As we move through to mid-spring, the days are longer, and the sun is shining, so now is the ideal time to get out and about to enjoy green spaces, as well as making a start on essential jobs in your garden or allotment. Crucially, now is the time to prune any spent spring blooms, weed both containers and borders, and start planning your veg beds and plots.
Pruning
Daffodil and other spring floral displays will now be starting to wane, so deadhead plants before they go to seed and allow the foliage to dieback naturally. This will transfer the plant’s energy back into the bulb, helping it to produce a new, healthy plant next spring. Cut back hydrangeas and other perennial shrubs to healthy shoots lower down.
Weeding
As plants grow, weeds start to appear. Therefore, weed regularly to prevent them smothering young plants and seedlings. Weeds can also hide pests, such as slugs and snails, that will happily devour your precious plants. Once removed, mulch at the base of the plants to suppress further weeds and help retain moisture through the changeable weather.
Veg planning
As it’s a bit early to be planting outside, preparation is key - fork over existing veg beds and have some compost ready and waiting for main planting. The mild, sunny days in April can be deceiving, as late-set frosts are never too far away! Be sure to sow frost-tender vegetables such as cucumbers, sweetcorn, beans, pumpkins and courgettes in a greenhouse, cold frame or propagator. Ventilate greenhouses on sunny days, but shut them mid-afternoon to retain the heat at night. Towards the end of the month, start hardening off bedding plants and frost-tender vegetables grown indoors by standing them outside on warmer days. Prick out, and thin out seedlings ready for planting, and sow tomato seeds.
To help you get a head start on your garden this season, we’re offering one lucky person the chance to win a National Garden Gift Voucher worth £50, the voucher can be spent on thousands of products in 1,400 UK garden centres and nurseries. To be in with a chance of winning, simply answer the quiz question below by 11:59pm on Tuesday 30th April 2024. A winner will be selected at random from all the correct entries. Terms apply.*
*Terms and Conditions
To be in with the chance of winning a National Garden Gift Voucher worth £50, simply answer the quiz question in the form above by 11.59pm on Tuesday 30th April 2024. A winner will be selected at random from all the correct entries. One prize available. One entry per person. The winner will be contacted using the email address provided (please ensure that you check all email folders). If we are unable to make contact with the chosen winner after reasonable attempts have been made to do so, we reserve the right to transfer the prize and select a new winner. Prize cannot be exchanged for a cash alternative. Prize can only be sent to a UK address. We reserve the right to withdraw this competition at any time.
Click here to view our previous competition winners.