Garden Calendar - April

Weather cannot be commanded, so garden work in April must adapt to current weather conditions. In "warm" years, the garden is already long awake in April and growing vigorously, while in colder ones it's just beginning to wake up. By the end of the month, however, there should be no snow even in higher elevations, so once the soil dries, everyone can really venture into their "green" kingdom. Before sowing seeds, beds must be prepared. Growers who already planned during winter how to arrange individual crops this year can get straight to work. Besides sowing, April is the time to prune roses and finish cleaning up the garden after winter. In warmer years, you'll be mowing the lawn for the first time by the end of the month. As you can see, there's no room for idleness in the garden in April either.

What seeds to sow in April?

In April, you can sow seeds of many vegetable types directly into garden beds. Before sowing, dig and rake the beds, and possibly add some natural fertilizer. Be very careful with manure in spring, as many plants cannot tolerate direct fertilization. Manure is better applied in autumn so it has time to decompose in the soil over winter. Which seeds can be sown in beds as early as April? You can sow carrot, parsley, radish, and pea seeds in beds. April is also time for sowing dill, anise, fennel, and other aromatic herbs. Dill often self-seeds; if you don't see young plants yet, better sow dill yourself. Dill can be used not only for delicious dill sauce but is an excellent natural seasoning that can be used by people who need to limit spices in their diet. Adapt the sowing time of individual seeds to current climatic conditions.

For planting in higher elevations, you can still sow brassica vegetables in early April in growing facilities located indoors or in heated greenhouses, such as broccoli, cabbage, kale, and kohlrabi. In warmer areas, growers can plant seedlings of hardier brassica varieties in beds by the end of April. Freshly planted seedlings can be protected against colder weather using non-woven fabric.

Plant melon seeds in April!

In April, prepare pots and plant melon seeds in them. In warmer areas you can grow watermelons, while in colder locations, cantaloupes are more suitable. Along with melons, you can also sow their close relatives in April - cucurbits - pumpkins, patty pan squash, and zucchini. Don't forget ornamental gourds either, whose diversity you'll properly appreciate in autumn.

What garden tasks not to forget in April?

If the weather permits, carry out basic rose pruning at the beginning of April. Cut off frozen parts, shoots of large-flowered roses can be shortened to approximately 2-4 buds, multi-flowered roses should be cut back to about half their length. Besides roses, you can prune plum trees, peach trees and overly vigorous shoots of apple and pear trees in April. Carry out pruning before the flowers start to bud. In April, it's usually possible to fertilize the lawn for the first time and mow it for the first time towards the end of the month. The first mowing should be done at a higher setting than usual during the season. In April, you shouldn't forget to clean your garden pond after winter either. Shortly after planting, the first weeds will start appearing in the beds, which need to be removed in time.

Fighting diseases and pests is necessary all year round - what to do in April?

April is the month when you need to go back into full battle mode against diseases and pests. During winter, only preventive checks of overwintering plants were carried out to see if they were attacked by unwanted guests. However, in April a new growing season begins and with it the first unwanted garden visitors start appearing, ranging from various insects attacking flower buds to slugs. In April, you mustn't forget about preventive measures against diseases either. In April, treat apple and pear trees against scab. Protect apple trees and plum trees against sawflies, which cause wormy fruit. White sticky traps are effective against these pests - you can also purchase them in our e-shop.

You can fight pests with the help of ecological products too!

Tree buds, especially on apple trees, are often occupied by spider mites. They can be fought with insecticides, but it's more ecological to use products based on natural substances, such as Rock Effect Natura. Currants are often attacked by anthracnose, treatment must be carried out before flowering. Prevention against this disease includes maintaining cleanliness around trees (raking leaves) and regular pruning of bushes so they are airy and individual shoots have enough light.

You can start with prevention as early as planting - choose a resistant variety. The first slugs already appear in gardens in April, you can go into battle against them using many different products.

Take care of ornamental plants in April too.

Many species of ornamental flowers have long been sown in propagation facilities. If you've forgotten some plants or haven't had time to sow them yet, don't despair - in April you can still sow marigolds, asters, snapdragons, sweet peas, carnations, love-lies-bleeding with long drooping spike-like inflorescences, nasturtiums, calendulas, sunflowers and lupins without any problems. Depending on current climatic conditions, you can already plant prepared bulbs of gladioli, dahlias, cannas and other plants whose bulbs you've overwintered in a cool location at the end of April. Don't forget about geraniums and other plants that you've either pre-grown or purchased. You can plant them in window boxes at the end of April and slowly prepare them for moving to an outdoor location. On warm days you can take the boxes outside for fresh air, but watch out for frequent ground frosts - don't leave the boxes outside overnight, as frost could irreversibly damage young plants.

What to do with indoor plants during April?

Indoor plants have been in their growth stage since March. If you haven't managed it yet, repot plants that already have a small pot or that you haven't repotted for a long time. Add fertiliser for indoor plants to the watering. Don't forget to check plants in April to see if they're suffering from any disease or have been attacked by pests.

Cacti and succulents also follow the calendar - what benefits them in April?

As soon as you can provide cacti with a frost-free location, you can move them to this place. Greenhouses generally meet this requirement earlier than various cold frames and outdoor shelters. When moving cacti from winter quarters to summer locations, proceed carefully so you don't harm them. Especially cacti overwintered in dark places must slowly get used to the sun again, so shade them with newspaper, for example. It's best to move them on a partly cloudy to overcast day. If low temperatures are still forecast, it's better not to water the cacti. An unwatered cactus will tolerate lower temperatures better than a watered and growing one.

When repotting cacti, thoroughly examine the roots to check for a pest called root mealybug!

In April, even before the first watering, you can start repotting cacti. When repotting, carefully examine the roots to see if they are infested with pests - root mealybugs (white larvae). If you detect the presence of this pest, isolate the affected plants from other plants. Be careful with spraying, as spraying immediately during the first watering after winter can damage cacti. It's better to water the plants, let them absorb water properly, and apply the spray only after the second or third watering. For more heavily infested plants, remove the soil and immerse them with roots in the spray solution for several minutes. When repotting, don't forget that plants are dried out after winter and will quickly grow larger after "drinking," so they will need a slightly larger pot than it appears at first glance. Care for succulents is basically the same. In April, move them to a frost-free location and water them carefully. Cacti grown indoors can be fertilized in April with fertilizer designed for cacti and succulents.

Plant gladiolus bulbs deep enough.

What else is good to know in April?

Plant gladiolus bulbs deep enough so they don't topple over under the weight of heavy flowers. You can extend the period during which gladioli will bring you joy in summer by planting them in several stages. You can promote faster sprouting of dahlia tubers by soaking them in lukewarm water for several hours before planting.