Gardening in April

We’ve put together a detailed list of jobs that can be done whilst you’re gardening in April:

It’s early April so it’s time to plant your mange tout, broad beans, beetroot, lettuce, parsnips, onions, peas, spinach, radish, turnips and herbs under cloches. You can also plant brussel sprouts, summer cauliflower and cabbage in a seedbed (ready to move them in May).

Potatoes – Plant out potatoes in late March, the second crop in early April, and your main crop towards the end of April. Delay planting in very cold parts of the country.

Onions, leeks and garlic – Plant out onion sets and seedlings that have already been grown in trays. Grow them in rows, leaving space to get your hoe in for weeding. Plant out individual cloves of garlic, placing them about 5cm deep and 15cm apart. Plant leeks in a nursery bed outside.

Asparagus – Plant new asparagus in well-prepared beds.

Bedding Plants

Plant fast-growing flowers directly into the ground for summer colour. Zinnias, Cosmos and Snapdragons all produce great flowers. Bedding plants can be moved out from the greenhouse into the soil beds, but keep the fleece handy for late frosts.

Bulbs

Give bulbs a good watering when the buds begin to appear. This will encourage larger blooms and taller stems.

Climbing Plants

Get your clematis to grow up a fence, wall or host plant by placing four canes in the soil (around the plant) and tying strong shoots to it with garden twine. Now is the perfect time to plant out young Sweet Peas for a scented summer.

Containers

Plant hanging baskets with your favourite summer flowers. Place your baskets outside after the last frost to get used to the temperature and water daily. If you’d prefer, you can buy pre-planted hanging baskets at Homebase.

Fruit

Start to feed citrus plants and if you’ve got a fig tree give it a good prune.

Greenhouse

It’s important to get the climate right in your greenhouse. So on warm days open the vents to reduce humidity and help prevent the spread of disease.

Hedges

Give formal hedges a trim when they’re growing well. Once the hedge is cut to the desired shape, water and mulch the base of the plant.

Herbs

You don’t need a lot of space to grow herbs. So start planting your favourite varieties in containers and place them in a sunny spot. Check out Homebase for a great range of herb seeds.

Lawn

Give your lawn a weekly trim. This will keep the grass thick, green and free of weeds. After mowing, trim any grass that overhangs the edges.

Perennials (winter surviving plants)

As the weather warms up, weeds can quickly take over. Remove weeds with a hoe to prevent them from competing with your plants. Give emerging plants an instant boost with a thick layer of mulch. This will trap moisture and help prevent beds from drying out during the summer.

Roses

Give your hungry plants a good feed.

Shrubs

Spring is a good time to re-pot shrubs with fresh compost (try using John Innes No 3 for long term planting). Lightly cut back the roots, if the plant is has become pot-bound. Make sure you feed hungry shrubs with water and fertiliser if needed.

Trees

Bring the wow factor to your garden with a Japanese Maple (Acer). These stunning trees turn a beautiful shade of gold and red in the autumn, and the new growth in late spring has a really vibrant colour too. Available in selected Homebase stores in April & May.

Note: Water all newly planted trees well for the first year – it takes at least a year for new roots to develop deep into the soil for the tree to be fully settled in.

Vegetables

Now is the time to get your potatoes out. It’s also a good opportunity to plant tomato, courgette, beetroot, peas and asparagus seeds. You could also try growing chillies and peppers in small containers.

For a quicker way to get growing, take a look at Homebase’s range of young vegetable plants ready to plant.