April in the Garden

🌱April is full of promise! The soil is warming, the days are stretching out, and seeds seem to leap into life almost overnight. It’s one of the busiest and most satisfying months in the gardening, full of sowing, potting, planting and a fair bit of standing back and admiring what’s coming through!

There’s plenty to be getting on with, both inside and out, and every little job you do now will carry you forward as the season gathers pace.

You’ll find the full list for April sowing in the Easy Seed Planner.

🥕 Vegetable Highlights

Sow indoors (windowsill or heated propagator): tomatoes, peppers, chillies, aubergines, cucumbers and courgettes.
Sow under cover (cold frame, cloches, grow-house or unheated greenhouse): beetroot, cabbage, kale, cauliflower, spinach, lettuce, peas, beans and leeks.
Sow outside: carrots, parsnips, beetroot, turnips, radish, chard and salad leaves once the soil has warmed.

Plant out: early potatoes, onion sets, shallots and spring cabbages.

Tip: watch the weather! A late frost can still catch tender seedlings out, so have a bit of fleece handy for those colder nights.

Veggie jobs this April…

• Keep sowing little and often for a steady supply rather than a glut all at once.
• Hoe between rows regularly to keep weeds in check.
• Stake broad beans and tall peas before they have a chance to flop about.
• Earth up potatoes as the shoots appear.
• Mulch bare soil to hold in moisture as the days warm up.
• Feed overwintered crops anything gearing up to fruit.
• Keep young seedlings a bit of shelter on windy days.

 🪴 Herby Highlights & Things to Do

• Sow basil, parsley, dill, coriander, chives and thyme indoors or under cover.
• Divide clumps of herbs like mint and lemon balm to refresh their growth.
• Cut back hardy herbs such as sage and rosemary to keep them tidy.
• Top-dress pots with fresh compost or repot if roots are showing.
• Take soft-tip cuttings from bay, sage or thyme for new plants later on.

🌻 April Flower Power

• Sow hardy annuals such as calendula, cornflowers, nigella and poppies straight where they’re to flower.
• Start half-hardy annuals like cosmos, marigolds and zinnias under cover.
• Plant summer-flowering bulbs like gladioli, lilies and dahlias.
• Deadhead spring bulbs, but leave foliage to die back naturally.
• Feed tulips and daffodils after flowering to build strength for next year.
• Keep on top of weeds and give boarders a mulch of compost.
For more ideas, filter the flowers by “sow in April” in the Easy Seed Planner.

🍓 Fruity Actions

• Plant strawberries, raspberries, blackcurrants and gooseberries.
• Mulch around fruit bushes to lock in moisture.
• Tie in new raspberry and blackberry canes before they get unruly.
• Feed fruit trees with a slow-release fertiliser.
• Thin congested fruit spurs on apples and pears.
• Keep an eye on blossom if frost is forecast and protect where needed.

🧹 General Bits and Bobs

• Open up greenhouses and cold frames on warm days for a bit of airflow.
• Clean and refill bird baths and feeders.
• Collect rainwater whenever you can, plants much prefer it.
• Repair supports and trellis before climbers really get going.
• Weed paths and tidy borders while the soil is still soft and workable.
• Start mowing if needed, but keep the blades a little higher for the first few cuts.

🪴 Potting On & Transplanting

With all those early sowings coming along nicely, April is the month for giving seedlings a bit more space. This is where things start to feel like proper progress!

• Handle seedlings gently, holding them by their leaves not the stems.
• Use fresh compost and small pots so roots can establish quickly.
• Water well, but don’t let them sitting in water.
• Harden off sturdy plants by putting them outside on mild days.
• Label clearly, it saves a lot of guessing later on!

Every plant you pot on is a step closer to harvest time… and that’s a good feeling.

🌼 April is when it really gets going!

There’s energy in every corner of the garden now. A bit of steady effort this month will carry you right through the season ahead.

Take a look at the Easy Seed Planner and our April Offers, get a few more seeds going, and enjoy every minute of it!