is your chance to take stock and spiff up. Prune any trees that require it since the springtime will naturally encourage growth. Pull, till or dig in your winter crops or mulch to prepare your garden beds for new seeds and seedlings.

2. Make a garden plan for this year.

Sit down and make a few lists about what you’d like to grow, where you’d like to plant it, and what your schedule looks like. Every experienced gardener knows that spending a few extra moments in preparation saves bundles of time down the road.

3. Increase water care on existing plants.

You likely have many plants that roll along with you throughout the year, cycling through their seasonal changes as more of a desert-loving plant. Or you could also have some winter vegetables that are still producing. Now’s the time to give them a bit of extra water and attention. At the very least keep a close eye on them during this transitional time. As the days heat up, you may notice that some of your plants that were doing fine all winter could use a little more TLC.

4. Seedlings should be real by now.

What does this mean? If you are in a Southwest garden zone (often 8’s and 9’s), you’ll know that your last expected frost date is quite early in the calendar year. Therefore, you can start seeds for seedlings or even direct seed into garden beds as early as February! Take advantage of this longer growing season by getting a jump start on young veggies and herbs. The early bird gets more vegetables at harvest time!

Most importantly, grow things you like, whether it’s veggies, herbs, trees, flowers or – most likely – a happy combination of these! This should be sometime you enjoy, not something that feels like another chore. Not only will you feel like your Southwest spring garden is more your own, but you can also take more delight in your bounty overall.

Happy Digging!