In April the first plants can be taken out of their winter quarters and the time for lawn care begins. Mossy lawn is scarified and the first fertilizer is applied. But it's not just the lawn that enjoys fertilizer. Bulb flowers such as tulips also continue to grow vigorously with a small portion of nutrients. If the weather is frost-free, you can plant the first potatoes.
What are the most important gardening tasks in April?
Vegetables, herbs and summer flowers can be sown in April. Wild garlic, leeks, spinach, rhubarb, early vegetables and asparagus are ready to harvest. It is also the right time to plant potatoes, young vegetable plants, perennials and strawberries. Roses, hydrangeas, hibiscus, buddleia and herbs should also be cut.
Summary
In April, gardeners don't have enough hands to do all the work: everything starts to grow and bloom. Vegetables, herbs and flowers want to be sown and planted. Now the foundation is being laid for everything that will grow and mature in the next few months.
- Sowing: almost all vegetables and herbs, heat-requiring species in a greenhouse or cold frame, summer flowers
- Harvests: Wild garlic, leeks, young spring spinach, spring onions, the first rhubarb stalks, the first early vegetables from protected cultivation, asparagus
- Plants: the first early potatoes, robust young vegetable plants and perennial herbs, strawberries, perennials, rooted container plants
- Propagate: Perennials can be divided
- Cutting: Roses, hydrangeas, garden hibiscus, buddleia, perennial herbs such as thyme, rosemary, lavender etc.
- Other gardening work: Lawn care, preventative plant protection, collecting snails and making beds snail-proof, repotting potted plants, layering compost
Sowing in April
- Sowing outdoors:You now have a large selection of vegetables. Summer lettuces in red and green varieties, ice cream lettuce, cut and picked lettuces, radishes, radishes, onions, carrots, spinach, chard, May turnips, peas and sugar peas, beetroot, salsify are sown. If you like eating cabbage, think about sowing white and red cabbage as well as savoy cabbage. It’s now time for Brussels sprouts too. You can now also sow most annual and biennial herbs such as cress, chervil, dill, borage, rocket, purslane, parsley and caraway. Only heat-loving species such as basil and marjoram are not allowed outside yet.
- Sowing summer flowers outdoors: Sow these annual summer flowers directly on the spot in April: marigolds, maiden in the green, funnel mallows, cornflowers, cornwheels, silk poppies, marigolds, Gypsophila, candytufts, cosmos, summer fuchsias, satin flowers, sweet peas, morning glories and nasturtiums. Flower bulbs of gladioli, montbretias, peacock lilies, irises and lilies can also be placed in the ground in the second half of April.
- Sowing in the greenhouse and on the windowsill: Plants that require warmth are sown behind glass, under foil or on the windowsill in the moody weather of April. Now is the time for cucumbers, zucchini, melons and celery. You can also sow tomatoes at the beginning of April. Basil and marjoram as well as perennial herbs such as lavender, sage, thyme and hyssop can now also be grown under protected conditions.
Harvests in April
There is already a lot to harvest in April: delicious wild garlic grows in the forest and in many gardens, which now has to be harvested and processed - the wild garlic season is only very short! The aromatic woodruff is also collected between March and April. In the garden, if sown early enough, you can harvest the first young lettuces (e.g. lamb's lettuce, rocket, lettuce, Asian salads), spinach and radishes from the greenhouse or cold frame, and fresh cress, chervil and so on from the windowsill Vegetable sprouts. In addition, when the weather is mild, the asparagus and rhubarb season begins.
Plants that bloom in April
April is the month of spring bloomers: crocuses and daffodils, tulips and primroses, hyacinths, irises and checkered flowers delight us with their colorful flowers in the flower bed. Almond trees, bloodcurrants, copper rock pears, magnolias, snow spars, forsythia, ranunculus, blackthorn and some types of rhododendrons also bloom in April. In the orchard, apple, plum, plum and cherry trees are among the first trees to bloom. This also applies to ornamental apples, ornamental plums and ornamental cherries. Anemones, daisies and dandelions sprout in the forest and on the meadow.
Planting and propagating in April
From the beginning of April, bare-root trees are no longer planted, but rather trees that are offered in pots. For this purpose, all newly planted trees and berry bushes now receive a planting cut and are watered well. Anyone who has cut scions in winter can now start grafting.
- Planting young vegetable plants: Even young vegetable plants that have been grown in a cold frame or purchased from a gardening store can now be planted in the bed. Plant kohlrabi, cauliflower, pointed cabbage, broccoli, early savoy cabbage and lettuce. Onion sets, shallots and the small tiered onions are now placed in the soil. Sow carrots as a mixed crop partner. You can plant tomatoes, zucchini and cucumbers in pots on protected balconies from the end of April.
- Put the first potatoes in the ground: If the weather is spring-like and the soil is warm and well dried, you can put the first new potatoes in the ground. However, make sure that the soil must not be wet and cold: then the sensitive tubers will start to rot. Even if cold snaps are announced, you should still hold off on planting: potatoes are very sensitive to frost.
- Planting perennial herbs: Preferred perennial herbs such as lemon balm, tarragon, chives, lovage, peppermint, sage, oregano, thyme, lavender, mountain savory, hyssop and boar's rue are now growing in beds and pots um.
- Best planting time for perennials: In April you can transplant most perennials directly onto the beds. Think carefully about which species and varieties you want to choose and socialize with each other. Choose between primroses, chamois, bleeding heart, irises, daylilies, bluebells, carnations, poppies, daisies, delphiniums, phlox, coneflowers, coneflowers, asters, autumn anemones and chrysanthemums. Even undemanding wild perennials such as foxglove, monkshood, astilbe, bluebells, columbines, ornamental thistles and many grasses can go straight into the bed in April. All perennial beds must be carefully cleared of weeds and provided with compost and fertilizer. It is best to plant the perennials on a cloudy and damp day.
