April in the garden

April in the gardenis a time of joy for plant lovers. It is spring and you can see more and more how nature is waking up. As the name of the month suggests, this is the month when many plants begin to bloom. The time has come to start cleaning up the garden after winter and other work on the plot.Gardening work in Aprilwill be favored by a longer day. In the first days of April, the sun will rise just after 6, and take place only after 19. During this month the day will be extended by another 1.5 hours. When doingApril work in the gardenremember not to accelerate too much, especially when discovering plants, because the nights can still be frosty.To make the best use ofApril in the gardenbe sure to read the following text, in which we thoroughly describe the most importantgardening work for April

April in the garden is the time of cleaning up after winter, sowing and planting

April in the orchard

• We are finishing the winter pruning of trees in the orchard. Until April, we can delay the pruning of species most vulnerable to frost damage, such as plum, apricot, peach and nectarine.
• The beginning of April is the deadline for pruning the vines (a delay in cutting until April has a positive effect in areas particularly prone to frost). When cutting the grapevine, remember that it bears fruit on one-year-old shoots growing from buds located on two-year-old woody shoots. Procrastination with pruning until the end of April or the beginning of May will cause a strong leakage of juice from the cutting wounds and weaken the shrubs, so perform the treatment as soon as possible.
• The beginning of April is the deadline for preparing trees for transplantation. Depending on their thickness, the branches to be transplanted are shortened to a length of 30 to 60 cm, counting from the branch point. Leave the lower branches longer, and the upper ones - shorter. The guide is shortened to transplant to about 30 cm from the last branching. We choose the place for transplantation so that the bark is smooth, free from mechanical damage and without branching.

• We continue planting fruit trees and shrubs, which right now has the richest offer in shops and garden centers. Fruit trees and shrubs from the so-called with the open root (dug from the ground), we can plant them until they are leafless, i.e. they have not yet started vegetation. It is also worth knowing that growers sometimes extend the dormant period of fruit trees intended for planting by keeping them in… cold stores! Such seedlings of fruit trees can be planted even until the beginning of May.
• Trees planted in spring should be pruned after planting a little stronger than those planted in autumn. When planting, it is worth using a mycorrhizal vaccine for fruit trees. The use of the vaccine will strengthen the root system of the trees and make it easier for the plants to take up nutrients from the soil (it allows to significantly reduce the amount of fertilizers applied). As a result, the plants will be stronger, he althier and the yield will be more abundant.

• We plant out lignified currant and grape seedlings. We place them in the soil at such a depth that there is only one bud on the surface.
• If we want to propagate gooseberries or grapevines, we make horizontal layers. Thornless blackberry can be multiplied by the apical layering.
• We prevent apple tree infection with scab and powdery mildew. Start spraying against scab on apple trees in the phase of emergence of the first leaves from the terminal buds. Depending on the weather, the first spraying is done in mid-April or at the beginning of May.The spread of these diseases is favored by moisture, which is why spraying is performed primarily when it rains. We can use intervention fungicides: Syllit 65 WP, Miedzian 50 WP, Kaptan 50 WP, Penncozeb 80 WP, Score 250 EC, Magnicur Gold.
• The above-mentioned Score 250 EC also helps to limit the spread of apple mildew. In amateur crops, however, we should first of all manually remove leaves infected by this pathogen. We can recognize them by their crochet appearance and white, powdery coating.
• It is also worth checking if there is an apple tree in the apple tree. For this, we put a sheet under the tree and shake the branches. If more than 5 beetles fall on the sheet from about 35 branches, it is worth considering the need for spraying. On plots, however, it is recommended, first of all, to manually remove dried-up buds, in which the larvae of the flower plant are feeding. We carry out the same procedure in a pear that is attacked by a flower pear.

