Into The Garden - April
April is a fantastic month for keen gardeners, plants are starting to flourish thanks to warmer temperatures kick starting new growth. Spring-flowering trees becoming a glorious sight and the whole garden beings to come alive. This is the peak time for getting on with planning and planting both inside greenhouses and outdoor too, ready for the seasons ahead.
Grow your own
April is the perfect time to start planning which vegetables you might want to grow at home. There are many varieties of starter plants ready to take home to save you the time planting from seed; a great option for newbie gardeners or children who want to get involved in the garden.
Popular varieties include:
- Tomatoes
- Salad leaves
- Cucumbers
- Strawberries
- Peas
- Carrots
- Beans
- Chillies
- Peppers
- Potatoes
It’s important for young plants to be well protected from the cold while they are still establishing. A grow-house, greenhouse or sunny windowsill is a fantastic spot to grow your starter veg while waiting for temperatures outside to warm up.
Chillies and sweet peppers dislike waterlogged or very dry conditions, so ensure you keep soil evenly moist and provide ample drainage.
Lawn care
Now is the ideal time to kill moss, treat the weeds and feed your lawn. We have a huge range of lawn treatment products available depending on the size of your lawn and the treatment it requires.
For lawns overrun by moss, MO Bacter lawn fertiliser is a popular option to ensure your lawn always looks its best.
Always ensure you read product instructions carefully, as overdosing can cause damage to the grass. We advise to apply by hand or use a lawn spreader when the soil is moist but the grass is dry, for an even coating.
If no rain falls within a few days, water the product in to ensure it works the best it can. Rake out the dead moss a couple of weeks later, unless you are using a no-rake product, in which case you can apply the product and enjoy a healthy lawn with minimal work.
Herbs
Growing herbs in your garden not only adds colour and fragrance to your pots or borders, but you can enjoy using the plant in home cooking too. The most common varieties to grow outdoors include rosemary, thyme, lemon balm, sage, oregano and mint.
One thing you need to be careful of however is how much mint will spread. Never plant mint in a shared container or garden bed, as it will take over, and the long surface shoots make it hard to control. For this reason, we always recommend planting mint in an individual container to help control the spread.
Varieties such as parsley, basil or coriander are tender, and will thrive in a window pot. You can plant these outside during summer, however ensure they are protected from any extreme rain or frosts which may damage the delicate foliage.
Choose a sunny position for planting – a window box, container or well-drained sunny garden border is ideal.
Plant support
As plants start to come alive now the temperatures are increasing, it’s important to ensure they have the right support to aid them in their growth.
- Tie-in twining climbers such as clematis and honeysuckle to get the best from them when they flower.
- Use bamboo canes to support tomato plants.
- Use trellis, both free standing or wall mounted, for climbing roses.
- Support rings are ideal for sweet peas to support the delicate and light flowers
Bedding plants
Seasonal bedding plants are a cost effective way to incorporate more plants into your garden. Available in 7cm and 9cm pot sizes, plus boxed bedding in trays of 6 or 12, you are sure to find something that is right for you.
Ideal to grow on in your greenhouse or indoors on a sunny windowsill and pot on as necessary, keeping frost free until weather conditions have improved. Stick to a colour scheme or mix and match for a wonderful splash of colour throughout spring and summer.
Shrubs
Rhododendrons and azaleas (plus many other spring shrubs) are about to burst into flower – if your soil is not acidic (ericaceous) then you could opt to grow in a container filled with ericaceous compost, and use suitable fertiliser pellets such as Miracle-Gro incorporated in the compost to feed your plant throughout the growing season.
Now is the time to buy and plant hedging. From laurels to red robin, box to leylandii, pyracantha to privet, shrubs are great for adding to beds or borders for a structural finish. Ensure all newly planted hedges are kept well-watered throughout the growing season to ensure their roots become well established.
- Planting shrubs in containers
Choose a pot that is large enough for the root ball of your plant with extra room for growth, and one that will keep the plant stable in windy conditions. Make sure the container has plenty of drainage holes and use gravel or pea shingle in the base so that the compost doesn’t get washed out of the holes. Raise the pot on feet to allow excess water to drain away and prevent waterlogging.
Use a loam-based compost such as John Innes No 3, mixing in about 30-50 percent multi-purpose compost and continuous release fertiliser granules, such as Miracle Gro or Gro Sure, which will feed the plant throughout the growing season. Water regularly, ensuring the compost doesn’t dry out but is not too wet. Take particular care over winter when it is easy to forget to water container grown plants.
