April

April is a turning-point month in the garden, when soil starts to warm, daylight stretches, and spring growth accelerates. It’s the ideal time to tidy borders, clear winter debris, and top up beds with compost or well-rotted manure to feed the season ahead. Cool-season sowings can continue outdoors (such as peas, broad beans, carrots, beetroot, salad leaves, and spinach), while tender crops like tomatoes, peppers, cucumbers, and squash are usually best started under cover and gradually hardened off. Keep an eye on late frosts: have fleece or cloches ready, and delay planting out sensitive plants until conditions are settled in your area. Regular watering may be needed for newly planted trees, shrubs, and containers, especially in windy weather. For keepers, April often brings increased activity in coops, hutches, and paddocks. Refresh bedding more frequently as temperatures rise, check housing ventilation while avoiding drafts, and step up parasite monitoring as mites and ticks become more active. This is also a good month to review feed and mineral supplies for growing youngsters and laying animals, and to make sure fencing and runs are secure before grass growth and longer days encourage more ranging. With timely sowing, sensible protection, and a quick check on animal welfare routines, April sets you up for a productive, healthier season.

Simple Spring Feeding for Gooseberries for a Bigger, Sweeter Harvest

Give gooseberries a simple spring boost and they’ll reward you with heavier crops and sweeter, better-sized berries. Pair organic feeding with sensible watering, mulching, and timely pruning for the best results.

5 min read

For Sturdy Seedlings, Don’t Skip Pricking Out Tomatoes and Peppers

Pricking out young tomato and pepper seedlings at the right time builds a stronger root system and reduces competition. The result is stockier plants that establish faster and often crop more heavily.

5 min read