The vegetable garden in April suddenly becomes a hive of activity as seedlings begin to be ready to plant out, and sowing escalates. This month is when I fully move into what I like to call ‘Garden mode.’ It is also a month characterised by bated breath and infinite patience as we deal with the unpredictable weather. I personally feel like I am in some kind of limbo, but one where action must be taken!
Dig in – a theme for April
My plans for the vegetable garden in April start with mulching and weeding and prepping beds. Digging up stubborn brambles that have regained some ground over the last month, sowing some wildflower seed in the banks and of course tending those gorgeous seedlings that are growing nicely in the polytunnel.
Down at Propagation Place, our seedlings are springing into life and are almost ready to start posting out to our customers! We have been moving things outside to harden off a little and the general atmosphere is one of calm excitement. If you would like to place an order for some vegetable seedlings then you can do so here.
What to do in the vegetable garden in April
I thought a useful format for this guide would be to list a few important things to consider in your vegetable garden in April, separated by type of garden. Many ‘what to do in the garden’ guides seem to ignore us poor container gardeners, therefore I shall impart plenty of tips here.
Mulching, weeding and sowing are definitely a focus this season as well as starting to get on top of watering regimes. The warming temperatures can sometimes catch us out, especially if you mainly grow in pots and containers.
Other things to consider are giving the greenhouse a sping scrub or wiping down cloches and cold frames.
In the vegetable patch
- You may have some early things to harvest this month. Asparagus time is upon us from mid April. Harvest them before they get to 18cm in height. Butter or oil. Lemon juice. Heaven!
- Support your peas! Less placards and picket lines, more… erm… sticks and string. There are many options for pea supports. One idea is to simply put a line of stakes and strings across to makea simple trellis. You can also get more creative and construct a frame out of canes. Buy pea seedlings here.
- Thin out carrots when they get their ‘true’ leaves and have reached about 5cm tall. You will want around 5-7cm between each plant. Buy carrot seedlings here.
- Dig poop… or should I say, well rotted manure, compost or green garden waste into your beds. A 5cm layer should suffice but more is better.
- Check compost bins to see if anything is ready to use. Make sure you are regularly turning your compost to aerate the pile and speed up the breakdown process.
In the container garden
There may be less to work on in your container vegetable garden in April, but that hasn’t stopped me yet! Here are a few things to get you going this season.
- Pot up any perennials that need more space. Some of my herbs have been transferred to bigger pots.
- Top dress any potted fruit trees with slow release fertiliser and fresh compost.
- Top dress any other containers with fresh compost. If the pots are full then remove and replace the top 5 or so cm.
Pests and diseases to look out for
- Carrot fly become an issue from April onwards. Protect your carrots by covering them with fleece.
- More aphids will appear, especially on tender spring growth. Keep an eye out for these keen green vegetable chomping machines.
Well, I hope this has been a useful little guide. I would love to know if you have any particular seasonal tricks up your sleeve that I could make use of and also share with our other readers. I also just enjoy hearing what folks have been up to, I’m nosy like that. Comment below with your thoughts.
Why not catch up with us on Facebook or Twitter where we discover things like why the hashtag #growyourown is NOT just a vegatable hashtag. Sorry mum!
