
Your Monthly Planting Guide
April
Mid autumn…
While some parts of the country may be experiencing an “Indian summer” this month, there’s a definite chill in the air in the cooler, southern region of the continent. Crisp nights, foggy mornings and even a frost or two are good indications that, for most of us, winter is not far away. Even in the tropical north, the humidity has receded.
Gardening In March
Spring Onion
Spring onions (also known as green shallots and green bunching or salad onions) are a delicious addition to a whole...
Runner beans
Runner beans, or more correctly scarlet runner beans, (Phaseolus coccineus) are among the easiest and most rewarding...
Salad leaves
Bags of salad leaves are quite expensive to buy and have a fairly short lifespan in the fridge. Grow your own and you...
Sweet Corn
Sweet Corn, or maize, won't really grow as high as an elephant's eye, but it will be sweet, tender and delicious -...
Cauliflower
Drizzled with olive oil and baked whole or sliced into steaks, cut into individual florets and wok-tossed in a stir fry...
Brussels Sprouts
You might not like the cold weather, but Brussels sprouts do! Brussels sprouts grow best in cool climates with cold...
Silverbeet
Silverbeet is also commonly referred to as Swiss chard, chard or rainbow chard. The rainbow variety has brightly...
Watercress
Watercress is a peppery, nutrient-rich leafy green that’s delicious on sandwiches and in salads. It’s easy to grow in...
Sweet Potato
Sweet potatoes rambling vines grow tubers beneath the ground. These vigorous and productive vines can be grown in a...
Globe artichokes
Globe artichoke (Cynara scolymus) are thistle like plants that produce edible flowers - harvested and eaten in their bud...
Horseradish
Horseradish is a vigorous plant related to broccoli, cabbage and kale - but unlike its brassica cousins, horseradish is...
Patty Pan Squash
Squash or patty pan squash as they are often called - because of their UFO like shape - are an easy to grow summer...
Mustard greens
Mustard greens (Brassica juncea) are a cool season vegetable, grown for their peppery edible leaves. You can eat young...
Blueberries
Eaten fresh, baked in muffins or as the star attraction in jams or desserts, blueberries (Vaccinium corymbosum) are...
Strawberries
Who doesn’t love strawberries? If you’re a strawberry fan, the many varieties of Fragaria × ananassa are easy to grow at...
Raspberries
What could be better than a bowl of sweet, fresh-picked raspberries in summer? These delicious fruits are easy to grow...
Blackberries
Blackberries sometimes get a bad wrap thanks to the wild, thorny, weedy ones! But growing blackberries in your garden is...
Dragon Fruit
Dragon fruit grows on a climbing cactus that produces stunning white flowers in summer. These flowers develop into pink...
Passionfruit
Passionfruits are a popular and productive vine that will grow in most climates around Australia. They particularly...
Pineapples
Pineapples are an easy care tropical fruit, that will also grow in other frost-free climates around Australia too...
Watermelon
Watermelons grow on sprawling vines during the warmest months of the year in Australia. These sun-loving plants can be...
Pear Trees
Pear trees love a garden with cool winters, but if you choose the right variety (with ‘low chill’ requirements) you can...
Gooseberries
Gooseberries (Ribes uva-crispa) are native to parts of Europe, but they’ll happily grow in the cooler parts of southern...
Plum Trees
Plum trees are productive fruit trees, ideally suited to growing in the average backyard or in a large pot. There are...
Pomegranate
Pomegranates (Punica granatum) are heat-loving trees, native to the Middle East, that grow well here in Australia. The...
Sunflowers
If you want to grow something spectacular, plant sunflowers. They come in a whole range of sizes from dwarf to giant and...
Sweet peas
The sweet pea (Lathyrus odoratus) is an incredibly popular flowering climbing plant that produces masses of flowers from...
Snapdragons
Snapdragons are bright and cheerful flowering plants that grow in most climates. If you live in a region with heavy...
Carnations
Carnations are grown for their beautifully fringed, fragrant blooms that make a long-lasting cut flower to enjoy in a...
Poinsettia
Poinsettia is a Christmas favourite - their red and green colours are commonly used to bring festive cheer indoors over...
