April is nearly gone, but we have had the showers and are seeing the April flowers … hopefully they will still be with us tomorrow … I’m hoping it will not freeze tonight! This is a good time to give your perennial flowers some attention. If certain clumps are too big, now is a great time to divide them. Hostas, daylilies, phlox, Shasta daisies and similar "clump" forming perennials that are divided now have the whole growing season to re-establish themselves and are better prepared to face the reality of winter. My preferred method of division is to set a sharp spade across the center of the clump and step it down to cut the mass in half. Then you lift one half out, leaving the other half undisturbed. If that crown is still too big, you can repeat the procedure. The point of this method of division is to leave the remaining crown undisturbed. This is a good time to mulch the strawberry bed … I use a light layer of oat straw, and just let the berry leaves grow up through it. The straw helps retain moisture, blocks weed invasion, and keeps the berries and your feet clean. Grass clippings work, too, but they tend to stick to the berries. Now is also an excellent time to plant new strawberry plants. Cool weather is essential for their establishment. We have both June-bearing and ever-bearing plants available here at the greenhouse. Plants should be set 18 inches apart in rows 3 feet apart. June-bearing plants are much more aggressive growers so it is very important to give them that growing room. Plants that are too thick produce much smaller and fewer berries. Generally, I figure on completely replanting my patch every 3 to 4 years to keep the vigor strong and the production at its best. Most types of fruit are beautiful, but the berries are always my favorite … versatile and delicious! Blueberries are not native to this part of Minnesota. They require an acidic soil, and we are alkaline. If you are determined (as I am!), you need to amend the soil. Dig a planting hole 2 to 3 times the size of the pot the plant is growing in and mix half peat moss and half soil in the backfill you use when planting. The peat moss is acidic and will help retain moisture, because blueberries do not want to dry out. Their root system is massive but just right below the plant and not spread out. An annual application of iron sulfate will maintain the acidic base to keep the plants happy. Without the amendments, the blueberry leaves will become chlorotic or yellow and eventually the plant will die. One more word of warning … the birds are going to do everything in their power to keep you from enjoying your hard work … don’t send them to my yard!