Gardening Tips for April from ‘The English Lady,’ a ‘Month of Activity’

Those April showers that come our way
They bring the flowers that bloom in May
And when it’s raining, let’s not forget,
It isn’t raining rain at all, its raining violets

April is the month of activity in the garden, and our old nemesis, weeds are beginning to rear their heads, so we need to extract the little devils before they take hold and are difficult to remove.

Having said that, I must point out the benefits of many weeds. Nettles are food for butterflies, clover extracts nitrogen from the air and fixes it in the soil, and oil from jewel weed soothes poison ivy rash. The young foliage of dandelions is great in salads, healthy and containing many nutrients, and when the foliage is cooked, it tastes like spinach.  I also do not want to forget our songbirds and other wildlife, who depend on weed seeds as a food source.

Weed removal – weeds must be pulled gently so the weed and roots do not break apart for, if this happens, thousands of weed seeds will reseed and you will find yourself with an endless cycle of unnecessary weeding. When careful weeding has been accomplished, apply an organic weed pre-emergent, with a corn gluten base by Bradfield organics. This will keep weeds at bay for about six weeks.

ROSES, ROOTS & MORE

Plant bare root roses at the end of April and container roses in mid-May.

Then in the middle of May when the soil temperature has reached 55 degrees, add manure with a fine bark mulch about one foot from the base of the rose. Check my March tips to refresh yourself on pruning roses.

Be careful clearing winter debris from around rhododendrons, mountain laurel and azaleas; these evergreens have shallow roots and you do not want the roots being exposed.

If the winter weather did indeed erode soil around some roots, add a few inches of soil to cover the exposed roots and at the same time resettle the plant in place. Then in the middle of May apply manure and fine bark mulch as well as some peat, which adds much needed acidity to evergreens.

Plant gladioli corms at two-week intervals in late April. Planting in two week intervals ensures you will get a succession of bloom. Plant the corms eight inches down; this extra depth helps keep the heavy blooms erect.

The Red Lily beetle will soon begin to appear, therefore I suggest applying organic Neem oil on the Lilies when they are about four inches above ground, which helps prevent and deal with the beetle problem.

SOIL SOLARIZATION

This is an effective way to control many soil- borne problems, specifically the tomato blight that causes fruit rot. Covering the soil with clear plastic at the end of April, for one to two months can generate high enough temperatures in the top six to 12 inches of soil to kill pests, nematodes, weed seeds and many disease organisms like the tomato blight.

This process has proved invaluable for home gardeners and the beneficial effects last for several seasons.

To solarize, dig a trench several inches deep around the bed, and spread a thin, clear plastic film (1-4 mils) over the bed.  Press the plastic into close contact with the soil and seal the edges by filling the trench with soil.  Leave the plastic on the soil until you are ready to plant tomatoes or other vegetables in about a month to six weeks.

When the soil temperature reaches 55 degrees, manure all the borders with composted manure in bags from the garden center or aged manure from the bottom of the farmer’s pile and mulch with a fine brown hardwood mulch.

In the vegetable garden, after preparation and planting, and when it is time to mulch, do so with manure which will not ‘cap’ — this means that it does not form a crust like other mulches so that air and water can get through to the roots of the plants where it is needed.      

If you did not apply an organic grub control on the grass in March, apply now to keep the grubs down and cut down on the mole population.    

The soil is the most important component of the growing business; compost, organic manure and peat amend the soil to rebuild its structure. The ratio to use is one part compost to three parts manure and apply peat to the planting mix in the ratio of one part peat to three parts manure when planting evergreens. And as mentioned above, peat adds the acidity which evergreens need.

Good soil structure assists with drainage, prevents compaction, and the rich nutrients that is the result as these amendments break down and encourage the soil animals beneath the surface to work at full capacity.

In a light soil such as sand, humus — which is the combination of manure — mulch and carbon from the atmosphere bind the sand particles together and, in heavy soil such as clay, keep the clay particles separate to make room for air and drainage.  

Growing conditions in April are very favorable for new plant-root development and it is the ideal time to transplant evergreen shrubs and new evergreens. Put the organic manure and peat with the topsoil in the planting hole in the ratios. Then give the roots a workout before planting to release them. In this way, the roots are opened up and will reach into the surrounding soil for nutrients and water. Also, they will not dry out in the heat of summer.    

Many years ago, when I moved into my farmhouse on the shoreline, I discovered that my soil was sandy, which is good for drainage but sadly lacking in nutrients. I began adding a few inches of manure to all planted borders in April, July and October and today when I put a spade in the ground to check the color of the soil in spring, it is ‘black gold.’  

Gloves should be worn using manure which contains bacteria. The bacteria is great for the plants and the soil but not good for your health.  These products tend to be slow acting; gradually making the nutrients available to the plant and the rewards are infinite.

Organic fertilizers like manure are applied in spring around mid May when the soil temperature has reached 55 degrees and when the plant has about six inches of growth; this allows for the nutrients to become active at the time when plant growth is happening quickly. 

Daffodils are blooming and what a lovely sight to see. When the daffodil bloom has past, do not cut the leaves from any of your spring flowering bulbs, the leaves send down energy into the bulbs to store for next season’s bloom. 

April is the time to tackle a new lawn or patch seed, use only good quality seed and organic fertilizers.   

Do not be lulled into complacency with a few back-to-back warm days; we can still get a frost and I caution you not to plant annuals until Memorial weekend. 

Do not cultivate around the perennials in the borders until mid May.

Do not panic if you were not able to get the April tasks done until May — your garden will wait for you and the constancy that is Mother Nature will continue to keep your patch of earth flourishing. 

Enjoy the pleasure of being outdoors in warmer temperatures, inhaling the pungency of awakening soil and experience the connection with Mother Nature. Do not overdo it; warm up the body before the garden labor and stay well hydrated with lots of water. We are inexorably entwined with the earth and know that even the smallest gesture of a garden has positive rewards and the effects are positive not only on you but our planet. 

I will return with more gardening tips in May when you are out in the garden in force.

About the author: Maureen Haseley-Jones is a member of a family of renowned horticultural artisans, whose landscaping heritage dates back to the 17th century. She is one of the founders, together with her son Ian, of, The English Lady Landscape and Home Company. Maureen and Ian are landscape designers and garden experts, who believe that everyone deserves to live in an eco-conscious environment and enjoy the pleasure that it brings. Maureen learned her design skills from both her mother and grandmother, and honed her horticultural and construction skills while working in the family nursery and landscape business in the U.K. Her formal horticultural training was undertaken at the Royal Botanic Gardens at Kew in Surrey.