Midwest Gardening Checklist: April & May Tasks for Zones 4–6

After a long Midwest winter, the garden awakens. Frost still possible, but it’s time to get busy. Here’s your zone-by-zone, week-by-week action plan.

First Week of April

• Indoors: Transplant warm-season veggies to larger pots. Pot up summer bulbs for May planting.
• Outdoors: Plant/transplant hardy plants. Divide crowded early bulbs, summer/fall perennials. Prune trees/shrubs (except spring bloomers). Lightly fertilize emerging perennials.

Throughout April

• Continue pruning trees, shrubs, shrub roses.
• Shear/mow winter-damaged groundcovers to 5".
• Deadhead bulbs—leave foliage to yellow and feed bulbs.
• Apply pre-emergent weed killer to storage areas.
• Zone 6: Spring cleanup, prep beds, service irrigation, harden off annuals.
• Zones 4–5: Spring cleanup (lawn/garden), start rose care, finish major lawn maintenance.

First Week of May (After Frost Danger Passes)

• Plant bare-root, evergreens, container trees/shrubs, groundcovers, perennials, annuals, summer bulbs, tropical water lilies, containers.
• Divide crowded bulbs/perennials.
• Sow/transplant warm-season veggies (with protection).

Throughout May

• Finish pruning winter-damaged wood.
• Prune new growth on needle evergreens.
• Deadhead early spring bulbs, annuals, perennials for rebloom.
• Fertilize needle evergreens, annuals, containers, spent bulbs.
• Mulch/edge new beds. Set stakes, trellises.
• Weed/thin vegetables. Water if dry.
• Add fish to lily ponds. Move cool-houseplants outdoors.
• Zones 4–5 lawns: Finish cleanup, 2nd fertilizing of cool-season grasses.

April–May is a sprint in the Midwest. Do the work now, and the payoff is a spectacular, diverse, thriving garden all season.