APRIL IN THE GARDEN

General

April is an excellent time to undertake work in the garden. The days are cooler and there should be a reasonable amount of moisture in the soil. Early planting and replanting of trees shrubs and perennials will enable them to make root growth before the cold winter when root growth is usually dormant.

 Applications of nitrogen based fertilizer should stop now and superphosphate and potash based fertilizers used to ensure good hardy growth to take the plants through the winter.

 Vegetable Garden

·         Plant cabbages, cauliflower, winter lettuce, leeks and silverbeet.

·         Cut asparagus fronds of before seeds drop.

·         Cultivate the vegetable garden.

·         Harvest beetroot and preserve

·         Harvest onions

·         Harvest potatoes and place in cool dark place

·         Harvest Parsley and chop it up in a food processor, place in plastic bag and freeze for easy use

 Fruit

·         Harvest fruit before it is fully ripe and preserve.

·         Fertilise Citrus trees

 Flower Garden

·         Sow early Sweet Peas

·         Plant winter and spring flowering annuals - polyanthus, pansy, wallflower, myosotis.

·         Plant spring flowering bulbs: tulips, daffodils

·         Plant lily bulbs.

·         Lift gladiolus.

·         Prune spent flower heads off perennials.

·         Start lifting and dividing perennials and replanting them in position for next year.

·         Lift and divide rock garden plants

·         Wrench trees and shrubs that you want to transplant around the garden.

·         Plant new trees and shrubs so that their roots can take hold of the ground before winter. Make sure the ground has sufficient moisture in it before you do this.

·         Trim hedges

 Glasshouses

·         Harvest the last of the tomatoes.

·         Remove shade from glasshouses.

·         Cleanup the soil and keep clean ready for next year. If you change the soil now is the time to do it.

 Lawns

·         April is a good time to sow an autumn lawn.

·         Spray lawns for weeds

·         Ensure good moisture content of the soil.