Gardening Jobs for April

 

Spring is finally here! After a long Winter of keeping on top of the garden, you’ve set yourself up for a beautiful and productive Spring season. But when a new season begins, that just means one thing: getting your garden ready for the next! If you’re thinking, “What can I plant in April?” Here are all of the April gardening jobs you need to be doing this month to start preparing for Summer.

What to plant in April

Continue to plant summer-flowering bulbs in pots and containers.

With May just around the corner, one of the key gardening jobs in April is to continue to plant summer-flowering bulbs in pots and containers and keep them indoors or in a heated greenhouse. Bulbs to plant in April include Dahlias, Begonias, Gladioli and more - leave them to grow for 6-8 weeks before moving out into the garden. In May, you can start to harden off these bulbs, but leave them indoors for the time being!

Eucomis bulbs (or Pineapple Lily) can be planted in pots now and put straight into the garden. While there’s still a risk of frost, compost should not be able to fully freeze this month, so put those outside and keep them watered.

Divide and replant hardy perennials.

Clump-forming hardy perennials like Hostas, Asters and Daylilies can be divided and replanted now. This is a great way to reinvigorate mature clumps - safely dig perennial clumps out of the ground, split into 2 separate clumps using a trowel or hori hori knife, and replant new clumps where you wish! It’s like getting new plants for free.

Plant up hanging baskets with summer bedding.

If you’ve ordered new annual plug plants, now’s the time to start planting up smaller plugs into your hanging baskets. Plant annuals where desired in a basket filled with multi-purpose compost, and water generously. Leave your baskets indoors or in a greenhouse until after the last frosts have passed.

Make sure to order your rapid, maxi, jumbo and garden-ready plugs online now and get them in time for planting!

Sow hardy annuals.

April is the perfect time to sow hardy annuals straight into gaps in your borders. We recommend sowing annuals like Nigella, native wildflowers and Marigolds directly into the border for months of colour this Summer.

Sow sunflowers.

Find an open spot in the garden that gets lots of sunlight, and sow your sunflowers into your borders or pots. Make sure to keep them well watered while they grow, and protect the early shoots from snails and slugs when they start to grow. You can do this easily by topping the growing site with potting grit - letting the shoots grow through and keeping the area safe!

 

Garden jobs in April

Protect new shoots from slugs and snails.

Slugs and snails love nothing more than feasting on new shoots this month, so to keep your plants and flowers healthy, make sure they have adequate protection! Hostas, Delphiniums and Lupins are some of the tastier plants (according to slugs) but there are so many other vulnerable plants to protect.

One of our favourite methods of protection is potting grit. Applying potting grit directly on top of compost not only adds a decorative touch and aids with water regulation but also creates a safe barrier around new shoots. Your plants will always find their way up through a thin layer of grit, but those slugs and snails will have a hard time trying to get over it. It’s an easy and affordable protection method that you can try now!

Check roses for aphids.

Keep an eye out for any signs of aphids on roses. If you spot any, simply rub or wipe them off your plants to prevent more significant infestations from starting.

If you already have a bigger problem with green or blackflies, you can use natural pest deterrents like ladybird larvae. These larvae can be bought online or from a local garden centre, and when you introduce them to your garden, they’ll start to naturally hunt down pests and save your plants at the same time, all while providing an alternative to harmful chemicals.

Deadhead spring bulbs and bedding plants.

Get more flowers, colour and interest out of flowers like Pansies and Viola by continuing to deadhead throughout the flowering season. Deadheading flowers force them to put their energy into creating new blooms - extending the time they can be in full bloom. If flower heads are left too long, they will put their energy into setting seed, and that’s when you’ll start to notice flowers dying back a lot sooner.

Take basal cuttings of clump-forming perennials.

Taking cuttings is a gardener’s secret to free plants. April is the ideal time to take basal cuttings from herbaceous perennials like delphiniums, lupins and campanula. All you’ll need is a sharp knife, some compost, a pot and a clear plastic bag.

1. Find a plant with strong and healthy-looking shoots, usually around 10-12cm long, and use your knife to cut the shoots as close to the base as you can.
2. Take 4 or 5 cuttings per pot. Remove any leaves further down the shoots that may get trapped under compost, and pinch out leaves at the top of the shoots with your nails, or cut with a knife.
3. Fill a smaller pot with compost and dig smaller 2.5cm deep holes in the compost. We’d recommend positioning these holes around the perimeter of the pot to help root growth.
4. Plant your new cuttings into the holes, firm down with compost and use a sharp grit to prevent weeds and help with water retention.
5. Water well and mist the leaves at the top of the shoots to prevent water loss.
6. Place the pot in a clear plastic bag to keep them damp. Water when needed from that point and keep an eye on their progress.

Prune hydrangeas.

Cut back the older stems to healthy new shoots further down the plant to encourage healthier, fuller blooms over the flowering period. We’d always recommend cutting at a 45° angle to make sure water can’t get trapped on the exposed edges.

Vegetables to plant in April

Plant second-early and maincrop potatoes.

If you started chitting your seed potatoes earlier in the year, it's time to plant your potatoes into tubs or trenches now, similarly to how you might have done first early potatoes last month. Plant potatoes 30cm apart and cover with at least 2.5cm of soil on top. When the shoots reach 20cm tall, mound up your soil around the shoots.

Sow tomatoes, chillies and courgettes.

It’s time to start sowing outdoor varieties of tomatoes, chillies and courgettes in pots now. Sow your seeds as per their growing instructions directly into pots and leave them to germinate indoors or in a greenhouse. You’ll want to give these time to germinate and form healthy roots, ready for planting out into the garden or allotment in late May or June.

Sow rocket and salad leaves.

Similarly to the other fruit & veg to sow, you can start sowing smaller batches of rocket and other salad leaves now, except these can go directly into the ground. Follow the growing instructions for your seeds, plant them directly into fertile soil, cover them over and water them well.

With rocket and other salad leaves, ensure a continuous crop by planting small batches every 2 weeks. Keep your planting beds labelled with varieties and dates the seeds were planted, and you should see weeks of continuous salad leaves coming up over the summer.

Sow herbs in beds or containers.

Herbs like parsley, coriander, dill and chamomile can be planted outdoors now, straight into the ground or in pots and containers if preferred. Again, follow the growing instructions for your seeds specifically, and water well after sowing.

Sow Radishes for fast-growing crops.

Radishes are known for their speed - they are ready for harvest much sooner than other crops. Sow Radishes now for harvest in just 4 weeks. Simply sow your seeds as per their growing instructions, and as they start to mature, lift radishes when they reach the size of a marble well.

 

Bulbs to plant indoors now

Dahlias.

It wouldn’t be summer without Dahlias - our bestsellers every year! Plant your tubers in pots now for months of colourful blooms in summer. We’d recommend dinner plate dahlias for huge, decorative blooms, and even unique varieties like collarette dahlias for something different. Explore the full range and find your perfect match.

Begonias.

Another summer favourite, Begonias is a must-have bulb this year. They create a variety of beautiful, delicate blooms with such strong colours that they really make an impact in your beds, borders or containers. You can grow Begonias perfect for baskets with Cascading Begonias, or check out our Begonia Mixtures if you’re struggling to choose.

Garden Plants for April:

Lily of the Valley

Brunnera ‘Jack Frost’

Bleeding Hearts

Growing Guides for April

Dahlias | Begonias | Gladioli | Zantedeschia

More Monthly Jobs

Gardening Jobs for January | Gardening Jobs for February | Gardening Jobs for March