What To Do In Your Garden In April - planning a harvest - Brief Article

* BEDDING PLANTS. Replace fading cool-season annuals with heat lovers like celosias, dahlias, marigolds, petunias, salvias, and verbenas. Plant from sixpacks when you can; they're more economical and rapidly catch up to 4-inch plants. Cosmos and zinnias are good choices too; they're great for cutting, and the old-fashioned annuals attract beneficial insects.

* HARDY VEGETABLES. Zones 1-2: As soon as soil can be worked, sow seeds of beets, broccoli, cabbage, carrots, cauliflower, endive, kohlrabi, lettuces, onions, parsley, parsnips, peas, potatoes, radishes, spinach, Swiss chard, and turnips.

* TENDER PLANTS. Zones 7-9, 14-17: It's hard to resist gorgeous tropicals and subtropicals such as bougainvillea, hibiscus, jacaranda, Mexican lime, mandevilla, pink trumpet vine, and plumeria, even if these tender plants are only marginally hardy in Northern California. Set them out now so they have the growing season to get established, and plant in protected sites--against a south-facing wall or under an overhang (but not under tall plants)--or in containers that can be moved to a protected area in winter.

* SUMMER FLOWERS. Zones 7-9, 14-17: All warm-season annuals can be planted now. For best buys, purchase sixpacks. Use 4-inch plants for instant color. Try ageratum, dwarf dahlia, globe amaranth, impatiens, lobelia, Madagascar periwinkle (vinca), marigold, statice, petunia, phlox, portulaca, salvia, sanvitalia, sunflower, sweet alyssum, verbena, and zinnia.

* UNCOIL ROOTS. When planting trees, shrubs, and vines, check their root systems after they come out of the container. If roots are starting to circle around the soil ball, score them with a knife and cut any circling roots (don't do this on plants with sensitive roots, such as bougainvillea or leptospermum).

* HOTTEST PEPPERS. For peppers with pizzazz, try growing 'Habanero'--one of the hottest grown in the United States. Redwood City Seed Company (650/325-7333 or www.redwoodcityseed.com) sells orange, red, and yellow varieties (the red and yellow peppers are sold under the name 'Scotch Bonnet').

MAINTENANCE

* PRUNE. Zones 7-9, 14-17: After new growth appears, prune off frost-damaged wood on tender plants such as bougainvillea and citrus. Also prune to shape overgrown hedges and spring-flowering vines and shrubs after they bloom.

* ROTATE VEGETABLE BEDS. If you have room in your garden, rotate planting sites every year to avoid buildup of diseases and insects that can survive in the soil or on plant residue. Don't replant the same or closely related plants in the area where they grew the last two or three years.

PEST CONTROL

* WATCH FOR INSECTS. If aphids appear on plant foliage, buds, or stems, hose them off with a strong blast of water or spray with insecticidal soap or neem. For unfamiliar pest problems, contact a county extension agent.