- Divide perennials when transplanting: In addition, you not only have perennials planted out but also transplanted in April. On this occasion, you can propagate large and older specimens by division using a spade or a digging fork. But be careful, because the following perennials must not be divided: columbine, thistle, glossy spar, pasque flower, peony, rough-leaf aster, gypsophila, silver cohosh, bleeding heart, Turkish poppy and wild goat's beard.
- Planting out flowering trees and container plants: In the first half of April you can still plant ornamental shrubs, roses and climbing plants in the garden. However, for trees without root balls, the planting time is over. Container plants and trees with strong bales can be planted or moved for weeks without any problems. These include, for example, rhododendrons, azaleas and many evergreen species. Even roses and climbing plants are increasingly being offered as well-rooted container goods.
- Planting time for strawberries, raspberries and blackberries: April is also a good planting time for more frequently-bearing strawberry varieties as well as monthly strawberries. Raspberries and blackberries can now also be planted in the ground.
Cutting in April
April is the right time to cut back roses, boxwood, lavender and sage. Shrubs and trees that are still planted now also receive a planting cut. Raspberries and blackberries in particular should now be cut. However, shrubs that bloom in spring should only be cut after they have bloomed! Make sure to prune on a dry and not too sunny day; there should be no frost or rain forecast afterwards.
Plant diseases and pests in April
Preventative measures against common plant diseases and pests are now required. Start with preventive horsetail sprays against fungal diseases on fruit trees, berry bushes, strawberries and roses. Cover freshly sown or planted carrots, onions, leeks and cabbage with insect repellent nets to prevent vegetable flies. Watering and mulching help against flea beetles; the beetles do not like moisture. To prevent clubroot, sprinkle algae lime into the plant hole. Also plan mixed crops with pest-repellent plant neighbors. Good neighbors that keep each other he althy include savory and beans, dill and cucumbers, marigolds and parsley, and roses and lavender.
More gardening work in April
- Collect snails and make beds snail-proof: Collect snails regularly. You can protect young plants and seeds with snail fences, sawdust rings and spruce needle litter. In an emergency, organic slug pellets such as “Ferramol” also help.
- Get potted plants out of winter quarters: If the weather is favorable, you can take robust potted plants such as oleander, laurel and camellias out of winter quarters in the second half of April. If necessary, repot them in larger containers and in fresh substrate; most of these plants should be repotted every two to three years anyway. In addition, potted plants are now better off in a protected place outside than in warm rooms. They only have to be brought back into the house when it is very cold. Other balcony and potted plants can now also be supplied with fresh air and slowly hardened off.
- Relayering compost: Larger compost heaps or heaps should be relocated approximately every two to three years. They then remain airier and looser, and the composting of the organic material runs more harmoniously, i.e. H. more evenly, off. The gardener layers the outer material downwards and the inner material upwards. Small, carefully placed heaps generally do not need to be moved. They are usually completely decomposed after nine to 12 months anyway.
- Care for fruit trees and berry bushes: A generous, well-maintained tree disc is very important for the he alth of fruit trees. For young trees, it is planted immediately after planting; for older trees, supply the area with organic fertilizer (e.g. berry fertilizer), compost and, to prevent the soil from drying out, a layer of mulch.
- Prick out early young plants: Sown and germinated young plants, such as tomatoes, must also be pricked out, i.e. H. be isolated. You should take this step at the latest when the plants develop their first real pair of leaves - the first leaves are the cotyledons. Choose only the strongest plants. Pricking out is important so that the plants have enough space to grow and develop strong roots. Be sure to take this step even when plants are sown outside in the bed, such as radishes and carrots!
FAQ
What gardening work will be done in April?
Beds must be prepared for planting, the first young plants are placed outdoors, in the cold frame or in the greenhouse, fast-growing and heat-loving vegetables such as zucchini, cucumbers and eggplants can be sown in a warm environment and tomatoes and tomatoes that have been sown earlier Pepper plants are pricked out or even pinched out. In addition, important preventive plant protection measures must be carried out and the potted plants must be brought out of winter dormancy.
What is sown in April?
In April, mainly early and robust vegetables are sown, especially various salads (head lettuce, ice cream lettuce, cut and picked lettuce) as well as vegetables such as beetroot, radishes, radishes, carrots, spinach, peas and snow peas, chard, May turnips, salsify, white and red cabbage and savoy cabbage. In addition, annual and biennial herbs as well as annual summer flowers can be sown outdoors. Heat-loving species such as tomatoes (sowing possible until the end of April), peppers, zucchini, cucumbers and eggplants belong on the windowsill or in the greenhouse.
What to plant in April?
In April, only well-rooted container plants and perennials are planted; the planting season for bare-rooted trees is over. Early, well-growing young vegetable plants such as kohlrabi, cauliflower, pointed cabbage, broccoli and early savoy cabbage can be planted outdoors in mild weather. Strawberries - especially the more frequent varieties and monthly strawberries - as well as raspberries and blackberries are best grown outdoors in April.
What will be cut in April?
In April, roses, boxwood, lavender and sage are mainly cut, but shrubs and other trees planted now also receive a planting cut. Raspberries and blackberries can be cut back, as can perennials and ornamental grasses that have dried out or frozen over in winter.
Which plants can be propagated in April?
Divide perennials that have become too large with a spade or digging fork, e.g. B. when transplanting. Cuttings cut in winter can now also be used for grafting.
