April is Lawn & Garden Month so each week this month we'll be sharing our tips and suggested products to help you get the most out of your garden this April.
Whether you're a seasoned vegetable grower or you're brand new to this we've got some handy tips and advice about April growing!
April is a tricky month for deciding whether to sow or not. The temptation is to tear open your new seed packets - but outdoors that’s still risky with our good old British weather! It’s wiser to sow seeds in pots kept indoors on a windowsill or in a greenhouse. Then you can gradually harden them off next month and safely plant them out in early June.
Check List
Bark Mulch and Weed Suppressant
Mini Sleepers (for building raised beds)
Sowing and Planting
Tomatoes & Aubergines
April is probably your last chance to sow seeds indoors before planting out tomatoes and aubergines - any later and the plants will have too short a growing season for fruits to ripen outdoors.
Carrots, beetroot & other root vegetables
Most root crops can now be sown outdoors. We advise covering your veg beds or planter with a layer of mulch during April - this will help keep any potential frosts away, especially if planting out beetroot and the soil is already slightly wet and cold.
Lettuces & other salad crops
Sow lettuce, rocket, land cress, summer purslane, corn salad, and other salad leaves outdoors this month, under cover if the weather is still cold.
Herbs
Almost all herbs can be sown or planted outdoors now (if you've done the work and sown seeds last month). If you really want to start a 'herb garden' it's not too late, you can buy ready grown herbs and plant straight into our ready mixed VegeGrow Topsoil !
*Dandy Tip - use an old pallet to make your own Herb Garden!
Broad Beans & Peas
Continue to sow both pea and broad bean seeds outdoors, protecting them with a lovely warm layer of mulch if the weather is still a bit on the chilly side.
Chillies, Cucumbers & Peppers
As tempting as it may be to plant out you are best keeping chillies, cucumber and peppers indoors for the time being. Even the slightest chill with make these fragile veggies retreat!
General Care
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Support pea plants with sticks, twigs, green support mesh, or wire netting.
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Thin out rows of seedlings as soon as they are large enough to be handled.
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Protect early outdoor sowings with a layer of mulch, such as our Landscaping Garden Bark. A 2 to 4 inch layer around your vegetable plants will suppress weeds, maintain soil moisture, reduce watering, moderate soil temperature, improve soil health, and keep vegetables cleaner. A vegetable plot must!
- Feed the soil - adding compost to your existing soil will give it a healthy boost of nutrients. Don't forget to top up each season to get the best results.
- Enjoy your veggies! Harvest as soon as your vegetables are ripe. Pop harvested plants on the compost pile.
