Nine Gardening Jobs To Finish In April For A Perfect Garden In Summer
I think the clock change made it feel official: spring is finally in full swing.
That means busier backyards, blooming buds, and buzzing bees. But while these are welcome sights for many winter-weary gardeners, they do spell extra work, too.
Here, we thought we’d share some of the jobs to tick off your list this month:
1) Prune any rambling or climbing roses you haven’t already
Yes, technically, March was the best time to get the job done. But don’t worry if you’ve been too busy enjoying the (changeable, elusive) sunshine; you can just about get away with the task at the start of this month, too.
2) Weed, weed, weed
We’re all for keeping some, or all, of your garden wild. But if you’ve got some seedlings or small plants growing, it’s important to keep the area beside them weed-free to ensure they’re not crowded out – manually remove them instead of applying weedkiller to reduce any harm to your garden’s ecosystem.
3) Then, mulch
Applying a layer of mulch to freshly weeded patches can prevent them from facing the same issue again. It helps soil to retain moisture, too.
4) Fill in borders by planting wildflowers
Now’s a great time to get wildflower seeds and hardy annuals in the ground – all the better if they can fill in any gaps in your borders.
You can plant giant sunflowers in a sheltered, sunny spot now, too.
5) Keep aphid populations in check
April is a great time to get ahead of any encroaching aphid populations that would otherwise plague your roses. Look at your flowers and manually remove any little insect gatherings you see before they become a real issue.
6) Repair frost damage and bare patches
Re-sow your garden, using a “penguin shuffle” method, or lay down new turf to hide the damage winter may have done to your garden.
7) Speaking of frost, prepare your plants for some icy conditions
The weather has been all over the place recently. Don’t allow “false spring” to take you for a fool: newly-sown plants benefit from cloches or sheets of fleece, especially where frost is predicted.
8) Add new pond plants, and divide those which have become overgrown
Ponds are key to a thriving ecosystem in your garden. Plant aquatic plants now, and divide any unruly established ones before they grow further.
9) Begin feeding citrus plants
These will need feeding from now until about October. Give them a nitrogen-rich citrus summer feed if you can.