Your monthly gardening checklist for April!
Flowers
- Continue deadheading spring bulbs and bedding, so they don't waste energy setting seed
- Plant pineapple lily (eucomis) bulbs in pots for exotic-looking summer flowers
- Sow sweet peas at the base of supports, and transplant those sown in autumn into their final positions
- Spray the new leaves of disease-prone roses with fungicide to control mildew, rust and blackspot
- Prune hydrangeas, cutting back the old stems to a healthy shoot lower down
- Reinvigorate mature clumps of hardy perennials, such as hostas, asters and daylilies, by dividing and replanting
- Sow sunflowers in a sunny, open site, then water regularly and protect seedlings from slugs and snails
- Check for aphids on roses and rub them off before they develop into major infestations
Fruit and veg
- Plant second-early and maincrop potatoes
- Pinch out the tips of broad beans if they're covered in aphids, or spray shoots with soap-based solution
- Sow outdoor varieties of tomatoes, chillies and courgettes in pots, so they're ready to plant out in late May or June
- Divide clumps of hardy herbs, such as lemon balm and chives, then replant in pots, borders or a dedicated herb bed
- Sow small batches of rocket and other easy salad leaves
- Sow flowering companions in the veg plot, such as pot marigolds and borage
- Sow herbs such as parsley, coriander, dill and chamomile in a sunny bed or container
- Protect emerging seedlings from slugs and snails
Garden maintenance
- Lay turf or sow grass seed to create a new lawn or repair damaged patches
- Cut back tatty old fern fronds to make way for new ones that are starting to unfurl
- Keep cloches or large sheets of fleece handy to protect young plants if late frost is forecast
- Cut away unwanted suckers growing around the base of trees and shrubs
- Hoe between rows of veg seedlings regularly, as weeds grow rapidly at this time of year
- Remove moss and weeds in turf, and boost growth with a nitrogen-rich lawn feed
- Check that guttering on sheds and greenhouses is clear of debris, so that April showers will fill up water butts
- Treat problem weeds, such as nettles and brambles
- Look out for clusters of aphids on shoot tips and young leaves, and wipe off before they multiply
- Keep putting out food for birds, as they're busy raising their broods