Garden jobs for April

With spring well under way, both day and night temperatures and light levels increasing, it’s a great time to get out in the garden.

Here are our jobs for the month.

In borders and pots

Deadhead spring bulbs
As early spring bulbs start to go over, deadhead the flowers. Deadheading encourages the plant to put all its energy into the bulb for next year’s flowers.

Pinch or cut off the flower heads. You don’t need to cut the stem – leave it and the leaves to turn brown before removing, so the bulb can benefit from them.

If your bulbs are in a pot and looking scruffy, you can lift the bulbs after flowering, pot them into a spare container with some spent compost and tuck them out of sight as they die back.

In the border, consider adding perennials that start to grow in earnest as early spring bulbs fade away. This hides any unsightly browning foliage.

Sow wildflowers and sunflowers
April is a great time to sow two of our favourites – wildflowers and sunflowers.

Scatter wildflowers in a tray of seed compost, or directly where they’ll flower. Cover any tray seeds with a very fine layer of seed compost.

Sow sunflower seeds in individual small pots.

Water your seeds well. Cover the sunflowers with a small, clear plastic bag to keep the humidity in.

Prune hydrangeas
Now the risk of frost has passed, you can safely prune your hydrangeas.

Using sharp, clean secateurs, cut last year’s flower heads back to a pair of leaves or new bud. Be careful not to accidentally catch this year’s flower buds or leaves.

 

In your veg patch
Sow successional crops
If you sowed anything that’s quick to crop earlier in the season – like lettuce and spinach – now’s the time to sow a second round. Doing this every few weeks up to the summer will keep the crops coming right through the growing season.

Spw now and seedlings should be ready to plant out in 3 – 4 weeks’ time.

 

Keep on top of weeds
Conditions are perfect for any seeds in the soil, including some you might prefer not to have growing alongside your crops.

It’s vital at this time of year to regularly weed, as most weeds will be quick to flower and set seed. Even a few weeks without weeding can lead to an overwhelming amount to deal with later in the season. Interrupting the cycle now will be a big help when you’re busier cropping in a few weeks’ time.

 

Check for pests
As the weather warms up, so too do communities of pests. If you have a greenhouse, polytunnel or cold frame, check for unwanted visitors regularly. A few warm days can mean populations quickly get out of control.

While it’s tempting to tackle pests with pesticides and traps, we always recommend organic controls wherever possible to prevent unintended harm to the wider ecosystem, pets and people. This means taking preventative action and using natural ways to manage any infestations.

Deter indoor pests by keeping the humidity up. Outdoors, plant companion plants that draw nibbling pests away from your favourite crops, or attract predators that can dispatch the likes of greenfly and slugs.

Attract birds by growing a wide range of plants, especially any that have berries and seeds. If possible, introduce some water in the form of a pond to attract frogs who love to feast on slugs.

 

Houseplants
Clean leaves and windows
As the peak growing time for houseplants, give them a helping hand by optimising their growing conditions. You’ll likely be spotting new leaves unfurling on the regular, and spring cleaning may have left them with a fine layer of dust. This makes it harder for any light to get through to the leaves, which need at least some to help them grow.

Give leaves a wipe down with a damp soft cloth, duster or special houseplant cleaning gloves. You don’t need to use any fancy products like leaf shine unless you want to – most soft-leaved houseplants have a beautiful natural sheen that just needs revealing with a gentle clean every now and again. Don’t be tempted to use a household cleaner or washing up liquid as this can be fatal.

Similarly, keeping your windows clean will maximise the amount of natural light coming in. Light levels drop by around 50% just 1 metre away from the window, so any dirt or dust will mean even less is getting through.