Austin Garden: 🌿 Fruit tree tips for April from Figbeard 🌿 eclipse notes 🌿.randomness in the garden

NURSERY NOTES: Join experts from TreeFolks and Central Texas Seed Savers for a Tree Identification Walk on April 13 at 9:15 a.m at Zilker's oak grove. Austin Organic Gardeners 🌿 Also on April 13, Figbeard presents a fruit tree workshop at the Central Texas Food Bank Farm (6500 Metropolis Drive) from 9 - 11:30 a.m. Tour the farm, enjoy coffee & snacks from RadioEast, "and get hands-on with fig, pear, and persimmon trees." eventbrite ❦

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BIRDS, BEES, PLANTS, & THE ECLIPSE: with Monday's celestial event looming, writer Carolyn Y. Johnson shares tales of strange animal behavior during past events, such as orb-weaving spiders tearing down their webs in Mexico in 1991. Washington Post ❦

DESIGNING WITH RANDOMNESS: join award-winning designer James Hitchmough for a webinar on April 13 at 11 a.m. to learn about "‘Managing Density and Layering in Nature-like Plantings’ $20. New Perennialist ❦

FLORAL-ART AT THE DOUGHERTY: international artist Ziesook You offers a unique array of flora and fauna portraits in her "Scent of Austin" exhibit in the Julia C. Butridge Gallery (within the Dougherty Arts Center). She bases her artistry on a tiny village of Broq-pa in Nepal, where women celebrate flowers as a path to joy, and weave them in their hair every day. The show is free, and closes April 20.

Gallery Details; interview ❦

THE AUSTIN GARDEN relies entirely on support from its readers. Please consider making a donation to support this bi-monthly publication. Whether an annual or monthly donation, all are welcomed. (At the moment only 5% of readers support this publication) Many thanks in advance! PayPal link ❦

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CENTRAL TEXAS GARDENER: in their first home, a young couple went for native plants when their yard bit the dust in drought. Meet wildlife advocate Drake White who started the first native plant nursery in San Antonio. CTG ❦

Fruit Trees in April

by Figbeard

April air hangs thick with anticipation: new growing seasons ahead, blossoms transforming into fruitlets, and the promise of proverbial precipitation. Make the most of this humid month and don’t let rains spoil the party for your fruit trees.

Prime-Time for Planting

Seize the chance to enrich your landscape with new fruit trees and beneficial companion plants. The cool, rainy days of April are perfect to establish young plantings before summer heat.

Skip Fertilizer, Add Compost and Mulch

To nourish your landscape, steer clear of synthetic fertilizers that damage soil ecology. Opt for organic compost – or really indulge with vermicompost or worm castings, aka "black gold." And remember to add mulch to protect soil, suppress weeds, and insulate roots.

Figbeard speaking at the Herb Bar in March.

Thin Young Fruits

Don’t be greedy! Remove excess fruits to get larger, higher-quality produce. Thinning fruits also supports tree health and reduces risks of stress-induced crop loss.

Patrol & Control Pests

Soft-bodied pests like aphids and whitefly multiply in humid April weather. Manual squishing, water-hose-blasting, and organic sprays with neem oil + dish soap (at dusk for solar-sensitive safety) can control these leaf leeches.

Fight Fungal Disease

April showers unleash fungal powers. Look out for leaf rust, especially on fig trees. Prevent and treat leaf rust with organic copper fungicide spray. Other fungal foes like powdery mildew can be treated with an organic sulfur fungicide.

Power Up for Productivity

Don't let this pivotal month pass you by. Seize on the prime-time of spring cultivation and invite Figbeard along to share expert advice for your fruit trees and edible landscape. ❦