Monthly Garden Diary - April 2006

Introduction

Spring has sprung and the garden will be bursting with new growth. Longer evenings now that the clocks have gone forward to British Summer Time mean that you can work in the garden until around 8 pm keeping weeds in check and planting beds and borders. The benefit of the Easter weekend in the garden will pay dividends if you plan a gentle return to serious gardening activity.

  Download Complete Diary Text (MS Word)
  Download Complete Diary Text (PDF)
  Read previous editions of our garden diary in the archives

Ornamental Gardening

For masses of colourful flowering plants this year start sowing seeds in April. The light is good and the temperatures are just right for good germination. Some annual bedding plants such as poppies, cornflower, alyssum, clarkia and pot marigold are so tough their seed can be scattered in garden soil where they are to flower. Others like nemesia, tagetes, need more care and attention as they are not hardy enough to withstand any Spring frosts that can occur between now and the end of May. These will need to be germinated indoors or in a cold frame using trays of special seed compost.

Check each seed packet for the best treatment and follow the instructions to the letter for maximum germination and growth. Prepare your garden soil well before sowing the seed of hardy plants. As they will grow in situ from seed to flowering, they will need to be able to draw nutrients from the soil steadily over the next 3 months or so. To provide these nutrients in a balanced way, scatter some Miracle-Gro Slow Release Plant Food granules onto the soil and work into the top inch or so breaking any lumps down into fine crumbs. Make shallow drills in parallel lines across the area for these plants. You will then be able to more easily differentiate wanted plants from unwanted weeds and be able to hoe between each line of flowers.

If the packet tells you to sow in a tray of seed compost don’t try to save a few pennies by substituting a Multi-Purpose Compost instead. The fact is that most Multi-Purpose Composts are too rich for the delicate new shoots and roots sent out by seeds as they burst into growth. The nutrients in a Multi-Purpose compost are set as a compromise somewhere between a rich potting compost and a sensitive seed compost. That’s why it’s not ideal for either job - too rich for seeds and not rich enough for pots, tubs and hanging baskets.

For maximum growth and germination use Levington Seed & Cutting Compost to provide the ideal environment for delicate seedlings and sensitive young plants. It is low in nitrogen to reduce the risk of scorch, yet high in phosphate for optimum root growth. If you are a traditionalist who prefers the feel of loam, peat and sand mixture, use Levington John Innes Seed Compost. The free draining, open texture of this compost coupled with a special balanced nutrient level is ideal for maximum germination and growth of seeds.

Plant out dahlias towards the end of the month in soil that has been enriched deeply with well rotted garden compost or Levington Farmyard Manure. Dahlias are hungry and thirsty plants that need to be able to draw on plenty of water and nutrients throughout the Summer, so treat them like royalty. Dig a large hole at least 45cm (18") deep for each plant and dig in plenty of organic matter to the bottom of the hole. If the soil seems dry at the bottom of the planting hole, water well and place a piece of piping in the hole so that future waterings will go down to the roots without the need to wet the soil above. Place the tuber on top of this enriched soil, fit a sturdy stake if it’s a tall variety that needs support and add back some garden soil to half fill the planting hole. Now sprinkle a handful of Miracle-Gro Slow Release Rose & Shrub Food so that the roots will receive a steady supply of plant nutrients for the next 6 months. Top off with soil and a mulch layer of Levington Constant Colour Mulch to hold in moisture. By the time new shoots emerge in May the chances of severe frosts should be over.

Newly emerging shoots of perennial plants such as delphinium, hosta, iris and tulip are very attractive to slugs and snails. In warm wet weather hundreds of these molluscs can quickly ruin these plants and any new seedlings they come across in their night-time prowls. Protection is the only answer. A light sprinkling of SlugClear Advanced Pellets around your vulnerable plants will ensure good control.

Patio Gardening

Check pots of lilies for the bright red lily beetle. They are particularly destructive as they eat leaves and leave nasty black droppings that disfigure the plants. On a warm sunny day they will be basking in the warmth and can easily be picked off and squashed underfoot. You will need to revisit these lilies regularly to pick off newly emerging adults as they appear. A jet of plain water from the hose will help to remove the disfiguring black frass they produce.

Most patio gardens are awash with colour in the Summer, mostly from reliable seedlings of traditional favourites such as petunias, busy lizzies and begonais. If you have not raised your own seed don’t despair. Instead of buying fully grown plants in May that can be expensive there is still time to pick up ready germinated seedlings and small plants from your local garden centre that can be grown on. For something new look out for new varieties that offer something different. For example Begonia ‘Bonfire’ is a new tuberous that produces a multitude of fiery orange, pendulous blooms that will cascade from pots and baskets throughout the Summer. On the petunia front you will see plenty of ‘New Wave’ varieties that offer excellent flowering potential, especially the ‘Rosy Dawn’ which is very fine.

Whatever varieties you choose repot the small plants into pots of fresh potting compost. Don’t be tempted to buy ordinary Multi-Purpose Compost because it really doesn’t contain the maximum amount of nutrients. Instead go for either Miracle-Gro Moisture Control Compost which contains enough nutrients to feed for 6 months or Levington Container & Hanging Basket Compost which is the richest of the Levington range.

