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April showers are most definitely to be expected as the saying goes often with wet weather and chilly conditions throughout the month just as Daffodils and Tulips start to brighten up the garden. However, there are usually some intermittent sunny days and those are most definitely the days to get the gardening jobs done as everything in the garden really begins to wake up. I find April a good time to finish off general outside jobs such as patio cleaning and fence painting when it isn’t raining. If you have a greenhouse, cold frame, conservatory or even a warm windowsill you may be overrun with seed trays and pots since it is still too early to plant out tender perennials and young plants. My greenhouse is now full, in fact, I have overspilled into the cold frame and even moved some trays of seedlings to my parents – so much for not sowing too much this year!
There is still time to finish raking up leaves, clean hard landscaping surfaces and clear out guttering for more information on these check out the March calendar month page.
If there isn’t any rain forecast and it’s looking dry, perhaps even a glimmer of sunshine through the clouds – giving the shed, fence or walls a fresh brush of paint is a great job to do at this time of year. By doing this now everything will look fresh before your plants grow bigger and you either can’t get to the area to paint or you have other jobs to be doing in the garden. On a rainy day, if you have a shed that needs the inside painting or even tidying up (much like mine), get that done so you can find all of your tools and gardening accessories easily when you need them in the summer.
A job for most months perhaps! If you haven’t started ‘weeding’ yet, it can actually be quite therapeutic to do especially when the soil is wet because they are much easier to pull out. It’s a job I often out of but when I get going there is an immense sense of satisfaction looking back on a cultivated bed, cleared of weeds and ready for planting. I grow ‘no-dig’ so by applying a decent layer of mulch annually I do find fewer and fewer weeds each year. Those that do appear tend to be annual, self-seeded varieties which can be removed by hand or hoe. In areas where I am not growing cut flowers or vegetables on the allotment, I do intentionally leave plants to see what grows and while I wouldn’t let green alkanet (Pentaglottis sempervirens) spread in the borders, it does have its place,e especially at this time of year. Bees and ladybirds are all over the plants in the wildlife areas of the garden. Dandelions and Daisies are flowering in the lawn which I leave for as long as possible, if not permanently, and I have a corner full of nettles which not only is great for pollinators but I will be chopping it up soon to make a nettle tea for feeding my growing plants.
It is well worth understanding the weeds you have in the garden as many can be very useful. However, if they are overcrowding an area you want to cultivate or growing around the base of trees, hedges and shrubs it is best to remove them so there is no competition for nutrients and water – especially in the dryer months of the year.
If you have a greenhouse or polytunnel in need of a clean, I fully recommend getting that done as soon as possible before your growing plants get too big. I simply use a bucket of warm, soapy water and a soft bristle broom to clean inside and outside. This easily gets rid of algae, overwintering pests and diseases along with ensuring maximum light can get through to your plants.
When spring flowering shrubs begin to fade, such as Forsythia, Chaenomeles (flowering quince) and Winter Jasmine, they can be cut back by about one-third. Ideally, give them a feed after pruning although most grey/silver foliage shrubs won’t need feeding.
If you didn’t prune back your Lavender at the end of last summer, they can take a light trim in April of about 5cm of growth to keep them in shape and remember to give them a harder prune in autumn.
Hydrangeas are ideally pruned in April (apart from climbing Hydrangeas) by removing the dead flower heads and then removing dead branches that cross over each other. This will give the Hydrangea a good shape. Finally cut the flowering stems down to the first healthy pair of buds under the old faded flower heads. This is for Hydrangea macrophylla, Hydrangea aspera, Hydrangea serrata and Hydrangea quercifolia.
Hydrangea paniculata and Hydrangea aborescens can be cut back harder because they produce flowers on new wood. They don’t have to be pruned at all unless you want to keep them at a certain height and only flowers at the top.
Winter is usually a good time to plant some types of trees, hedging and shrubs but understandably during the colder months, it might not be top of your list of outdoor jobs when the fire is burning inside! As the garden wakes up you might start to see areas you’d like to add something new to, such as a new privacy hedge or a fruiting tree, perhaps shrubs for wildlife or something new for your pots and containers – and you’re not too late for many.
Not only is it essential to feed newly planted trees and shrubs but this time of year is a good time to apply an annual mulch around existing plants. I add some well-rotted organic matter (this could be homemade compost or leaf mould), to replenish the soil but also to help retain moisture for the months ahead.
If you are planting out new trees, hedging and shrubs apply some well-rotted organic matter to the soil leaving at least a 10cm area around the base of the plants. This will help to feed the soil for the plants to take up the nutrients as they begin to establish in your garden.
If it has been a wet, cold winter where you are based you might have some wet, boggy areas on your lawn. You will know if your lawn is waterlogged as there will be patches of sitting water and muddy underfoot. To avoid lasting damage, try some repairs before the weather warms up such as removing the water, aerating the lawn, top dressing with a mix of sand and topsoil and avoiding walking on those particular areas.
