Gardening Jobs for April

April marks the true arrival of spring, bringing warmer days, blossoming plants and a noticeable burst of growth throughout the garden.

Make sure you don’t fall behind on your gardening jobs for April so you can enjoy vibrant flower beds, flourishing vegetable patches and a garden full of life as the season unfolds.

Tips for April Gardening

1. The weather in April is still unpredictable. Keep an eye on the weather and be prepared to cover your plants to protect them from frost.
2. Don’t sow all your seeds at once - sow every couple of weeks to make sure you have a continuous supply of produce throughout the coming weeks.
3. Make sure to plan where you sow your plants. Mixing up the species and variety creates a healthy environment.
4. Mulch your garden beds to help maintain moisture in the soil and help prevent weeds.

Garden Maintenance

1. Prune hedges and evergreen shrubs now that frost risk is low.
2. Check compost bins - turn the contents and begin adding new green waste. See if there is any compost you can use.
3. Inspect fences, sheds, and trellises for winter damage and make necessary repairs.
4. Clean your tools after each use to prevent disease spread.
5. Mow the lawn regularly now that growth has resumed. Make sure to tidy up the edges with a grass trimmer for a clean look.
6. Overseed patchy areas of lawn and keep them watered for successful germination.
7. Brighten up your garden by giving your fences, sheds and wooden furniture a fresh coat of paint and varnish.
8. Remove garden furniture covers or remove furniture from storage. Check and clean any garden furniture you intend to use over the summer.

Garden Beds

1. Cut back old growth from perennials with cutting tools and look for signs of slugs or aphids.
2. Use cloches or covers to protect young plants and keep soil warm for sowing.
3. Set up slug barriers or traps early to protect vulnerable new growth.
4. Mulch your garden beds to maintain the moisture.
5. Continue to monitor the pH and health of your soil. Add fertiliser, compost and organic matter as needed.
6. Weed your beds routinely - young weeds are easier to remove.
7. Make sure you have compost for your potted plants. Choose a nutrient rich compost to promote root growth.

Vegetables

1. Once any risk has passed, you can plant more root vegetables like carrots, beetroot, parsnips, radishes and turnips.
2. Begin to sow leafy greens like kale, rocket, spinach and lettuce outdoors in small batches as well as broccoli, cabbage, brussel sprouts, cauliflower and leeks.
3. Make sure to check your sprouting broad beans and peas for aphids and ensure structures are in place to support their growth.
4. Continue planting onions, garlic and shallots in sets and cloves.
5. Tend to your indoor plant shoots of tomatoes, cucumbers, courgettes and squash in pots.
6. Protect your emerging buds and seedlings from pests like slugs with methods like organic slug pellets, beer traps and copper borders.

Fruits

1. Keep strawberry plants indoors or in a greenhouse to protect them from frost and cold. Prepare them for the growing season by removing dead leaves.
2. Add fertiliser and organic matter to your berries such as blackcurrants, blackberries, raspberries and other cane fruits.
3. Remove the blossom on any young fruit trees to prevent fruit production over tree growth.
4. Plant any potted fruit trees like gooseberry trees, fig trees and citrus trees.

Flowers

1. Make sure that any patio flowers you have in the front or back garden are watered regularly so they don’t dry out.
2. Order annual flower plants, such as petunias, pansies, sweet peas, begonias and geraniums, for your summer garden.
3. Plant perennial flowers like primroses, foxglove, iris, hellebores and epimediums for a blooming and colourful spring as well as summer garden.
4. Dead head any flowers that are finishing like daffodils but leave them intact. Divide up any plants that have finished flowering.
5. Add companion flowers to your vegetable garden beds to help your veg grow without pests and disease. Here are some combinations for your april plants:
   • Marigolds: tomatoes
   • Lavender: carrots, leeks
   • Calendula: beans, courgettes
   • Roses: thyme

Trees & Shrubs

1. Feed any rose trees or shrubs with slow release fertilisers to support their growth and tie in your climbing roses.
2. Check your tree ties making sure they aren’t too tight. If needed, loosen them for growth.
3. Make sure your trees and shrubs are mulched before the hotter weather begins. This will retain moisture and prevent them from drying out.
4. Prioritise pruning your deciduous shrubs like hydrangeas, lilacs and azalea. They will be exiting their dormant period and begin to bloom.
5. Prune any trees and shrubs after flowering, but before the new growth. Check for nesting birds and other wildlife before pruning.
6. Routinely check your shrubs and trees for dead and diseased stems. Prune them as needed to maintain their health and shape.

Herbs

1. Plant mint and basil around vegetables to maintain health such as tomatoes, radish, onion, carrot, cabbage, kale, cauliflower.
2. Tend to the basil and coriander you have growing indoors or in your greenhouse.
3. Begin sowing hardy herbs outdoors in sunny spots like fennel, parsley and chives.
4. Transfer the young perennials of plants like rosemary and lemon balm from trays into small pots.

Greenhouse

1. Start pricking out seedlings - separate and transfer them from trays into separate pots to provide space for growth.
2. Pinch out the shoots of young plants and seedlings to encourage bushier growth.
3. Prepare for April showers and add a gutter to your greenhouse if needed.
4. Make sure to clean your greenhouse regularly to allow as much light in as possible.
5. Transfer your tomatoes into grow bags or larger containers.
6. Continue to vent out your greenhouse on warmer days to prevent humidity.

Wildlife & Birds

1. Frogs and toads will leave ponds after breeding and frogspawn will begin to hatch. Avoid the use of any chemicals in your garden during this time.
2. Leave food and a water source out for hedgehogs - buy a hedgehog specific food or use chicken based cat food.
3. Make sure you have wild corners in your garden made up of leaves, logs and twigs for wildlife to use as a shelter.
4. Use high protein food in your bird feeders like sunflower seeds and calciworms.
5. If there is any frost make sure to break the ice of bird baths and water sources for wildlife.

Ponds

1. Use a net or weed brush to clean out your pond regularly.
2. Check your pond filters and pumps for any blockages and clean out filters as needed.
3. Add new aquatic plants to your ponds and water features such as marsh marigolds, water lilies and yellow irises.
4. Divide up any overgrown plants.
5. Use barley straw to stop algae from overtaking your ponds. Aquatic plants and shade will also prevent algae and keep your pond clear.