April tasks |  |
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This is a hectic month in the garden, making sure every plant gets attention to keep it growing and healthy. |
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Borders | | | • | Slugs are out and about - and hungry - so be ready to apply some means of control before they devour all those tasty new shoots. | | • | Keep supporting bulb stems with canes if necessary and remove the dead flower heads to stop them wasting energy producing seed. Feed them after flowering (liquid tomato food is ideal) so the nutrients help build up the bulb for next year. | | • | Begin staking taller perennials early so that the supports are hidden by the foliage as they grow. | | • | Prune early shrubs like Forsythia after flowering, removing the flowered wood, to allow maximum growth time for the shoots to grow this year. | | • | Mulch around plants to reduce the need to weed and water over the summer. |
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Young Plants | | | • | Check for grey mould, which will spread right through the batch if not stopped. Uncover during the day to maintain good air-flow. | | • | Keep fleece handy for any cold nights. | | • | Unpack plug plants as soon as they arrive and keep them warm (and watered). Pot them individually or transplant them into the garden when the conditions are suitable. | | • | Move plants into individual pots as soon as they are large enough and pot them on before they become pot-bound. Any delay can cause a growth check. | | • | Continue to harden off the larger plants by standing them outside during the daytime to get them used to outdoors. They will still need covering every night for a few weeks yet. |
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Containers | | | • | As spring containers finish flowering, stand to one side to allow the bulbs to die down naturally, ready to flower again next year. Feed with liquid tomato fertiliser at least once to nourish the bulbs. | | • | Water containers regularly if rainfall is low or erratic. | | • | Keep patio containers on pot feet (or bricks) to prevent water-logging in heavy rain. If a pot becomes too wet, lay it on its side for a day to drain. | | • | Check if your plants need moving up into the next size of pot. | | • | Where the plant is in its final container and repotting is out of the question, scrape off the top few inches of soil/compost and replace it with fresh compost mixed with slow-release fertiliser. |
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Lawns | | | • | If the weather is dry, trim the lawn regularly with the blades set high. | | • | If you haven't already done so, apply a spring lawn treatment to give the winter-starved grass a boost for the summer. It will help it withstand the heat better. |
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Fruit | | | • | Plant thyme plants around the base of apple trees help encourage pollinating bees. | | • | Use fleece to protect blossoms of early flowering apricots, peaches and nectarines from frost damage. | | • | As the leaves emerge, spray gooseberry bushes with traditional Copper Fungicide, especially if there has been a high infection rate of American gooseberry mildew in previous years. |
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The Vegetable Garden | | | • | As the shoots of potatoes lengthen, be ready to add extra soil/compost around them to force them upwards. | | • | Chit and plant out second early potatoes by mid April and main crop varieties in mid to late April. | | • | Plant out summer and autumn cabbages. | | • | Be prepared to earth-up potatoes to protect the new shoots from frost damage. | | • | Prepare the greenhouse or polythene tunnel in readiness for planting peppers and aubergines. |
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The Greenhouse, Polytunnel and Conservatory | | | • | Re-pot container plants in fresh compost if they need it (look for roots coming out of the bottom of the pot). | | • | Alternatively, remove the top 2-3 centimetres (1in) of compost and replace this with new compost - this is particularly useful if you don't want to move plants into larger pots. | | • | Shade plants from hot midday sunshine that could scorch the leaves. | | • | Increase humidity by standing the pot on a saucer of pebbles and water (don't let the pot sit in water or the roots may rot) so the moisture can evaporate up around the foliage. | | • | Water plants with hairy leaves from below, because any water droplets trapped amongst the hairs will magnify the sun's rays and burn the leaf. | | • | Use a general liquid fertiliser once a month. | | • | Keep a look out for pests and use a control method before they can take hold. |
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Ponds | | | • | As fish become more visible and active, protect with netting against hungry herons. | | • | Lift and divide marginal plants. | | • | Mulch any drier marginal/bog plants with bark to deter slugs. |
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General Tasks | | | • | Loosen and re-tie tree and climbers where the existing support is digging into the bark. | | • | Use a stiff brush or pressure washer to remove moss and algae from paths and other hard surfaces. |
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