African Violets
African violets are typically grown as indoor plants, but they will also tolerate growing outdoors in a protected warm...
Forget Me Nots
Forget Me Nots produce dainty pale blue, pale pink or mauve flowers in spring and summer. These pretty low growing...
Rhododendron
Rhododendrons are spring flowering shrubs or trees that are closely related to azaleas, so they like similar growing...
Everlasting Daisies
Everlasting Daisies (Xerochrysum bracteatum) are a colourful Australian native daisy often called Strawflowers or Paper...
Ranunculus
Ranunculus (Ranunculus asiaticus) make the perfect spring and early summer cut flower. They grow from dormant corms...
Nasturtium
Nasturtiums are an easy to grow, flowering companion plant that’s also edible. Nasturtium flowers have a peppery flavour...
Buffalo Grass
A popular stalwart in Australian gardens for good reason, buffalo grass makes for an incredibly resilient lawn. It is...
Kikuyu Grass
Kikuya grass, or Pennisetum Clandestinum, is a vigorous plant often used in Australian lawns and common in public...
Bromeliads
Bromeliads (Bromeliaceae) are a diverse group of plants with a very tropical vibe. With over 3000 different species in...
Kangaroo Paw
Kangaroo paws are among the most iconic Australian plants, instantly recognisable by their unique furry and vibrantly...
Almond Tree
Almonds (Prunus amygdalus) are the edible nuts produced inside the hard-fleshed velvety fruit, that grows on a tree that...
Bougainvillea
Bougainvilleas put on a showy display of vibrant colour throughout summer. These vigorous vines are drought tolerant and...
Bird of Paradise
Bird of Paradise plants are tropical beauties with big leaves and flamboyant, colourful flowers that resemble birds...
Dieffenbachia
Dieffenbachia (Dieffenbachia spp.), also known as Dumb Cane or Leopard Lily, are fast-growing tropical plants popular as...
Boston Fern
Boston Ferns (Nephrolepis exaltata) are elegant plants with long, slender leaves that cascade over the sides of their...
Kentia Palm
Kentia Palms (Howea forsteriana) are tall, elegant palms with arching fronds on long stems that will happily grow as a...
Lilly Pilly
Lilly Pilly plants range from small shrubs to large trees - you can grow them in the ground or pots and you’ll find a...
Bottlebrush
Bottlebrush gets their common name because their fluffy, blooms are shaped like old-fashioned bottle brushes...
Lemon Trees
Lemon trees are a classic backyard staple! These productive trees are long-lived and will grow in a large pot or in your...
Christmas Bush
Christmas Bush (Ceratopetlum gummiferum) or New South Wales Christmas Bush as it’s sometimes called is an Australian...
English Ivy
English Ivy (Hedera helix) is a fast growing, creeping vine that is a serious environmental weed in many parts of...
Microgreens
Microgreens are the young and immature seedlings of plants with edible leaves that you can harvest and use for garnish...
Dichondra Repens
Dichondra (Dichondra ripens), also called Kidney Weed, is a fast growing, evergreen ground cover that’s easy to grow...
Vegetables
What to harvest now:
There’s not a lot to harvest from the veggie patch now, although some new plantings of salad greens may be almost ready.
- The last of the pumpkins may still be clinging to their vines and there may still be some green tomatoes on late fruiting varieties. These should all be picked now and the plants removed. The tomatoes won’t ripen this late in the season, so turn them into pickles.
- Lettuce, rocket, silver beet, spinach and rhubarb planted last month may have some tender young leaves ready to pick later in April.
What to plant now:
Seedlings of winter veggies can continue this month. Your crops will get a good start before colder weather slows down growth.
In temperate to cool temperate areas, plant seedlings of:
- Silver beet
- Broccoli
- Brussels sprouts
- Cabbage
- Cauliflower
- Chinese cabbage
- Kale (including Tuscan kale or cavallo nero)
- Carrot
- Leek
- Parsnip
- Spinach
- Spring onion
- Turnip
In warm regions, sow seeds or plant seedlings of:
- Beetroot
- Broccoli
- Cabbage
- Carrot
- Cauliflower
- Peas
- Silver beet
- Spinach
- Okra
- Swede
- Soft herbs – parsley, coriander, basil
Veggie patch tips for April:
- Keep new plantings growing strongly with applications of liquid fertiliser for vegetables and herbs such as Osmocote Boost+Feed Vegetables, Tomatoes & Herbs or a certified organic fertiliser every two to three weeks.