• We also browse (preferably at the beginning of the month) blackcurrant shoots and remove unnaturally swollen buds that have been attacked by large currant. If most of the buds are deformed on the shoot, remove the whole shoot. These treatments are important because currently there are no preparations to combat this pest effectively on the market.
• Reddish pear mead can spread to pear orchards from coniferous trees and shrubs. As a result of the attack of this pest, pear leaves are bent, their development is inhibited, and then they turn black. As a rule, this insect is not very abundant and has only one generation a year, therefore it should not have a negative impact on the further development of trees and fruiting.
• The fruit plants also include strawberries and wild strawberries. Start the spring care of these plants by removing old, dried leaves. Then touch the soil in the inter-rows and also between the plants in the rows.Remember that strawberries and wild strawberries have low fertilization requirements, and abundant fertilization in spring (especially with nitrogen fertilizers) is unfavorable. However, watering is necessary. If it is dry - water at least once a week. These plants will also benefit from mulching (under the plants on both sides of the row, put straw or conifer bark mulch).

April in the vegetable garden

• From the beginning of April, lamb's lettuce can be sown directly into the ground, as it tolerates low temperatures well. It is an easy-to-grow vegetable with a short growing season (harvest after just 2 months).
• We plant a permanent seedling of vegetables - onions and leek, and at the beginning of the month - early kohlrabi and lettuce varieties. Later varieties will be planted at the end of the month.
• We are finishing sowing peas and spinach by mid-April. In the second half of the month, we sow the leek in the field.
• Throughout April, we can sow radishes in the garden, preferably at intervals of 7 to 10 days in various places - in the open ground, covered with fleece or perforated foil, in a low foil tunnel or for a cold inspection.This will ensure the continuity of the harvest throughout the season. Remember that radishes like a good sun exposure.
• We sow the seeds of mid-late varieties of carrots for early autumn harvest, and the seeds of parsley, parsnip and dill. At the end of the month, we can sow scorzonera, chicory, broad beans and sorrel.
• In order to produce seedlings, we sow broccoli seeds on the seedbed for the August harvest, early kohlrabi varieties for the summer harvest, medium late varieties of cabbage and swede. We also sow medium late and late lettuce varieties on the seedbed. This is a good time to sow patison seeds under covers, which we will plant in the beds at the end of May.
• We pick the seedlings of nightshade vegetables, such as tomatoes or peppers. Quilting will enrich the root system of plants.
• From mid-April we can start the production of corn seedlings. For pots with a diameter of 7 to 8 cm, sow 2 to 3 seeds.
• Red beet seeds are sown directly into the ground in rows spaced 20 cm apart. It is best to sow them in a furrow 2 cm deep. Interrupt the young plants, leaving them at 15 cm intervals.
• You can also sow spices such as fennel. If necessary, the dill can be sown until summer.
• Today, few of us grow potatoes on our plots, because those sold in shops are very cheap. However, new potatoes from their own plot can be very happy. At the beginning of April, we plant the sprouted seed potatoes into the ground. At the beginning, they do not need to be watered because they have a large supply of water in their tubers.
• We are starting to protect vegetables against pests. To scare them off, you can spray the vegetables with a biopreparation based on garlic or put garlic sticks in the soil. Note - garlic preparations should not be used against onion cream. In this case, we advise you to sow the onion alternately with other plants, e.g.carrot.

