April is a great month; the days are longer, the dawn chorus is pumping up the volume, and most things in the garden have started to wake up. I’m almost certain that I can see things sprouting, unfurling and greening up, right before my eyes.
Get watering!
Worryingly, it hasn’t really rained (even in Manchester) for a few weeks now, and there has been quite a strong, drying breeze. The few raindrops that have actually fallen haven’t made any discernible difference to the water level in my three water butts. Having said that, I recall that last Easter was also exceptionally warm and dry, and it then proceeded to rain for the rest of the year.
With the present dry weather in mind, one task high up on my to-do list is watering. Remember; it is better to have a good, thorough less frequent watering session, than subscribing to a ‘little and often’ approach. A substantial wetting of beds and borders once or twice a week results in more water percolating deeper into the soil, thereby encouraging the plant roots to grow downwards in search of moisture.
A quick surface-sprinkling of water tends to lead to roots systems developing nearer the soil surface, making the plants more susceptible to drought.
Feeding and dead-heading
Once you are satisfied that your plants are suitably hydrated, now is a good time to water your spring bulbs with dilute tomato feed - once a week, whilst the foliage is still green. Feeding (specifically, with a high-potassium feed) helps the bulbs to bulk up so they will be able to produce good flowers next spring. Dead-head all spent flowers, to prevent the plants expending energy on making seeds, but leave the foliage until it starts to turn yellow.
Dead-head spent spring flowers, but continue feeding whilst foliage is still green
Weeding and mulching
In previous years, I have found that a thorough weeding session at this time of year pays dividends with respect to keeping the weeds at bay for the rest of the growing season. This year, the sycamore seedlings are the bane of my life. I don’t even know where the nearest sycamore tree is. It just proves how effective they are at dispersing. This morning I weeded hundreds of sycamore seedlings out of the full length of my border, and I’m absolutely certain that more had germinated just a few hours later.
Once you have weeded and watered, you could apply a compost mulch to borders, if you are able to get a bulk bag of compost delivered. This improves soil structure and water-retention as well as helping to keep the weeds down.
Seed-sowing
If you want to avoid standing in the supermarket queue to procure fresh veg, herbs and salad, now is the time to get sowing. Lettuce, salad leaves and rocket all germinate within a week and can be ready to harvest in three. To ensure a constant supply of salad throughout the summer, make successional sowings every two to three weeks. I’ve sown mine directly into containers outside, but was a bit late with chicken wire protection, so annoyingly, the squirrels have already had a good scrabble in them.
I don’t have a green house and we also lack window sills of any depth. However, our spare room has a south-facing bay window, so I have started off some tomato seeds, and have sown some courgette seeds and put the trays on the heated propagator. I’ve also sown some red and yellow sunflower seeds (‘Red Sun’ and ‘Giant’), because I thought they’d look cheerful at the back of the border.
My alternative greenhouse
Today I sowed my first batch of peas, dwarf French beans, spinach and carrots, directly into containers on my decking (not forgetting the chicken wire this time…). I’m then hoping to sow another batch in a few weeks time, into a new raised bed. However, at present, the intended location for this new bed is currently occupied by the site-works compound for my husband’s garden railway, which is undergoing some permanent-way maintenance.
Some useful seed-sowing tips;
for small seeds that are going to be transplanted later, use fresh, fine / sieved compost;
heap the compost into the seed tray and remove the excess with the edge of the ruler or similar, so the compost is level across the top of the seed tray;
lift and tap the seed tray on the work bench a few times, to make sure large air pockets settle out. Pick off and discard any large bits that come to the surface. Don’t press or compact the compost, or the new shoot may struggle to push through;
water the seed trays with fresh tap water before sowing the seeds. Start watering the ground next to the seed tray before passing the watering can over the seed tray, so the compost isn’t displaced by the strong initial jet of water;
sow seeds at the depth and spacing specified on the packet. Courgettes and other flat cucurbit seeds should be sown on their sides. The theory is that this ensures moisture won’t accumulate on the flat face of the seed and cause it to go mouldy. I’m not sure if anyone has done any controlled experimentation on this.
Quite a number of people have been frustrated by a lack of seeds to sow, and the difficulties in procuring them, including me. Theoretically, you should pay attention to the sow-by dates on the seed packets, as old seed is less likely to germinate. My peas and beans are a year out of date, but given current circumstances, I’m just going to take my chance.
I have ordered some parsley and coriander online, but everyone has had the same idea, plus, Royal Mail is pretty stretched at the moment so they are taking their time to arrive. Packets of seeds usually come with hundreds more than you actually need, so why not ask neighbours on your local Facebook groups if they have any spares, and arrange a suitably contact-free trade?