Four Essential Gardening Tasks in April

Beyond being the quintessential month of rains, April is a vital time to carry out certain gardening tasks that will be essential to enjoy our nature in just a few weeks. Some tasks that will contribute not only to preparing both the garden and our plants for the two quintessential seasons of the year.

So, if we want to enjoy both the garden and the interior of our home as spring and summer deserve, now is the time to start paying attention to our nature after the numbing months of winter.

One way to help ensure that everything is prepared for the flowering that is typical of this time of year, but also so that our plant species are ready to face the hottest months (and which, although they are ideal for enjoying plants and trees, they also bill them).

GARDENING TASKS IN APRIL

Without a doubt, April is one of the busiest months in terms of gardening. A month in which we will have to dedicate a lot of time and attention, since to the attacks of the cold and its consequences we have to add that the increase in temperatures together with the rain make this month one of constant renewal.

Or, what is the same, that this tandem of factors (water and sun) makes nature prone to grow out of control (both with regard to our flowers and plants, as well as weeds and pests).

1. Review of plants, shrubs and trees both indoors and outdoors

Let’s start with the plants that have accompanied us inside the house during the winter. The most common is that, by this time, the heat of the different types of heating have dried out and even damaged the indoor plants. A good reason to do a little pruning at the tips of the leaves to help revitalize them. It is also worth taking advantage of this month to change the substrate (betting, according to the specific needs of each plant, on one rich in nutrients) or even transplant before flowering begins. And, despite the winter lethargy, this month we will have to start watering normally again.

And if indoor watering is important, it is also important for outdoor plants (which will have already begun to wake up from the cold). However, a piece of advice: don’t get overconfident as it is still possible that there will be some night frost (so, if you have outdoor plants that suffer from low temperatures, the ideal is that we continue to have them protected until the temperature stabilizes). And if the cold shouldn’t make us lower our guard, neither should the heat: let’s remember that spring is also the time for garden pests to wake up, so it will be important to observe our plants and stop any attack from the start.

2. Go back to mowing the lawn

The lawn has spent the winter outdoors and, if we did the proper homework at the beginning of the season, it will not need more than a little maintenance. We mean, fundamentally, that during this month we will have to begin to eliminate the weeds that will have proliferated in the cold months (remember: always from the root) before carrying out any mowing work. In this way, we will be guaranteeing that when we harvest what we want to eradicate from the garden is not strengthened; and, in the event that uprooting them generates empty spaces of grass, we will have to consider replanting so that everything has uniformity.

Ideally, for this first spring mowing, choose a time of day when no trace of the evening dew remains. In this way, we can make a high cut without damaging the blades. Since the April temperature is still unstable, we can leave the cut grass on the lawn as mulch. In this way, it will protect the roots of the grass and serve as a first fertilizer, although it will not replace the fertilizer that (yes or yes) we have to add to the lawn (and that we recommend, like this Compo lawn fertilizer, be linked to a herbicide treatment that helps us eradicate weeds without burning it).

3. Check or install the irrigation system

As we mentioned before, irrigation returns to the garden and our plants gradually. Therefore, April is an ideal month to check if our irrigation system is working properly. It is important to remember that, on many occasions, the hoses of the irrigation systems can crack due to frost. Something that will generate water leaks and, therefore, make our irrigation inefficient (in addition to being unsustainable and much more expensive). Due to this and to anticipate any problem in the months of more irrigation, taking advantage of this month to review our installation is essential.

If we do not have any irrigation system installed, this month is also the ideal month for us to consider having one. A perfect way to anticipate summer and all its consequences (which are, among others, the disappointment of seeing how our plants have been damaged by the heat when we return from vacation). To do this, there is nothing like knowing which is the right irrigation system for the characteristics of our garden and starting to plan to have it before the hottest months arrive.

4. Replant

And, in addition to checking the plants that we already have outdoors, April is also the time to replant. A section in which the opportunities offered by outdoor plants represent a huge range of options, colours, shapes and needs to respond to whatever our taste may be. Difficult to choose among so many varieties!

In addition, we must not forget the bulbs that are planted in April and bloom in spring (Lilies, Dahlias or Peonies among a huge variety). To be able to enjoy even more of its variety of shapes and styles, a piece of advice: nothing like choosing summer bulbs that bloom at different times in the coming months. A guarantee of constantly having flowers and constantly renewing the look of our garden!

And you, what other gardening tasks do you carry out in April? Share your experience with us by leaving a comment!