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Gardening Tasks to Complete for UK Gardeners in April 

By  Enda

This is our April guide, that suggests which gardening tasks, you should consider doing in the month of April in the United Kingdom.

Well most people consider this to be the first real month of Spring. April is a month when in most cases the weather has started to become a great deal milder, and is a fantastic month for growing.

Now some locations in the North may still be prone to the odd snow shower or quick batch of frost, but most parts of the UK will enjoy much warmer weather. This is a great time for any would be gardener to be out and about in the garden.

April is known best for both its variable weather and variable temperatures. The days have started to get longer, and the sun's light and heat begin to grow stronger. As a result, the world of plants do start to enter their most active phase.

This is also the time when most plants are at their most vulnerable. They are susceptible to sudden late night frosts so be aware of that.

Believe it or not, the statistics show that overall, April is a dry month. Gardeners have to be aware therefore that plants do not dry out.

April is also the main month for sowing seeds, planting and growing.

If your garden is prone to frost, then make sure that your cloches are ready, or that you have some polythene sheets available to protect the younger plants from those sudden night radiation frosts.

April can indeed be a tricky month for gardeners. There is lots to do, and the weather is very changeable so you do need to have your wits about you.

April gardening tasks in the UK

What Gardening Tasks Should You Have in Your Plan?

There are some good general guidelines that I would like to offer for all gardeners in the month of June. I have listed these below, and I do hope that you find them very useful.

Weeding

The plants are keen to grow and sadly the weeds will certainly also grow. If you plan on working with seed beds, then make sure they are well prepared and very well weeded. You can use a pre-emergent weed killer to help control weeds in a seed bed.

The hoe is a good friend to have when working seed beds. A sharp Dutch hoe can really help with this. You can also use weed killer between plants as long as you are very careful, and it is always better to get a hand fork and get rid of weeds that way.

It will take longer of course but it is a much safer bet.

Mulching

April is a good month to make use of mulches. This really does help cut down moisture loss from the soil. Another big advantage of a good mulch is that it really does help control weeds.

At this time of the year you should mulch around flower and shrub borders and under fruit and ornamental bushes and trees.

Fungicides

These are extremely good at preventing the attack of fungus. You can buy these as sprays or as a dust and they should be applied if you notice any germinating spores of a fungus. Don't forget to do the underside of any leaves or foilage. (It's easy to forget)

Insecticides

These help prevent and kill off any parasites that may be feeding on your plants. At this time of the year as the warmth increases, so do the risks of feeding parasites. You will be amazed at how quickly insects of all kinds can breed and grow, so deal with them early.

If you have a smaller garden you can remove these by hand but it is time consuming and laborious and a spray is a quicker and more effective solution.

insecticides in april

The UK Flower Garden in April

This is the perfect month to sow hardy annuals. Hardy climbing annuals such as nasturtiums, canary creeper can be sown around trellises and tree stumps for a quick coverage.

April is also a very good month for planting your favourite bulbs. Just be sure to keep those well spaced and also to plant them around 3-4" deep.

You can also plant Gladioli, carnations and chrysanthemums in April. Carnations will do very well in garden borders or flower beds.

This is probably the best month in the year to pay a trip to your local garden centre and see what plants they have available. There will be a large choice and you can see if some take your fancy.

Don't be afraid to ask for advice and you should also read the labels on the plant to make sure that they are suitable for your type of soil, and of course where best to place them.

We have included a few of our favourites just below which are available at Amazon UK.

The Vegetable Garden

If you like to grow your own vegetables then this is a great month to really go for it. First rule of thumb is not to try and plant too much at once. You want to space that sewing out as that will give you a regular weekly supply of vegetables.

You can sow seeds or plants every couple of weeks over April and May to give you a few month's supply in the future.

Consider growing carrots, broad beans, leaks, onions, peas, turnips, radish, spinach and various varieties of lettuce.

You can also grow cabbage varieties, broccoli and Brussels sprouts at this time. Try beetroot if you haven't before as they are very easy to grow.

If you fancy your own potatoes then ask your local garden centre which varieties do well in your area and they will be happy to help.

Herb Garden

This is also a great time to grow herbs. You can simply include these in your vegetable garden or start a separate herb garden or just use a few containers. Herbs are easy to grow and add great variety to your garden.

There are so many choices such as asparagus, basil, borage, chervil, coriander, dill sweet marjoram.

You can sow biennials such as angelica and carraway.

You can also sow perennials like chives, fennel, lavender, hyssop, mint, rosemary, sage,  and thyme.

The Fruit Garden

As always if you have any type of fruit tree keep an eye on it for infections such as fungus, mildew, scab or cankers. Treat it with a fungicide if you see any signs of any of the above.

Likewise use an insecticide if you see any sign of pests such as caterpillars, aphids, capsid bugs or weevils.

It is also a good time to check any fruit bushes you may have for insects especially gooseberry bushes and spray those if required.

Check under cloches and especially around strawberry plants for aphids or spider mites. Again treat if required.

April Garden Summary

April is a busy month for most gardeners. There will be the general lawn cutting to do and also hedge and bush trimming. Planting will take up quite a lot of your time, and you should ty and make checking for pests and fungus a daily task if you have the time.

Enda


I am someone who enjoys a little gardening. Now I am not someone who spend hours in the garden, but I do like both my front and back gardens to look really nice. Well kept lawns, neatly trimmed hedges, and borders filled with plants, make a huge difference, to how your property looks.

Enda McLarnon

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