JOBS AHEAD
Mulch beds and borders to lock in moisture and prevent weeds from growing.
Scrape off the top few centimetres of compost on patio pots and containers and top dress with fresh compost.
Scarify patches of moss and rake out thatch in your lawn before re-seeding any bare patches.
When growing daffodils or other spring-flowering bulbs in grass, mow around the clumps of foliage. Wait for six weeks after flowers of spring bulbs are over before cutting the foliage down.
Many shrubs can succumb to frost damage over winter. Prune back damaged shoots to healthy growth once the risk of frost has passed.
The soil is warming up in April so hardy annals like love-in-a-mist, cornflowers, poppies, and native wildflowers can be sown directly into prepared soil.
Give tomato feed to spring bulbs so they flower well the following year and never cut back the leaves until they turn brown naturally.
Plant potatoes out in April and cover the shoots with soil as they emerge, a process known as ‘earthing up’. This protects the foliage from frost and stops light reaching the tubers as they grow, which would turn them green.
To make the most of any gaps in your vegetable bed, try planting some fast-growing crops such as radishes, or sow some marigolds to act as companion plants.
If you are a lover of sweetcorn, you can start sowing seedlings into deep pots now and the young crops will be ready to be re-planted in June, just in time for a summer barbecue!
Mulch around fruit trees with well-rotted manure and check any tree ties are secure, as the strong winds this season may have caused them to loosen.
Secure netting or soft fleece around soft fruit crops to prevent birds from eating them. You can leave some small gaps in the netting to encourage visits from pollinating insects.
If you have rhubarb stems, pick them as they develop in order to encourage continuous growth and treat them with a high-quality liquid feed.
Plant up hanging baskets and summer containers with bedding plants but keep indoors until the threat of frost has passed.
By the end of the month and into May, begin ‘hardening-off’ bedding and other half-hardy annuals or frost-tender veg by standing them outside during the day but bringing them back under cover in the evening.
With temperatures beginning to climb, consider using shade paint or blinds on the panels of the greenhouse to increase ventilation and avoid overheating. Now is also a good time to give the glass a good clean, as this will let in as much light as possible.
To get more ‘bang for your buck’ and enjoy continuous harvests, you can divide clumps of hardy herbs such as chives and thyme and replant them in containers or a dedicated herb bed.
Parsley, dill, and fennel can now be planted or sown outside.