Garden year planner – Jobs for April

Well we made it! Spring has well and truly arrived!

This is another  of the busiest months of year for the vegetable gardener. If you were looking for a rest after a busy March you are out of luck!

Mowing the lawn

Its time to get the mower out for what is probably the first cut of the year. Make sure you walk over the area to be mowed first. You never know what has been left on the lawn over the winter! Also wait until a very dry day and if possible make the first cut of the year slightly longer than normal.  Don’t forget to enjoy a beer when you have finished, this is essential…

Pruning,

This is your last chance to prune back before the new growth really gets going.  Pruning really does encourage healthy new growth and is well worth the effort.

What should i be eating?

We are still in that time of the year that is  hardest for those striving for self sufficiency so it’s probably worth spending some time noting down what stored well so you can plan for next year

If you have any onions and garlic remaining they will probably be in short supply so you may have to move on to you spring onions planted in Jan/Feb. they should be coming on well by now!

Kale,  Winter Salads,  Sorrel, Cabbage and Rhubarb should be well underway by now and you should be able to enjoy the rewards of you hard work.

What to sow in April

This is a busy month for planting and sowing,

Indoors,

Tomato’s

Chillies, Sow in heated propagators or warm location – See our Chill growers guide

Aubergines,

Squash

Melons

Cabbage

Cauliflower

Calabrese

Outside,

Salads can go in now including Radish , keep them covered if you can.

Onions,  Its time to plant out your seedlings or plant you sets  – See our How to grow onions guide

Climbing beans, Peas, Broad beans, Runner Beans

Potatoes, Traditionally planted over the Easter weekend but any time this month will do just fine!

Leaks, Sow indoors in pots, or toward the end of the month Sow outside in warmer areas.

Celery, Don’t sow yet but prepare the beds(trenchs)  with plenty of well rotted manure

Carrots, Parsnips and beetroot can be sown directly outside in rows.

Soil Improvement

If you need to add nutrients to your soil this is a good time.  Avoid adding fertilisers whilst seeds are germinating because this will usually  do more harm than good. You can steadily increase the amounts applied as the seedlings become stronger.

I generally use  organic Fish Blood and Bone and use Calcified seaweed to achieve the correct PH levels.

Please add to this list using the comments button!

Happy planting!