April is here and Spring has arrived!
The spring bulbs are blooming providing colour, hope and cheer.
April always feels like the start of things to come in the gardening world where we gardeners prepare for the year ahead. With this in mind, here are a few jobs that you can be doing in your garden in April:
- Keep on top of weeding and make sure to dig out any perennial weeds such as dandelions so they don’t get too established. The sooner you start weeding in the season the better. This prevents the weeds from going to seed. I think the saying is, one years seed, seven years weed!
- If you have a lawn you can start mowing it now as long as the weather has stayed dry for a few days beforehand. Always mow lawns on the highest setting to begin with just in case we get any late frosts which could damage the grass.
- Container grown roses can be planted out now as long as there’s no frost. Be sure to put some mycorrhizal fungi in the planting hole when you plant them.
- It’s a good idea to spray the new foliage of roses now to try and prevent black spot from occurring. You can either do this with a shop bought fungicide spray such as Provanto Fungus Fighter or you can make up your own organic spray with a 40/60 concoction of milk and water.
- If you want hardy annuals in your garden, you can direct sow them now or start them in seed trays to pot on and plant out at a later date. Read more about sowing seeds indoors here.
- If you have daffodils in your garden that are past their best, you can snap the flower off along with the swollen bulbous bit behind the flower which contains the seeds. This ensures the plant puts all its energy into the bulbs for next years flowers, rather than the seeds.
- Perennials can be planted out now as long as there is no frost. Give them a good water in after planting.
- If you have Dahlia tubers whether stored or bought, you can plant these out in milder areas of the country, otherwise its best to wait until next month after the risk of frost has passed. Make sure you plant the tubers at least 7cm below the surface of the soil.
- Summer flowering bulbs can be planted now. Make sure to plant them at least twice the depth of the bulb.
- If you have perennials in your garden that are looking a bit congested or they’ve got too big, you can dig them up and split them now. This is a great way of providing yourself with new plants for free. Read more about dividing perennials here.
- If you’ve sown sweet peas in pots, you can plant them out in the garden now. Be sure to give them sufficient canes they can twine themselves up for support.
- Early flowering shrubs such as Sarcococca and witch hazel can be pruned now to tidy them up and ensure strong growth ready for the flowers next winter/spring. Read more about pruning here.
- If you’re interested in growing veg, you can start sowing crops such as tomatoes, celery, sweetcorn and leeks. Potatoes can also be started off by chitting them ready to plant out once the frosts have passed. You can chit potatoes by placing them on a light windowsill until you see shoots starting to appear.