April Top Tips

SHRUB BORDER

• By the time we get to the middle of the month Forsythia will be almost finished flowering, now is the time it should be pruned. Cut out the stems that have just flowered, but keep all young stems as it is these that will bear the best flowers next year. 
  
• Shape the bushes as you prune. Viburnum Tinus, Sarcococca, Mahonia Japonica, Hamamellis and Jasminum nudiflorum will also have finished flowering by the end of the month these should all be pruned after flowering. 
  
• Cornus Siberica should by pruned hard before it comes into leaf so as to encourage a short stocky plant rather than very tall unkept bushes. 
  
• Winter flowering Heathers will also have finished flowering by the end of April. Now is the time to prune those along with summer flowering heathers, trim the old flower heads off with a pair of shears or secateurs, this will encourage new growth go from beneath where it flowered earlier, to encourage new growth give them a top dressing of lime-free fertilizer. 
  
• Now is a good time to give the shrub border a top dressing of Growmore or Osmacote so as to feed and encourage new growth. It is advisable to lightly hoe or rake any fertilizer in the soil when top dressing.
   
  LAWNS
• Feeding and weeding can begin towards the end of the month, providing the grass and the weeds are actively growing. This will be weather dependant if we have a warm sunny month then the grass will actively begin to grow, if it is cold and wet the grass will not put on a lot of growth.
  
• If lawn sand is being applied for killing any moss in the lawn make sure it is spread evenly and that the dead moss is raked up about two weeks later. 
  
• There is no better time than April to sow grass if creating a new lawn. Dig the soil over, when it is reasonably dry and crumbly rake out any stones and create a flat firm surface on which to sow your grass seed. A top dressing of growmore fertilizer can be raked into the soil before sowing a new lawn, this will encourge active strong young roots to develop into a good lawn more quickly.
   
  HERBACEOUS BORDER
• As the daffodils and early spring flowering bulbs come to an end and begin to look untidy, remove the old flower heads to prevent seed formation and top dress with bonemeal to encourage the bulbs to swell and grow larger under the soil for next year. 
  
• If not done so already lift and divide into smaller clumps snowdrop bulbs. 
  
• Most of the hardy perennials will now be actively growing, make sure your plants are weed free and top dress with fertilzers will encourage strong growth. 
  
• To help encourage new bud formation pick off the dead flower heads of pansies and viola's regularly before they produce seed pods. You may find that greenfly often make an appearence on pansies now and also on ployanthus at this time of year, spray with insecticide as soon as it appears or it will soon spoil their spring beauty. 
  
• Now is a good time of year to plant sweet peas just remember they love Country Natural Farmyard manure which is now available in our Garden Centres. Good strong healthy sweet peas are hungry feeders. 
  
• A much wider range of early summer bedding plants are now available in our planterias and a wide range of container and baskets plants are available too. 
  
• Slugs too will put in an apprearence this month so a top dressing of sharp grit or slug pellets should now be placed around the "succulent" tender young growth of Hosta plants as they push through the soil now.
   
  FRUIT GARDEN
• With the warmer weather watch out for early signs of pest and disease damage like aphids and mildew, begin spraying with insecticide and fungicide as soon as these troubles appear. 
  
• Remember never spray fruit trees or bushes whilst they are flowering. It is now a good time of year to plant a new strawberry bed, our planterias have new young plants available. 
  
• Do make sure that if you are growing strawberries keep the bed weed free, as weeds are also a good breeding area for greenfly and mildew.
   
  VEGETABLE GARDEN
• Our Garden Centre Planterias will now have a good supply young vegetable seedlings in each week of Brussels, Cabbage, Caulifower, Sprouting Broccoli, Peas and Lettuce with Runner Beans following on towards the end of the month and into May. These plants will have been fully hardened off so there should be no need to protect from frost damage with Runner Beans being the exception these are very tender. 
  
• Marrows, Courgettes, Cucumbers and Tomatoes will also need frost protection if planted outside during this month and early May. These plants will benefit from the protection of a greenhouse. 
  
• April can be a cold month with low night time temperatures. By the end of the month complete the planting of maincrop potatoes and earth up any early ones that are just showing through the soil. This will protect the young growth against night frosts. 
  
• Main crop carrots should also be sown now.
   
  HOUSE PLANTS
• A wide range of house plants are now just waiting for you to buy with several special offers available. Our staff are always available to help with questions on pest and disease problems which you may have.
   
  GARDEN POND
• Fish are active now so begin a regular daily feeding programe with a staple fish food.
  
• A large range of new seasons aquatic plants are now available, we also have a wide range of water lilies. If you have established plants which have outgrown their containers now is good time to split and repot them. Using aquatic compost for water plants which is available in our Centres. 
  
• Floating plants are also available but care must be given with frost protection as they are very cold sensitive during April and May. 
  
• Filters should be kept running continuously now. 
  
• Blanket weed will begin to be a problem unless "Barley Straw" treatments are left in the pond. 
  
• New fish can be safely added to the pond our centres have awide range to offer. 
  
• Frogs will spawn in your pond any tadpoles will feed on naturally occuring food. 
  
• Our Aquatic Centres are full of new pre-shaped ponds and pond liners to enhance your garden so now is a good time really to start to enjoy water gardening. Visit our Landscape materials area where you will find a wide range of rocks and coloured gravels available.
   
  TREES & SHRUBS
• There is now a wide range of Trees and Shrubs that are bursting into flower this month. Many of the flowering cherries, along with stately Magnolias and some of the Malus family-the Crab apples. 
  
• Amelanchiers will have clouds of small white flowers, they look very beautiful with yellow daffodils plant around them.
  
• Shrubs such as Camellia japonica and williamsii varieties will flower this month,Berberis darwinii, Chaenomeles, Corylopsis, Cytisus, Daphne, Forsythia. Kerria, Osmanthus, Pieris, Ribes, Spiraea, Viburnums and Rhododendrons. Our Planterias are full of new and exciting plants along with Clematis and climber plants.
  
• So now is the time to begin replacing those old tired shrubs or just add some new ones to your garden. 
  
• The soil is now warming up and plants will begin to grow almost as soon as they are planted.