abodes

While lemongrass is available at grocery stores, it never hurts to have the fresh stuff on hand, and spring is the ideal time to plant lemongrass in your home garden. Just like decorative grasses, lemongrass can be planted directly into the ground. However, it’s versatile and will also fair well in containers. While many of your plants need to be shielded from the sun, lemongrass likes it hot so you can plant it in direct sunlight with fertile, well-drained soil. If you want to get technical, the ideal pH of the soil should be 6.5-7. In these conditions, expect it to take anywhere from 75 to 100 days to grow from a seedling to a useable plant. If you care for your garden properly, lemongrass is the gift that keeps on giving. It should come back year after year as long as you keep it away from the frost. For that reason, some choose to plant their lemongrass in containers that can be moved indoors for the coldest part of the year.

April Garden Tasks

This month you’ll want to: :

• Plant droughttolerant herbs for summer use :

• Plant roses and other tender bulbs :

• Spring clean your backyard :

Spring Herbs

If you’re looking for ingredients to add to cooking, baking, drinks, or home-made beauty products such as deodorants and soaps, then look no further than spring herbs. Since San Joaquin County gets hot, it helps to choose drought-tolerant plants that can handle the high temperatures outdoors. While you can grow more temperamental options inside, the following seven will do well in a warmer climate: lavender, sage, rosemary, thyme, feverfew, echinacea, and oregano.

• Re-seed your lawn and treat patchy spots :

• Prune your florals that bloomed in spring :

• Add birdhouses and bird feeders to your yard :

• Create a salad garden for summer meals :

• Focus on perennial herbs that come back year after year like dill, fennel, lavender, oregano, and rosemary.