Jackie's Tips
MONTH OF APRIL
·
Now is
the time to clean your garden furniture that has been stored away for winter
months or just sitting in the garden. Hose down any leaves or cobwebs from the
sets and dust from the table and chairs. Follow with wiping them down with
soapy warm water, all ready for the spring and summer season.
·
April
is the time to sow half-hardy flowers including nemesia, rudbeckia, cosmos and
French marigold under cover and hardy annuals such as oxalis and clarkia either
indoors or outdoors.
·
Feed
fruit bushes, fruit trees and raspberry canes to encourage good crops this
season. Apply a slow fertiliser around their base. (April is your last chance
to plant raspberry and blackberry canes for a summer harvest)
·
Now is
the time to support beans and pea plants. A straightforward way – place twiggy
sticks around the plants.
· Sow
perennial herbs in your greenhouse like lemon balm, rosemary, sage, and thyme.
· Cucumber
and gherkin seeds should be sown towards the end of the month in individual
pots in the greenhouse.
· It’s
the month for planting out salad and early potatoes. Then from mid-April, make
sure you’ve planted your second-early and maincrop potatoes. If they’ve already
been planted indoors, transplant them outside but make sure you don’t damage
the roots.
· Divide
primroses once they have finished flowering.
· Your
new honeysuckles and clematis stem should be putting on a growth now so tie
them to and train them along their support.
· Plant
sunflower seeds inside this month ready to harden off in late May before
planting outside.
· It
is now the month to prune your lavender to keep it in decent shape and promote
its growth. Also, feed it weekly with an excellent quality liquid feed to keep
it healthy.
· Remember
to deadhead early flowering primulas as early as possible, as they tend to crossbreed
very easily.
· Plant
up your hanging baskets with plug plants and keep them under cover in a warm
greenhouse until all risk of frost has gone.
· All
hardwood taken last year will need to be planted or potted on.
· Get
ready and spring clean your borders – weed and clear out leaves and twigs.
· Divide
any overgrown pond plants and add some new aquatics (water lilies and irises).
· Towards
the end of April start feeding your fish.
· Place
pumps and fountains back into ponds, making sure they have been, thoroughly
cleaned.
· Now
is the time to start planting up your hanging baskets and spring bedding pots,
borders etc.
· Check
your guttering on sheds and greenhouses are clear from fallen leaves and
debris, so that April showers fill up water butts.
· Now
is the time to look at your lawn and treat it to ensure it’s in a good
condition ready for the summer months. When the weathers good, give it’s first
cut and feed it well.
· There
is still time to sow your lawn or lay turf if you didn’t get time to do it in
March.
· Remove
dirt and leaves from paths and paving before the summer arrives. Also, apply
weed killer to any perennial weeds on patios and paving slabs.