Hyams Garden Center and Accent Store

Serving Greater Charleston Area with Quality, Variety & Professionalism since 1981

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The Charleston Spring Garden: What to Plant in April

April is one of the most rewarding months in the Lowcountry garden. The soil has warmed, the days are longer, and everything seems ready to grow.

If you’ve been waiting to plant, now is your moment.

This is the time to introduce warm-season flowers that will carry your garden beautifully into summer. Bright, cheerful blooms like zinnias, marigolds, and cosmos thrive in the April sun, bringing color and movement to your beds. For shaded spaces, begonias and impatiens offer softness and continuous blooms.

Vegetable gardeners can begin planting tomatoes and peppers with confidence, while herbs such as basil and mint take quickly to the warmth and are perfect for both containers and garden beds.

A few simple tips can make all the difference:

Choose a sunny location for most flowering plants

Water consistently, especially as temperatures begin to rise

Enrich your soil with compost or quality garden soil before planting

April is not just about planting—it is about beginning. With just a little effort now, your garden will reward you for months to come.

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It is Pre-Emergent Season in Charleston

🌱 It’s Pre-Emergent Season in Charleston! 🌱

Now is the perfect time to protect your lawn from unwanted weeds before they even have a chance to sprout. In Charleston’s Lowcountry climate, applying a pre-emergent weed control in late summer through early fall is essential for keeping your grass looking lush and healthy all season long.

Why Apply Pre-Emergent Now?

Pre-emergent herbicides don’t kill existing weeds—they stop new ones from germinating. That means timing is everything. Once temperatures begin to drop from summer highs but before fall weeds germinate, your lawn is most vulnerable. Treating now helps prevent cool-season invaders like annual bluegrass, chickweed, henbit, and other broadleaf weeds from taking root.

Tips for Best Results:

Apply early: Don’t wait until you see weeds—it will be too late. Apply while soil is still warm, typically late August through September in Charleston.

Water it in: A light watering (or a good rain) after application activates the product and ensures it penetrates the soil surface.

Mow before, not after: Mowing before application helps the herbicide reach the soil without interference.

Reapply if needed: For longer protection, a follow-up treatment in 6–8 weeks may be recommended, depending on the product.

Protect Your Lawn Investment

Healthy lawns don’t happen by accident—they’re cared for season by season. A well-timed pre-emergent application saves you the frustration of battling weeds later and keeps your grass thriving through the cooler months.

Stop by Hyams Garden Center to find the right pre-emergent for your specific lawn type and get expert advice on application. Let’s keep Charleston lawns beautiful together!

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Lawn Maintenance

Hey everyone, I hope you’re having a great Spring! If you haven’t fertilized yet, the time is here. It looks like everyone’s grass has greened up enough to tolerate an application of Ferti-lome 15-0-15 Centipede Lawn Fertilizer or something similar. It is a good formulation to ease all warm season grasses into fully greening up including St. Augustine, Zoyzia and Bermuda. Please hold off using any “weed and feed” products as the herbicide component could burn the new grass shoots. A strong healthy grass will choke out many of the weeds you may have now. If needed you could apply a weed and feed after the grass is fully greened up, and we have those on hand. We will have pre-emergents later in the month to apply around Memorial Day to prevent the dreaded Chamberbitter and Virginia Buttonweed. Selective herbicides like Image Kills Nutsedge can be applied after your grass is fully greened to control other problematic weeds. I have had several folks come in with some fungal issues and we have Scotts DiseaseEX on hand as well as a couple of other products. I hope these suggestions help you have a lawn you can be proud of! (Randy Howie)


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February Lawn Tasks

__Get soil tests to prepare for Spring lime and fertilizer applications. 2cups of soil from each area in question or a random combined sample can be taken to Clemson Ag Extension office at 259 Meeting St, the second floor of the Senior Citizens Center, Mon-Fri 8:00-4:00. $6.00 per sample. More information available at www.clemson.edu/extension/hgic.

__Calculate yard square footage of each area for how much lime/fertilizer/herbicide/insecticide you may need. Help with this can be found in our store or on the website for Clemson Cooperative Extension Home and Garden Information Center www.clemson.edu/extension/hgic.

__Plan your pre-emergent herbicide applications for 3rd or 4th week of this month. Scotts WeedEx (pendimethalin) should be applied at this time to well established lawns to prevent crabgrass, spurge, oxalis and other listed weeds. One 10 lb. bag treats 5000 sq ft. It should be applied to dry grass with a broadcast (we lend these) or drop spreader and watered in with approximately ¼ inch water. Remember not to overseed treated areas because pendamethalin prevents seed germination. Also do not rake or otherwise disturb soil bed as this would break the chemical barrier in the soil. Do not re-apply pendamethalin for at least 8 weeks. As always, be sure to read the label carefully and follow all directions. For extended crabgrass and broadleaf control, an application of Hi-Yield Turf & Ornamental Weed & Grass Stopper with Dimension may be applied 4-6 weeks later. Wait until at least mid March to start any fertilizer programs.

__Now is the time to prune most deciduous trees and shrubs. Crape myrtles, Chinese elms, Japanese maples, red maples and oaks could all benefit from a thoughtfully planned prune this month. Remove crossing and thin branches to allow for more light and air flow. Wait on spring flowering trees like purple leaf plums, cherries, redbuds and tulip (Japanese) magnolias until after they bloom. Summer flowering shrubs like roses, callicarpa, hibiscus and most grasses can be pruned this month. Some evergreens like ligustrum and hollies can be pruned between now and the first of April. Leave Spring flowering shrubs like azalea, spiraea, indian hawthorn and gardenias until after they have flowered. Wait until April to prune camellia, then fertilize them along with gardenia, azaleas and hollies with Holly-Tone. Do not hesitate to call Randy at 843-795-4570 in the store or e-mail at rhowie@hyamsgardencenter.com if you have questions.