Check out our latest gardening reminders for April 2020 put together by chairman and horticulturalist John Richardson.
1) Prune early flowering shrubs after flowering is over.
2) Prune foliage shrubs if cut foliage will be required later in the year.
3) Mulch shrubs and fruit bushes when the weather begins to warm up, but not deeply into the centre of the shrub.
4) Continue to divide herbaceous plants if necessary.
5) Plant evergreen shrubs, soak root-balls before planting and water in after planting.
6) If dry spells continue, remember to water those trees and shrubs that have been planted since Christmas.
7) Cut off dead hydrangea flowers down to the top 2 strongest growth buds.
8) Plants growing on the edge of ponds can be lifted, divided, and replanted as required. Remove pond heaters or other frost preventive objects.
9) Pick off the flower heads from spent daffodils, tulips and other spring-flowering bulbs which have gone over, and give a top-dressing of general fertilizer.
10) In mild weather slugs and snails may well begin to eat the shoots of newly growing perennials. Use environmentally approved slug pellets as a control.
11) Dahlias may begin to sprout in mild conditions under glass, but don’t plant out until frost is past. Consider taking cutting of the first shoots.
12) Towards the end of the month collect woody twigs to use as supports for perennials before they get too long and straggly.
13) Apply residual weedkillers to gravelled driveways and footpaths. Be careful to ensure that the application is confined to the treated area and not surroundings.
14) Begin mowing the lawn weekly, but with the blades set quite high until the rate of growth increases. Dig out those perennial weeds that suddenly appear.
15) Apply a high Nitrogen lawn fertilizer, and water-in if conditions are dry, in order to prevent scorch to the grass.
16) Check stakes and ties of trees planted in the last 2 years, stakes should still be sound and the tree ties not strangling the tree.
17) Remove raspberry suckers coming up away from the row. Thin new canes to 15cm apart on the support wires.
Interested in further advise or solutions? visit our 'solutions' section here
Posted 8th Apr 10:15am