What a difference in temperature and light. Spring is in full swing and one of the things I love at this time is eating pasta with wild garlic pesto foraged at the end of March or in April. Yum! And how stunning are the magnolias?

Frost can still crop up at night so keep an eye out and protect what is needed. Do not give in to temptations and start too soon with sowing in situ. In situ means sowing seeds directly into the soil where the plants will stay until harvest or maturity. Let's take a closer look at jobs for April outdoors.

1. Check your monthly plan

You know the drill.

2. Prepare seedbeds, sow, thin, harvest

Keep on top of those seedbeds and depending on what is being sowed, look into fertilisers. Plants benefit if the soil receive a boost before planting. Often beds are prepared in Autumn when well-rotted manure is dug in but that does not mean we cannot provide another boost before planting which is helpful for especially hungry plants like courgettes. If there are plants in the garden that are establishing, check in on them and give them a feed too. Fertilisers that are often used are bonemeal, fish, blood, and bone, and seaweed. Different plants have different needs so make sure to research before purchasing. Besides, you might want to look into organic and plant based fertilisers for your own reasons. Make your own is possible too but know does and don'ts. For example, seaweed cannot be collected of the beach and dug it on the soil because if the salt content. Leave it at the beach for a few days so critters can crawl back into sea and then rinse it thoroughly or even better yet, leave it out for a few weeks where rain can rinse it for you. Make sure what you are doing to help the plants and crops is actually helping them. Personally, I am a great fan of liquid seaweed feed.

If soil has reached a steady 7 degrees Celsius and danger of frost has passed you can start sowing, but it can be smart to wait until soil temperatures has risen to 10 degrees when it comes to veggies. Some seeds need higher temperatures to germinate like sweet corn, courgettes, and fennel. If temperature does drop protect the area with fleece or cloches or use cloches to warm up the soil before sowing. Place them over the seeds for that extra bit of warmth and protection but make sure to remove it on warm days. Ventilation is important too. Wildflowers and annuals are sown at this time too, often it is scheduled for mid-April. Research and understand the needs of the seeds.

When having started sowing, thin out to the spacing the crop needs to reach its maximum potential. For example, leeks are thinned to 15cm which means leaving a seedling then take out all other seedlings that came up for 15cm and then leave another seedling and so on. That way we give the seedling the space in the soil it needs and it does not have to compete for water, light, and nutrients with other seedlings that are too close.

If winter veg are still in the beds, it is time to start thinking about harvesting them and make space for new crops. Unless the place is planned for keeping them for as long as possible or if they are perennial vegetables. Radishes, spinach, and lettuce are fast crops, we can probably harvest them in April already. Pinch out pea shoots, they are super tasty and pinching out also means we are encouraging bushy growth.

How is pollinating going? In April I am pretty much done with pollinating peaches and I need to keep an eye on the shoots and the fruits forming which will need thinning out too on fanned peaches. Hopefully we can take off the protection but let’s keep an eye on those temperatures! It would be a waste if frost does appear and damages or kills the flowers. For thinning the fanned peach shoots have a look at the April indoor article, I go into more detail there.

3. Harden off, plant, add and check supports

April is the month for hardening off. Hardening off is the process of letting plants adjust from warmer temperatures inside to cooler temperatures outside so they will not go into shock getting damages and maybe even die. Move vegetable plants into a cold frame and leave the lights (lids) open when the weather is dry and sunny for a few hours. Every day assess the weather and leave the lights off a little bit longer or leave them on when it is horrendous weather. Normally we can leave the lights off after 2 or 3 weeks. Gradually does it! After the lights have been removed for several days the plants can be planted out. During this time it is key to keep a close eye on watering and pests and diseases. Airflow can be restricted in frames. If we do not have a cold frame use fleece. I use that for the half hardies which are hardened off too this month. The process is the same.

Potatoes! How are the first earlies doing? At the beginning of April start planting the second earlies and mid to late April plant the main crop. When the shoots reach roughly 23cm start earthing them up which means covering the stems with soil. This will encourage more tubers which are the potatoes. Use a rake or spade to draw the soil between the rows up to the stems and leave only the top foliage uncovered. If the soil between the sows is compact it might help to fork it loose first.

Late April means hardening off is done which means planting! Yay! This always puts a massive smile on my face. Supports are not bare anymore but have little plants looking up at them wanting to climb. Green and sometimes red foliage is dotted around, vegetables and flowers. Netting is placed over brassicas and other plants that are prone to pests like birds or butterflies. The space is alive again. When planting check the spacings between plants and the rows, make sure they are watered in properly, and protection and support is placed where needed. Happy days.

4. Weed, tidy, and add to compost

This is the same as last month. Weeds will keep popping up from now on until the weather starts to cool down again. A reminder: most weeds can be added to the compost heap but there are some notorious ones that are better disposed of in other ways because they will take over the garden if they are allowed to spread. Examples are field bindweed (Convulvulus arvensis), perennial stinging nettles (Urtica dioica), ground elder (Aegopodium podagraria), field horesetail (Equisetum arvense), and couch grass (Elymus repens).

Cut back any foliage left on herbaceous perennial plants. New shoots are coming and they will need light. Deadhead daffodils and tulips but leave the foliage to die back, that way energy is directed back into the bulb.

5. Prune, mulch, feed

Another follow up from March. How is pruning going? Most winter flowering shrubs that have finished flowering can do with a trim and it is a good idea to walk around the garden and tie up any shoots from climbing roses.

When walking around check if any plants could do with a top dressing (fertiliser) and if so apply an appropriate one. I know I am repeating myself but after weeding and pruning it is a good idea to feed and mulch shrubs and trees because feeding will gives them a boost and mulch improves soil and retains moisture but also suppresses weeds. This will reduce the workload in the coming months and it looks brilliant, the often dark colour really sets off the plants bringing contrast to your garden.

6. Pest control

Pests and diseases are waking up too and will be active in the growing season. Creating good airflow between plants by spacing and pruning, practising good gardening hygiene, and encouraging wildlife into the garden will help with managing diseases and pests but there will always be some. It is nature. In the next months keep an eye out for pests and diseases and if needed take appropriate action whether that is introducing nematodes, crushing them, encouraging natural predators, offer protection with netting or with copper collars. Remove affected leaves, branches, or plants.

7. Grass cut and lawn care

Another one that will keep popping up in the coming months. Remember to gradually bring the height of cut down every time until we have reached the desired height.

How is the grass looking? Are there any bare patches? If so, April and May are good months to sow grass seed. Keep the seed moist but not soaked for good germination rates. Nitrogen is needed for vegetative growth, at the beginning of the season it is helpful to feed the lawn with a high nitrogen fertiliser and aerate the area with a fork.

Last but not least, edges. Do you like them straight and tidy or prefer a wilder look? Tidy them up and re-edge if wanted. Sharp edges, depending on type of garden, can make a huge visual impact.

8. Cut flowers

What a joy to see tulips grow! Cut a few to bring inside or make someone else happy.

What other cut flowers are you growing?

9. Look back at April

I have mentioned this before... it is so easy to get engrossed in the work and forget to look around. At the end of April take a step back and look at the garden. Maybe you have a journal where you record plantings/ plants that are doing well or not. Look at the vegetables that start growing and are doing well and how do the flowers smell?

Happy April gardening!

Please note: This post is written in the south of Scotland - UK. Adjust the month to your hardiness zone. If you have specific gardening questions, please do not hesitate to reach out.