It’s Springtime! Gardening tips for April in the sunshine and showers.
The weather is starting to get warmer, April is a busy month in the gardener. Time to sow seeds and plan your flower and vegetable garden for the year.
In the Greenhouse
Gardening tips for April in the greenhouse.
- Always use a high quality peat based compost for sowing seed, pricking off and potting on seedlings and young plants.
- When watering seedlings and young plants, it is best coming from the tap. Do not use water from butts or tanks to avoid damping off diseases – even rain water in time becomes contaminated. Better to use cold, than dirty water.
- Protect tender seedlings and young plants from hard frosts, which can cause problems even in the greenhouse.
- From mid April onwards tomatoes can be planted in an unheated glasshouse. It is best to use containers of 10 litres or more, using a high quality peat based compost (such as Levington M2). The final planting should be when the first flower truss is showing colour. The variety “Shirley” is probably the best early cold house tomato.
In the Vegetable Garden
Gardening tips for April in the vegetable garden.
- Plant second early and main crop potatoes, also early cabbage and cauliflower plants. Do not buy in soil raised plants, as there is a risk of introducing the disease “clubroot.” Once the soil is infected, it is impossible to get rid of.
- Sow the first sowing of peas, “Kelvedon Wonder” and “Onward” are two established reliable varieties. Remember to protect against mice and birds.
- Early carrots, parsnips and beetroot can all be sown.
- Onions and early leeks should now be planted out.
- For all vegetables, even potatoes, where the ground has been manured, it is beneficial to lightly fork in a dressing of a compound fertiliser, such as “Growmore”.
- Remember that you can buy seedling vegetable plants at Woolpit Nurseries from mid May.
In the Fruit Garden
Gardening tips for April in the fruit garden.
- Even if pests or disease are present, do not spray when in flower as this will be harmful to bees and other pollinating insects.
In the Flower Garden
- Dead head the daffodils and narcissi.
- Treat the lawn for moss, which may have been a problem this winter.
- With the mower, don’t lower the cutting blades too early.
- Support any of the taller perennials, such as delphiniums.
- Keep watering planted hanging baskets and plants in containers, liquid feed once a week.
- In a dry spell, any newly planted trees, shrubs and perennial plants will need watering.
- Keep on top of the weeding the flower beds and vegetable garden, by hand and the hoe.
If you require any more advice, gardening tips for May, or want to see our large selection of spring and summer bedding plants, then please come and visit the nursery we are open every day 9 am until 6 pm. Or you can contact us through the form on our website at WoolpitNurseries.co.uk
Happy gardening from all the team at Woolpit Nurseries
