April is a transformative month in the garden. With longer days, warmer temperatures, and bursts of new growth, it’s the perfect time to get stuck into gardening tasks.
Whether you’re growing fruit and vegetables, caring for wildlife, or maintaining your lawn, April offers plenty of opportunities to prepare your garden for a thriving spring and summer.
Here’s your essential gardening checklist for April, packed with expert tips to keep your outdoor space looking its best.
Fruit & Vegetables: Time to Plant and Protect
April is prime planting season for a wide range of fruits and vegetables. Here’s what you should be doing this month:
Sow directly outdoors: Carrots, beetroot, parsnips, lettuce, spinach, radishes, and peas can be sown directly into the soil now that the ground is warming up.
Plant soft fruits: Strawberries, raspberries, and blackberries should be planted now. If you already have established plants, remove any weeds around them and apply a mulch to retain moisture.
Greenhouse planting: If you have a greenhouse or sunny windowsill, start off crops like tomatoes, cucumbers, peppers, and courgettes in pots to transplant later.
Protect young seedlings: Late frosts are still possible in April, so use cloches or fleece to cover young plants on colder nights.
Encouraging Wildlife in Your Garden
April is a busy month for wildlife, and you can take steps to create a haven for birds, bees, and beneficial insects.
Provide food & water: Birds are feeding hungry chicks, so keep feeders stocked with high-energy foods like sunflower seeds and suet.
Create shelter: If you have piles of logs, leaves, or wild areas in your garden, these make perfect habitats for hedgehogs and frogs.
Plant pollinator-friendly flowers: Bees and butterflies are becoming more active, so plant nectar-rich flowers like lavender, foxgloves, and primroses.
Under Cover: Using Greenhouses, Cold Frames & Cloches
A greenhouse or cold frame is a fantastic way to extend the growing season and protect delicate plants.
Start off tender plants: Tomatoes, chillies, aubergines, and sweet peppers thrive when started under cover before being transplanted outside in late May.
Ventilate on warm days: As temperatures rise, remember to open greenhouse vents and doors to prevent overheating.
Use fleece for protection: If a late frost is forecast, cover tender plants inside greenhouses with fleece for added protection.
Propagation: Growing More from Cuttings & Seeds
April is a great time to propagate plants, ensuring a steady supply of flowers and vegetables for the months ahead.
Take softwood cuttings: Many shrubs, such as fuchsias, pelargoniums, and hydrangeas, can be propagated now. Simply take a cutting from fresh new growth, dip it in rooting hormone, and plant in a pot with compost.
Divide perennials: If you have overgrown clumps of perennials such as hostas, daylilies, or ornamental grasses, divide them now to create more plants for free.
Prick out seedlings: If you’ve started plants from seed indoors, they may be ready to be pricked out and transferred into individual pots for stronger growth.
Pruning & Training Plants
Now is the perfect time to shape and support plants to keep them healthy and looking their best.
Prune spring-flowering shrubs: Once plants like forsythia and flowering currant have finished blooming, prune them to encourage strong growth for next year.
Train climbing plants: Tie in new shoots of clematis, wisteria, and climbing roses to provide support as they grow.
Trim evergreen hedges: Lightly trim box, privet, and other evergreen hedges to keep them looking tidy.
Lawn Care: Get Your Grass in Top Shape
April is the time to bring your lawn back to life after winter.
Mow regularly: Start mowing more frequently as the weather warms up, gradually reducing the cutting height.
Feed your lawn: Apply a spring lawn feed to encourage strong growth and a lush green colour.
Rake out moss and thatch: Use a scarifier or rake to remove dead grass and moss, allowing your lawn to breathe.
Edge your lawn: Neatly trimming lawn edges will instantly improve the appearance of your garden.
Sowing & Planting: Colour for the Months Ahead
April is an exciting time to sow seeds and plant flowers for a stunning summer display.
Direct sow annuals: Hardy annuals like poppies, cornflowers, and marigolds can be sown directly into flower beds for a bright summer display.
Plant summer-flowering bulbs: Dahlias, lilies, and gladioli should be planted now for a stunning show in mid to late summer.
Refresh containers & hanging baskets: Start planting up pots and baskets with spring bedding plants such as pansies, violas, and forget-me-nots.
Final Thoughts: A Busy but Rewarding Month
April is a wonderful time to be in the garden, with longer days and rising temperatures creating the perfect environment for planting, sowing, and maintaining your outdoor space. Whether you’re growing your own food, caring for wildlife, or simply keeping your garden looking its best, there’s plenty to do!
If you’d like expert help with lawn care, pruning, planting, or general garden maintenance, get in touch with All Seasons Garden Maintenance today! Our professional team covers Epsom, Surrey, and surrounding areas and offers tailored gardening services to suit your needs.
Call us on 01372 610566 or 07368 356520
Message us today to book your garden maintenance service!