April in the ornamental garden

• If it was too cold in March to remove winter covers from plants, we do this in April. We should remember that the bushes, which are exceptionally sensitive to low temperatures, e.g. dough, should not be exposed until the end of the month. If the budleja is frozen, cut the shoots quite low. The plant will kick back.
• If it was too cold in March to remove the winter covers from the rose bushes and make the cut, we also do this in April. We can also plant newly purchased roses. When buying shrubs, choose those that have at least 3 he althy shoots and a well-developed root system - read more about planting roses.
• We cultivate the seedlings of annual plants from sowing carried out in February and March. We dive the seedlings to a fresh substrate, and provide them with appropriate humidity and temperature.
• In a permanent place we plant a seedling of pansies and forget-me-nots.
• We carry out another fertilization of spring bulbous plants (about 3 weeks after the first fertilization). We use nitrogen fertilizers, e.g. ammonium nitrate.
• We transplant and divide perennials that bloom in summer and autumn. Before planting, the dry carps are dipped in water. April is also a good month for ornamental grasses.
• We mulch the soil under shrubs, especially those with a shallow root system (azaleas, witch hazel, rhododendrons or heathers). The mulch will help keep the soil moist and prevent the roots from drying out.
• We plant deciduous trees and ornamental shrubs (we can continue to plant them until they start to sprout the first leaves). After planting, trim them strongly and form bowl-shaped depressions in the ground around the trunk, thanks to which it will be possible to retain water. We also plant conifers and evergreen species.
• April is also the time of planting summer flowering bulbs.
• In recent years, the box moth has turned out to be a very nuisance pest.Caterpillars of this pest strongly strip the leaves of the box, causing the bushes to die quickly. That is why we have been browsing the boxwood bushes for caterpillars since April. The branches of the shrubs should be opened, as the caterpillars start feeding inside the bush, on the middle shoots, often unnoticed. As soon as we spot the first green caterpillars on boxwood, we spray the biological preparation Lepinox Plus. We recommend this preparation because it is very effective in combating harmful caterpillars, and at the same time selective for beneficial insects. A trap for a boxwood moth, which should be hung near the box trees, will also help in early identification of the pest.
• On the larch trees there may appear gorse - aphids, which first lead to the knee-like bending of the needles, and on the spruce trees they cause the formation of characteristic outgrowths resembling small cones. If in the previous year there were large numbers of occipitos, we should spray the larch and spruce trees with one of the preparations based on paraffin oil.It can be Promanal 60 EC or Treol 770 EC. Later, apply aphid killer on Wednesday, e.g. Pirimor 500 WG or Mospilan 20 SP.

• We are starting spring work in the pond. Start by checking the tank tightness and cleaning it (remove rotting plant debris and fish food debris), clean pond filters and prepare them for commissioning. If the pond was empty for the winter, we now fill it with water. When it warms up enough, you can propagate and replant coastal plants, and when the temperature stabilizes (around 10 ° C), you can move aquatic plants that have wintered in frost-free rooms to the pond. At the end of the month, you can also think about stocking up.

Flowers in the house, balconies and terraces

• Sprinkle the balcony shrubs with fertile ground and add long-acting fertilizer. Perennials, on the other hand, are transplanted to fresh soil.
• We remove the inflorescences of the faded narcissists and hyacinths, because the setting of seeds inhibits flowering.
• If we want the bulbs to bloom in a year, we should not dry them out immediately after flowering - we fertilize them until they turn yellow.
• Yellow flowering calla ends the winter dormancy - the rhizomes can be planted in a large pot filled with a mixture of clay and well-distributed manure. The plant will feel best on a cool but sunny window sill.
• As early as April, lilac chanterelle may appear on the lilies. It is a red-bodied beetle with black head and legs. It gnaws holes in lily leaves and buds. We collect beetles, but also their larvae (hidden under black sticky discharge) and red eggs (the eggs are laid on the underside of the leaves). The pests should be destroyed immediately, preferably by crushing them. If we do it at the very beginning of the period of occurrence of these red worms on lilies, there is a chance that chemical spraying against the violin will not be necessary.
• If in March we sowed seeds of annual flowers in containers on the windowsill, now we transplant the already rooted cuttings into pots with garden soil. To prevent the plants from twisting towards the glass, turn the seedlings every few days. In addition, we systematically water and fertilize. If we want the plants to bush, we can remove their tops.
• On warmer days, we harden cuttings, seedlings and potted plants, which we will put on the balcony for the summer. Now we take them out of the apartment and put them in a quiet, sheltered place. After a few hours we take us back to the room.

Lawn in April

• Fertilize the lawn with organic fertilizer and water it well. Sow the bald areas with a regenerative mixture of grasses. We can also use pieces of turf from other parts of the lawn.
• The growth of grasses in April is so large that you can start mowing for the first time.Regular mowing will promote better grass propagation, thanks to which the lawn will create a dense carpet and will be resistant to intensive use. However, remember not to cut the grass shorter than 4 cm, and leave the blades even longer in shaded areas.
• If the mower was not sharpened before winter, during cleaning - do it now, before starting mowing for the first time.
• At the end of April, we begin the fight against weeds on the lawn. If possible, it is best to weave by hand. However, if we are unable to cope, we can apply herbicides.
• If you don't have a lawn yet, now is a good time to start your lawn setup.

How to plan work in the garden?

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