Gardening Advice and Helpful Tips
Your gardening advice for April.
Donna Turner
Plant Area Supervisor
As spring gets into full swing, Donna Turner shares her top 10 tips to get growing.
1. Veg Out
Parsnips, carrots, peas and salads can now be sown outdoors. A couple of weeks before sowing, cover the area with a cloche or horticultural fleece to warm the soil. If the soil still feels too cold to touch, sow seeds into trays and pots. Keep the soil moist, and place pots somewhere warm and bright until ready to plant out.
2. Weed Control
As spring arrives, so do the weeds! They can start to grow very quickly and will get out of hand if you’re not careful. Only hoe on dry days – this way any weeds that you hoe will die off and wilt quickly.
3. Heaven Scent
It’s always nice to have something scented on your patio or balcony. Pots of fragrant lilies will bloom all summer long. Plant bulbs now under four inches of compost and leave somewhere lightly shaded, making sure to water well before moving to a sunnier spot in summer.
4. Grow Wild
If you have a bare patch in your garden, why not sow some wildflower seeds? It’s quick and easy, and the resulting summer display will attract lots of pollinating insects. Wildflowers can be bought in pre-mixed packets, giving you masses of different flower types. Scatter the seeds finely over the growing area, lightly rake and water gently.
5. Hold Ups
April is a good time to give your roses a bit of extra support. Train climbers and ramblers up pergola poles, vertical pillars or an obelisk. Support old-fashioned shrub roses by placing poles around the plants and tying stems to them. Standard roses also need supporting – replace the original cane with a stronger stake and secure with tree ties.
6. Feeding Time
Another top tip to get your garden ahead of the game is to feed your shrubs and trees. Feeding now will encourage growth throughout the year so use Vitax Q4 to give your garden a head start. These products are available at most local garden centres.
7. Off With Their Heads
Daffodils are starting to wane, so deadhead them before they go to seed and allow the foliage to dieback naturally. This will transfer the plant’s energy back into the bulb, helping it to produce a new, healthy plant next spring.
8. Sweet Dreams
It’s best to wait until the end of the month to plant out your sweet peas. Dig a good, deep hole and fill the base with compost before planting. Tie them into the base of the arch or pole and water in well.
9. Quick Trim
Lavender plants need cutting back now to prevent them from looking sparse. Give the plant a short back and sides with secateurs to snip off old flower stems and shoot tips. Don’t prune hard into old wood, as this will prevent new growth.
10. Lawn Care
You should aim to apply lawn fertiliser high in nitrogen once you’ve cut the grass a couple of times. This shows that the weather is warm enough for good growth.
Feature plant: Rhododendrons
Rhododendrons come into full and spectacular bloom from April onwards. A favourite variety of mine is Praecox which is prized for its early spring blooms. This lovely shrub produces masses of violet-purple flowers which makes a beautiful sight throughout late spring and early summer.
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Ruth McNamee
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October on the Veg Plot...
October is a great month to get ahead in the veg patch, writes Ruth McNamee.
Choose a sunny sheltered spot to sow broad beans. The variety Aquadulce Claudia does well from autumn sowing. Sow a double row with seeds 20cm apart. These plants should germinate, stand over winter and quickly establish when the weather warms. The crop can be enjoyed a couple of weeks earlier than spring sown seeds.
You can start to plant out garlic this month 15cm apart in rows 30cm apart. This can be left to next month if preferred. And there is still time to plant out overwintering onions. Make a shallow drill and place the sets pointy end up 15cms apart in rows 30cms apart. Onions are ready to harvest early next summer. Try onion and garlic in big pots and keep in a sheltered spot for the best results.
October is a great month to get your permanent planting done. It’s a good time to establish your fruit and asparagus beds while the soil is still warm from the summer heat. Rhubarb and asparagus crowns will now be available in the garden centre. Prepare the beds by removing all weeds. These crops will be in these beds for many years so it helps to give them a good start.
May is the month where strawberries flower so mulch plants with straw.
Prune early flowering shrubs such as the Forsynthia and Weigela.
Direct sow basil next to tomato seedlings to help draw white fly away.
Veg seeds that can be sown outdoors include courgette, beetroot and sprouts.
Lift and divide your spring bulbs and plant where you want for next year.
Check all foliage for lily beetle and greenfly and dispose of any found.
Gardening Jobs for January
Buy seeds to be sown in January or February.
Buy seed potatoes, onion sets and garlic.
Appraise the garden for form and structure, and plan alterations and additions.
Plant window boxes and containers for seasonal colour.
Protect vulnerable plants from frost and wind damage.
Firm in any autumn-planted shrubs and border plants lifted by frost.
Knock snow off branches, especially on conifers and hedges, if they are bending under the weight.
Check stakes and ties on newly planted trees.
Remember the birds in the garden and put out food for them, especially when it’s frosty.