The Lawn

Mowing starts in earnest this month as the soil warms up and grass Springs into growth. Start by a light topping to remove the top inch or so of Winter growth and gradually reduce the height of cut over the next 4 - 5 weeks. Don’t be tempted to scalp the lawn hoping that this action will reduce the mowing task. If you take off too much stalk the grass plants will be weakened and the space between them will provide the ideal environment for the germination and spread of weed seeds and moss.

Mowing each week, not too short, encourages the grass to fill in and provide a good covering. For best results and a great looking lawn, feed the grass in Spring to replace the nutrients that have been washed away during the Winter.

If weeds are a problem on your lawn choose a multi-use lawn treatment that feeds and weeds at the same time. EverGreen Complete is the standard treatment or you can use Scotts Lawn Builder Lawn Food plus Weed Control. Both give good control of weeds and will keep your lawn rich and green for up to 6 weeks.

If you want to save time and effort and treat your lawn to one application of lawn food that will feed for the next 6 months then the new EverGreen Lawn Builder Summer Long Lawn Food is the one for you. It’s available in a 3kg spreader containing enough slow release granules to treat the average sized lawn of 85 sq m (102 sq yd).

Roses, Trees and Shrubs

Roses will be growing strongly, especially if they have been treated with a special rose plant food just after pruning. The fresh red shoots are extremely soft at this stage of growth and especially attractive to sap sucking pests such as greenfly. The growing points will be the first port of call for any aphid attack, so keep a weather eye open for the first flying pests.

If you are spraying your roses regularly to protect them from blackspot and powdery mildew diseases, switch to a combined insecticide and fungicide mixture such as RoseClear 3 or RoseClear 3 Gun! so that the greenfly are controlled with your next spray.

Every garden should have an interesting point of focus at this time of the year and a large shrub or flowering tree is a captivating sight when covered in blooms. There are plenty to choose from at your local garden centre that can easily be kept under control for the average sized garden.

New Plants from Seeds/Bulbs

Daffodils and some early tulips should be in bloom in your garden surrounded by pansies and other Spring flowering bedding such as wallflowers, bellis and love-in-a-mist. As the flowers of your Spring bulbs fade, nip off the heads so that energy is not wasted in developing seeds.

For garden displays year after year, your bulbs need to spend the next couple of months storing energy and creating next year’s flower head. To help the bulb on its way do not tidy up the foliage either with tying it in a knot or cutting it back. The leaves should be left to grow naturally and will even benefit from a couple of feeds of Miracle-Gro Soluble Plant Food applied over the foliage and around the roots in April and May.

If your bulbs have not been fed for some time a new plant food called Miracle-Gro Bulb Booster is designed just for you. It’s a slow release food that will feed for 3 months and just one application in Spring will provide these normally neglected bulbs with all the nutrients they need to improve flowering next year.

Gladioli corms appreciate well-drained soil and a sunny spot. Instead of planting individually dig a large planting hole that will take several corms positioned at least 8cm (3") apart. Dig the hole four times deeper than the bulbs you are planting. If your soil is heavy clay, dig in some well-rotted garden compost, Levington Soil Conditioner or Levington Top Soil to the base of the planting hole to aid drainage. Then add a layer of sharp sand or coarse grit to the bottom of the planting hole so the corm is held high above the wet soil. Before positioning the corms, remove last year’s withered plates of dead material found on the base and place in the bottom of the planting hole. Fill with enriched garden soil and sprinkle some Miracle-Gro or Osmocote Controlled Release Plant Food over the soil surface.

Fruit and Vegetables

Sowing seed and planting out vegetable seedlings is the number one priority. Get sowing carrot seed and mixed lettuce in your vegetable plot or if you don’t have space in the garden, sow them in plastic pots on your balcony or on your patio. Use plastic pots so that the sides can spread outwards as the carrots swell, instead of breaking a solid terracotta clay pot. Because carrot seeds won’t germinate in a rich potting compost this is the time to use Levington John Innes No 1 or a 50/50 mixture of Miracle-Gro All Purpose Growing Compost with equal amounts of Levington Organic Blend Top Soil. Wet the compost and sow a well flavoured variety of carrot seed such as Thompson & Morgan Sugarsnax or Earley Nantes thinly on the surface. Lightly cover the seed with a little more compost and place in a sheltered spot for them to germinate. When the seedlings are large enough to handle, it’s time to thin the carrots so they have growing space between them. Start feeding with Miracle-Gro All Purpose Plant Food when there is a good show of foliage and repeat every fortnight until the carrots are big enough to harvest.

Sow tomato seeds on the windowsill indoors so that you have good sized plants to plant in the garden at the end of May. Sow seeds of Sungold or Gardener’s Delight if small well-flavoured fruits are your thing. For hanging baskets you should sow Tumbler or Tumbler Yellow or Shirley if you have a greenhouse and want to grow a standard variety. As with all seeds, sow them in Levington John Innes Seed compost or Levington Seed & Cutting Compost.

At the garden centre you will be able to buy seedling plants of cabbage, cauliflower, peas, and broad beans ready to plant out in the garden this month. Before you plant out kill any seedling weeds with Weedol 2 or Weedol Gun!. Just wait until the liquid has dried on the weed leaves and you can plant immediately. Dress the soil with Miracle-Gro or Osmocote Controlled Release Plant Food before planting out and water the plants in thoroughly.