GARDENING TIPS FOR APRIL February 21, 2008
(Compiled by Lyn McCallum)
Prepare beds for winter/spring flowering annuals. Pull out any remaining summer annuals that are now over and dig in some mature compost, Rapid Raiser and Hoof and Horn. Water in and leave for a few days before planting out new winter and spring flowering annuals. It would be best to wait until the cooler weather of autumn arrives before setting out new seedlings and remember to plant out in the cooler conditions of late afternoon. Protect the seedlings from slugs and snails by sprinkling crushed eggshells around the plants or give each plant a collar of sandpaper. Hand picking of snails at night will also help.
If your late summer flowering annuals are still flowering away merrily, you can pot up seedlings like Bellis perennis, stocks, Iceland poppies, pansies, foxgloves and cinerarias from the six packs into 15 or 20 cm pots. Keep them well watered and feed with Seagro, Nitrosol, Organiksol, Bounce Back, or Rapid Raiser and they will grow and establish a good root system and can then be planted out, as space becomes available.
Likewise, perennials such as Aquilegia, which are still too small to put in the garden, can be potted up and kept in a sheltered spot for setting out in your beds once winter is over. Feed these plants too, with Seagro or Nitrosol, Organiksol, Bounce Back, or Rapid Raiser
Prepare your beds for winter and spring flowering bulbs by digging over lightly, incorporating some mature compost, Bounce Back and Hoof & Horn. Well-drained soil is necessary for successful bulb growing. Wait until the first winter rains have fallen and the weather (and the soil) has cooled down, before planting the bulbs. This could well be only at the end of April or even May! However, it is a good idea to purchase the bulbs you require as soon as you see them in the garden centres. Keep them in a cool, dark place until planting time.
Most bulbs should be planted at a depth that is 3 times deeper than the diameter of the bulb, with the pointed end facing upwards, the exception being ranunculus, which must be planted with the claws downwards. It is often difficult to see the growing point of anemone bulbs – plant these bulbs on their side if you are unsure.
Interplant your bulbs with annuals such as pansies, Virginian stocks and primulas. This will help to stop them falling over, especially useful for freesias. For a really stunning display of daffodils, plant them in clumps of 10 for the larger varieties and up to 20 for the smaller ones.
Once the bulbs are in the ground, apply a layer of mulch and keep damp at all times. Your bulbs will not germinate if the soil is allowed to dry out.
(Most bulbs are sold with planting instructions attached.)
Lift dahlia tubers and remember to label! They can be over-wintered in a dry spot in your garden shed in boxes with the bulbs covered over lightly with dry soil or sawdust.
Give your roses a last feed of a fertilizer high in potassium – Sudden Impact or 3:1:5 Organic before they go into winter dormancy.
This is the time to divide March Lilies (Amaryllis belladonna), if the clumps have become too crowded. Once they have finished flowering, lift the bulbs, divide gently and replant in a new position, making sure the neck of the bulb is just showing above the soil.
Your indoor pot plants do not need to be fed during the autumn and winter months. They also require less watering during the winter months. The exceptions are the winter flowering plants such as cyclamen, primulas and calceolarias. Pot up cinerarias and Primula obconica for winter colour in your house.
Young vegetable plants will benefit from an application of compost or well-rotted manure, as well as a high nitrogen feed such as Nitrosol to promote growth before the chill of winter. Vegetables that do well in winter are broad beans, leeks, peas, all the brassicas (cauliflower cabbage, broccoli) carrots, Swiss chard and true spinach. Watch out for Cabbage White caterpillars on all brassica plants.
(Remember crop rotation is important for best results!)
Autumn is an excellent time to plant out new trees and shrubs. The weather should be cool enough to prevent undue stress to the plant, but the soil will be warm enough to encourage the necessary root growth to allow the plant to get well established before the chill of winter sets in.
Prepare a hole large enough to accommodate the root ball of the plant, with enough space to add a generous helping of mature compost, as well as Bounce Back and a handful of Hoof & Horn. Water this in well. Mix a little compost and food with the soil from the hole. Place the tree / shrub in the hole, ensuring that the level of the soil that it is growing in is level with the top of the hole. Fill the hole up with the remaining soil/compost mix and water in well. Newly planted trees / shrubs will need watering until the plants are well established. Don’t forget to mulch.
Autumn leaves from oak trees, as well as pine needles, make a wonderful leaf mould. Collect the leaves and needles and keep in a cool, damp place. Leaf mould takes about a year to mature to a medium suitable for use, and it is excellent for use as compost or mulch on azaleas, camellias or any other acid loving plant. Leaf mould made from other autumn leaves, such as plane tree leaves, can be used on the rest of the garden.
Fuschias will benefit from a light pruning this month, once they have finished their autumn flowering flush. This will give the plants a head start in spring. Keep a wary eye out for hawk moth caterpillars, which can decimate fuschia plants almost overnight. The best time to hand pick the caterpillars is at night, with a torch.
The growing period of lawns in finished, so fertilising is now unnecessary. Mow when necessary, but lower the blades to cut the grass shorter to prevent “thatching”. This will also help prevent fungal infections.
