April's Jobs For The Plot
With the days finally drawing out and the extra few degrees in the afternoon it might feel like 'all systems go' for April but this month is still very much a prep and prepare month. Harvest still remain on the lean side and you will need to continue to be wary of drops in temperature but there is sowing that can be done both indoors and outdoors.
Harvesting & Sowing In April
April means the first Asparagus harvest of the year! you can watch the spears poke through the ground and they are ready to cut when they are around as thick as an index finger.
April probably represents the last chance to harvest any leeks you might have left, don't be put off by those weathered outer layers.
You can start harvesting those young Rocket leaves as soon as they are as long as your finger. Keep picking and they'll keep growing back!
Some fruit and veg need sowing indoors early in the season to ensure enough time to ripen outdoors. Aubergines and tomatoes need to be sown indoors now for transplanting outside once it is warmer.
Herbs can now all be sown and planted outdoors.
Preparing Your Seedbed
The quality, structure and composition are crucial to the success of your plants. By now you should have been adding plenty of organic material into your beds to be worked in, this will have been building the nutrients and quality of the soil ahead of your seeds and plants going into the round. We've experienced late snowfall this Spring and taking the time to prepare and warm the soil might make all the difference to your seeds' ability to germinate. Lastly, the soil needs to be carefully and thoroughly raked to a fine tilth - these steps might seem unnecessary but so much of a successful harvest really comes down to the preparing and the planning.
Garden Jobs for April
While you may not be harvesting much in April there is still plenty to be doing.
- Be wary of seedlings growing in pots that might become pot-bound, once constricted the roots may not be able to take to larger pots.
- Seedlings require watering a little but often, it's thirsty work growing!
- Remove old brassica stumps, left in the ground they can rot and cause disease.
Pest & Diseases to Look for in April
Fruits;
Keep aphids at bay! be wary of infestations on soft fruit bushes as they can quickly develop into a major infestation.
Slugs & Snails; keep an eye on and protect seedlings from the slugs and snails that seem to be multiplying at this time of year.
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