Depending on the weather, you may or may not have started mowing the lawn by now. If not, start on a high setting so as not to shock the grass. I prefer to leave mine a little longer because it helps to retain moisture and homes for insects but it will get a shave before No Mow May.
This is a really easy way to encourage biodiversity in your garden without having to do much at all. Simply leave a corner, a circle or any space you can to let the grass grow long. Longer grass is good for insects and can also encourage pollinators and other beneficial insects in the garden. In turn, more birds and maybe even a hedgehog. If you really want to go for it and have enough space, I have seen some gardens where a labyrinth has been created simply by leaving the grass to grow and mowing pathways through it. Less mowing to do! You could even add in some wildflowers but it can be really fun to see what grows naturally as well.
You might find these little grubs in the lawn or in your borders. These are the larvae of Chafer beetle and they can cause a lot of damage, especially to lawns. These might be present if you are noticing yellow patches in the lawn as they feed on the roots of grass. On top of this, they are like sweets to crows, foxes and other wildlife which may well come along and try to dig up your lawn to have a feast! If you lift a small piece of turf you will see them in the soil beneath if they are present. Nematodes are the main form of control which are applied diluted in water. Fortunately, I have yet to experience chafer grubs but if I did, I would probably re-seed the lawn or replace the turf as suggested by the RHS later in spring when the larvae have found their way deeper into the soil.
This is one I have had the not-so-pleasure of in my garden! Generally in a larger garden border, they may not cause so much damage but if you have pots and containers or a small garden, they can cause extensive damage. Plus they are tricky to find! I picked off hundreds from my plants one year and in the end, I also had to replace all of the compost in all of the pots. Another way to control them is by using nematodes applied directly into the soil. As with any pest, one of the best ways to keep the biodiversity healthy in the garden is to ensure you are encouraging lots of wildlife. In turn, vine weevil and other pest predators may just keep everything under control for you. If you do have Vine Weevil you will notice chunks taken from foliage and flowers and at night time mainly brownish, black beetles on your plants. But be quick! They hide as soon as they see you.
Known to nibble on some plants, you might start seeing them out and about more now as the weather warms up. They, along with all ‘pests’ play an essential role in the ecosystem and Earwigs eat aphids and decaying plant matter so they are very welcome in my garden. I just leave them to live their lives doing what they do best – controlling the aphids on my broad beans!
Indoor ants are understandably not wanted but in the garden they do little damage. Ants feed on honeydew made by aphids and are mostly best just left alone. If you destroy ant nests, it can encourage more ants. Large colonies can disturb roots when nest building underground and while unsightly ant mounds in your lawn may not be the look you are going for, simply brushing the soil to reduce the size is enough to not see what they are up to. Another common garden insect we name a ‘pest’ when all they are doing is going about their business.
If you are overflowing with seedlings you’ll know the feeling this time of year brings. Excitement and hope along with the occasional overwhelm! It can seem like there is so much to do but I always bring myself back to the moment and take it a step at a time.
Seedlings may need thinning or pricking out which you can do by either snipping close to the compost the weaker seeds, leaving the bigger more healthy seeds the space to grow or you can gently lift remove the smaller seeds altogether. Some of these can be replanted into another pot, some can even be eaten (such as herbs and some vegetables) and others can go on the compost pile.
Depending on the weather conditions where you are growing, you might be able to start hardening off some plants. For me, this won’t happen for a few more weeks perhaps into the month of May. If you are ready to start planting young plants outside, place them outside during the day for a few hours, bring them inside again or at least overnight and do this for 10 to 14 days before planting out. This will ensure the plants don’t go into shock and are better acclimatised. If you do plant them out, protection may still be needed as there is still a risk of late frosts. In fact my Dahlias which are left in the ground over winter had their new shoots blackened one night last week but a sharp frost.
Summer flowering bulbs can be planted outside as long as the ground isn’t frozen or waterlogged and ideally after the last frost – but I have put my in! I am sure they will be fine. Bulbs such as Gladiolus, Lily, Crocosmia and Liatris are lovely summer flowering bulbs which will bring some added colour to your garden in a few months time.
If you have a pond, having a gentle tidy-up and adding in some new plants can be done at this time of the year. If you do remove anything from your pond, leave it next to the water for a few hours or more so any mini creatures can get back into the pond. If you have a Waterlily, this can be divided if needed now as well.
It’s a joy to see so much blossom on the trees during April. But we have had a few frosts (at least we have where I live) and this can damage fruit tree blossoms in a flash! In turn, this means fruit production can be hit and miss so if you do have a fruit tree blossoming, keep a check on the weather and be prepared to cover them over with some horticultural fleece or fruit tree jacket. Don’t forget to remove it afterwards for pollination.
If you have some hanging baskets, these can be filled with compost and slow-release fertiliser if required, then planted up with some bedding plants such as petunia, surfinia, fuchsias, calibrachoa, lobelia and geraniums. Keep them in a greenhouse, cold frame or conservatory before you harden them off and hang them outside after all frosts have passed.
Happy April!