General Gardening Tips for April
1. Getting the soil back in shape
Soil conditioning is top of the list for this time of the year. Digging organic compost and sheep pellets through the garden gets plenty of soil biology going and replenishes nutrients that have been used over this punnishing summer growing season.
2. Autumn is Nature’s best planting time
The soil is warm, there’s moisture around so plants can establish ahead of winter. Plant with Premium Garden Mix for the best establishment. This Autumn is still hot, so water then top with mulch.
3. Sowing lawns is easier now that there's some rain
Grass seed varieties germinate quickly during the Autumn months, and lawns put on strong growth that can sustain them through winter.
Fertilising lawns allows them to build resilience ahead of winter. Apply Prolawn Lawn Booster to your lawn and water in. It’s the last chance to sow or patch a lawn before the cold hits.
4. Sow broad beans around ANZAC Day
Even small gardens can fit a crop of the dwarf variety and in late August their flowers attract the bees back to the garden. Sow carrots, parsnips and beetroot for a supply of yummy root vegetables in late winter.
April in the Ornamental Garden:
April Trees & Shrubs
The soil is still warm and there’s moisture in it, so it’s the ideal time to plant shrubs and trees. Dig a hole at least as deep as the pot and twice as wide. Nutra Soil, a blend of Premium Waikato Topsoil and Premium Garden Mix is an excellent mix to plant with trees.
April Flowers
Garden pretties: Sow cornflower, dianthus, nigella, poppy, and sweet pea seeds.
Plant tulips, narcissi and hyacinths in pots and garden beds. Place pots in semi-shaded areas until the bulbs shoot.
Propagate cuttings of your favourite geraniums, fuchsias, lavender and rosemary – more free plants next spring.
April Hedges
Planting hedges is best done at this time of the year. If the plants appear root-bound soak the pot in a bucket of water until the bubbles stop rising. Tease out roots that are growing round and round in the pot, so they can move out into the soil.
Plant a hedge of sasanqua camellias – these early-flowering varieties avoid the petal blight of late-season ones.
Trim buxus, griselinia, and other formal hedge types and apply compost around the root zone to protect any exposed roots from the winter cold.
April in the Fruit and Vegetable Garden
April Vegetables
Hardy brassicas can go in now: broccoli, cabbage, cauliflower and bok choy. Sow carrots, beetroot, silverbeet, and parsnip for a supply of root vegetables in late winter.
Celery is a great value crop because it can be picked by the stalk through winter – it gives winter comfort dishes some extra flavour.
Chilli plants keep producing a bit longer than other summer vegetables, so freeze chillis or make some chilli jam.
April Salads & Herbs
Keep the winter salads going with cold hardy lettuce varieties like Cos, Iceberg, the French Merveille des Quatre saisons, and spinach (for baby leaves).
Plant winter herbs: Thyme, winter savory, bay, and rosemary.
Sowing successive crops of rocket makes a good standby for veg in winter. Rocket is delicious stirred through roasted vegetables with dressing.
Parsley and coriander don’t ‘bolt’ when the weather cools, so sprinkle some seed.
April Plant Protection
Control snails, they’re loving the new seedlings in the vegetable garden. Organic remedies include angling a dish of beer in the soil or hunting them down after dark by the light of a phone or torch. When all else fails use slug bait.
Building up good soil in April
After summer crops have been removed, add back the goodies to sustain the winter veg - dig in compost, and add extra nutrients such as sheep pellets. And add some muscle with our favourite Soil and Plant conditioner - ground mussel shells (excuse the pun).
Seedlings for free
Look through the vegetable garden - herbs such as dill, parsley and coriander may have seeded, offering free plants to flavour the autumn cooking.
April fruiting
Tamarillos and citrus (lemons, mandarins, oranges) ripen over winter, but give them a dose of liquid fertiliser now, such as Aquaticus organic Garden Booster. This helps with the health of the bushes and encourages the developing fruit.
April Lawn Care
April lawns from sow to grow
Sowing a lawn this April? Clear weeds then layer on some Premium lawn Soil. Use a handheld seed spreader to add grass seed and Lawn Starter.
Fertilise existing lawns: Apply ProLawn Lawn Booster to your lawn and water in. This allows it to build resilience ahead of winter.
Good germination - in autumn the fastest germinating lawn seed varieties are Tournament Blend (tough, yet beautiful), Tall Fescue (tolerates some shade) and Classic Rye (hard-wearing and drought resistant).
April Plants & Shrubs
Cut back finished perennials and lay compost around them. Once dormant, they can be lifted and divided to make more plants.
Collect brown cabbage tree leaves, tie them in small bundles and store. They make excellent fire starters.
Tall perennial grasses offer excellent autumn displays of flowering plumes and seedheads. Most can be left until August to provide height and interest in the winter garden.
Seek out some tough shrubs for planting if you have a windy, clay site. Dwarf bamboo, knowas nandina, Australian westringias, coleonema varieties and rhaphiolepis (Indian Hawthorn) are very hard to kill!
Roses are past their peak and should be left to drop leaves before pruning in July. If they have developed scale, spray with Conqueror Oil. Place finished banana skins around their base – free potassium to the roots!
Tidy up the untidy foliage of NZ renga renga lilies and daylilies. Giving them some air around the plants discourages disease. Trim lavenders and hebes and fertilise.
General fertiliser: Why do we like Prolawn All Purpose Fertiliser? It’s a good general feed for both lawns and gardens and should be applied ahead of rain or water it in after spreading. This fertiliser should not be used in pots.
Landscape Project Ideas for April
Plant a tree or a hedge
Autumn is nature’s BEST planting time. It’s perfect for establishing big trees, planting hedges or starting a new vegetable or flower bed.
Stock up on firewood
Check out our Firewood range here, available in bags or bulk quantities from 0.5m3.
Concrete projects: paths, pads, pavers and posts
Get concreting while autumn offers up warm, dry weather. Lay a path or driveway, construct the base for a shed or cement posts ready for a fencing project. We recommend 5 x 40kg bags of cement to 1 cubic metre of Builder's Mix.