Now that March has passed us by, we're well and truly into spring. Despite April often being more rainy than other months in the year, we'll also start seeing sunnier moments and warmer temperatures. It's also a great opportunity to get some cleaning underway, and you should check out our spring cleaning 2024 guide if you'd like some advice on where to start.
As it's the beginning of the month, it's time for me to share the garden maintenance tasks I'll be completing this month. Although, you should make sure you check out my gardening jobs for March if you haven't already.
As usual, I've been getting some insightful guidance from Craig Wilson, Co-founder, Director and in-house gardening expert at Gardeners Dream. These are the top 10 tasks Craig recommended this month, and I can't wait to get started.
Happy gardening!
Garden maintenance
1. Weed beds and borders
April really is the best time to start getting on top of weeds. Start by running a hoe through beds and borders to clear them of any weeds, using weed killer on patios or grass areas away from vegetable patches. As the weather warms up, weeds will become more of a problem, so make sure to keep on top of them. One useful way to do this is apply a layer of mulch after hoeing to prevent weeds from regrowing.
2. Clean your greenhouse
If you have a greenhouse, you may notice that winter weather conditions have caused the glass panes to get quite murky. As the sun is shining more, now is the ideal time to give your greenhouse a good wash. Ensuring the glass is as clean as possible will allow much more light into the greenhouse, benefiting your plants and seedlings.
3. Organise your shed
Sheds are great for protecting garden tools or a lawn mower, and even provide the perfect space to carry out the odd DIY job. However, if they’re not properly organised, the more you store inside increases how difficult it is to find what you need. Read these 5 expert hacks on how to organise your shed in time for spring for more information.
Lawn care
4. Sow grass seed or lay new turf
April is the best time to start prepping your lawn if you want it looking fresh and lush when the summer months arrive. If you have an established lawn that needs thickening up, sow your grass seed now, ensuring that the soil is well-prepared and level. If you are looking to lay new turf, then Craig would recommend doing that this month too. In both cases, make sure to keep the lawn moist until it is well established.
5. Mow your lawn regularly
As the sun is shining more, you will now need to start mowing your lawn every few weeks to keep on top of it. Towards the end of the month, lower the blades on your lawn mower for a closer cut.
Ponds
6. Give your pond a clean
Now that spring is here, summer isn’t too far away. This means it's a good time to get your pond cleaned up. Remove any debris from the surface as well as built-up algae to get the water looking clever, adding back any filters that were removed in the winter.
7. Start adding new water plants
Following the clean-up, you can start to separate any overgrown plants in your pond, removing the bulk and making it look a bit tidier. You can also start adding any new water plants, such as water lilies, to get things looking a little more spring or summer ready!
Fruit and vegetables
8. Sow outdoor varieties
April is a good time to start sowing outdoor varieties of tomatoes, chillies and courgettes in pots. Doing this will mean they will be ready to plant outdoors in late May or June. When it comes to bed, think broad beans, summer cabbage, brussel sprouts, early peas, cauliflower, sprouting broccoli, leeks, beetroot, radish, spring onion, turnip, parsnips, carrot and onion. This is the month to get a start on your vegetable garden, basically!
9. Plant second-early and maincrop potatoes
In early to mid-April, plant your second-early and maincrop potatoes. Second earlies will be ready to harvest in July, whereas maincrops take much longer to mature. This means planting now will make for an August to October harvest.
10. Plant out strawberry plants
You can now start planting strawberry plants into soil enriched with well-rotted manure. Craig usually waits until mid to late April to do this, once the threat of frost is well out of the way.
Before you go, have you seen these 8 cheap DIY garden projects that will transform your outdoor space?
