Outdoors
What garden jobs need to be done in April and why?
April is the time for UK gardens to wake up from a long cold spell, which means that there is plenty to get stuck into to ensure that everything looks its best for the summer months ahead.
Cabin Master
Melissa Quinney, Gardening Expert at Cabin Master urges Brits to do this essential gardening task in April to save time (and headaches) later in the season:
“Weeds, unfortunately, love spring just as much as we do. This is why they need to be dealt with as soon as you see the first shoots appearing in your garden.
Ideally, you should pull them out before they have the chance to take over. However, this can be very time-consuming and frustrating to maintain! If you don’t have the time to spend weeding in April, I would advise setting down a layer of mulch to both keep the weeds at bay, and improve moisture retention.
By taking this step in April, you can deal with any weed problem areas in your garden early, before they become bigger issues in the summertime.”
Tackle the lawn as a first priority
“You should begin any April garden reset by tackling the lawn first. Not only is it in dire need of attention after months of frost and rain, but by starting with the largest part of the garden, you essentially create a fresh canvas for you to work around - helping create motivation and inspiration for the rest of the garden.
Alongside mowing the lawn regularly, it should also be given a spring feed that’s high in nitrogen to promote new growth and make sure it's receiving the nutrients it needs throughout the rest of the season. In addition, it is best to rake out any moss that has settled after all the rain - this will encourage healthy growth for new spring grass.”
Pruning is a must for these three flowers
“In April, pruning is key to giving your plants the best chance to thrive through spring and summer. Ideally, you should trim back any ‘early bloomers’ in the garden once their flowers fade. This includes forsythia flowers, daffodils, and crocus plants.
These spring blooms will likely begin to dwindle in the first weeks of April, so by pruning these beautiful plants, you will only be deadheading the flowers that look untidy in order to encourage new growth.
You can wait to carry out any heavy pruning, as most trees and shrubs won’t need a hard prune yet - and this will only run the risk of ‘stressing’ them out.”
Adobe
Start your vegetable garden this month for summer-ready produce
“Now is the time to introduce your summer-flowering plants! While this will undoubtedly include popular blooming plants, like marigolds and roses, you should also incorporate a number of vegetables into a small patch of your garden. This can include carrots, lettuce and potatoes.
Most of these vegetables will take around 3 months to grow, and they should be planted directly into carefully prepared soil to ensure they grow properly and taste amazing!”
Do not overwater your plants this April
“Be careful not to overwater your growing plants this month, as the April showers are yet to arrive and will do the job for you. By overwatering, you will essentially be drowning your plants - meaning that you won’t see any results this spring/summer from your hard work.”
Melissa Quinney, Gardening Expert