- Water deeply at least once a week if the weather is dry – add a wetting agent to ensure moisture penetrates deep into the soil.
- Hand pull or hoe out weeds as they appear – they compete for nutrients and moisture and may also harbour pests that could attack your crops.
- Use snail and slug traps or baits to protect young seedlings.
Fruit
What fruits to harvest now:
There may still be some crops of late season fruits maturing. These include:
- Apples
- Pears
- Raspberries
- Mandarins
- Selected oranges
- Persimmons
- Pomegranates
- Quinces
What fruit to plant:
Evergreen fruiting plants such as passionfruit vines and citrus may still be put in while the soil is still warm. It’s still too early for and new bare-root fruit trees. They are best planted in mid to late winter.
Flowers & Bulbs
What flowers to plant:
Spring flowering bulbs:
- Anemone
- Daffodil
- Freesia
- Hyacinth
- Iris
- Ixia
- Lachenalia
- Muscari (grape hyacinth)
- Narcissus
- Ranunculus
- Sparaxis
- Scilla
- Sprekelia
- Tritonia
- Tritelia
- Tulip
- Watsonia
Winter and spring flowering annual seedlings:
- Arctotis
- Alyssum
- Antirrhinum (snapdragon)
- Aquilegia (granny’s bonnet)
- Calendula
- Canterbury bells (campanula)
- Carnation
- Cineraria
- Delphinium
- Gaillardia
- Geum
- Gypsophila
- Iceland poppy
- Larkspur
- Nemesia
- Nigella
- Pansy
- Polyanthus
- Primula
- Scabiosa
- Sweet William
- Verbena
- Viola
Lawn
Maintenance tips for your Lawn:
In southern regions, this month is your last chance to patch or rejuvenate a tired lawn or install new turf before the weather becomes too cool. It’s already too late to sow a new lawn from scratch. Although the seed may germinate well, there’s not enough time for the grass to become well established and thicken up before winter.
In the warmer north of the country, new lawns may be started from seed or turf rolls. A reminder of the autumn lawn maintenance program we recommend:
- De-thatch with a garden rake to remove build-up of dead grass, especially in buffalo, kikuyu and couch lawns.
- Aerate the lawn with a garden fork or hire a coring machine suitable for home gardens.
- Top dress with Scotts Lawn Builder Organic Lawn Soil – Topdress Mix & Underlay.
- Water entire lawn area, if permitted, to settle topdress mix.
- Fertilise with Lawn Builder All Purpose Slow Release Lawn Fertiliser, Lawn Builder Buffalo, Lawn Builder Extreme Green Granular or one of the Lawn Builder hose-on equivalents.
- Worn and bare areas may be patched with instant turf.
Garden Tasks
Things to look out for and do during the month:
- Continue checking for fallen and/or diseased fruits. Good garden hygiene helps present disease and pest carry-over to the next growing season. Dispose of them in the household rubbish – do not put them in the compost bin!
- Cut out and dispose of galls (swellings) on citrus trees to help eradicate gall wasps.
- Check the ties on dahlias and chrysanthemums to ensure they are not cutting into stems.
- Carefully lift gladioli corms, let them air dry for a few days, then spread in a single layer in a tray. Store in a cool, dry place until next planting time.
Pest Control:
- Keep an eye out for aphids and other insect pests, especially on herbs and vegetable and flower seedlings. Use a general garden insecticide like Defender Pyrethrum Insect Spray to control them. Don’t forget to spray the undersides of leaves too.
- Watch for the caterpillars of the White Cabbage Butterfly on cabbage, cauliflower, broccoli and other brassicas. Pyrethrum will assist or try a cabbage dust.
- Newly planted seedlings may be targeted by snails and slugs. Protect them with Defender Snail & Slug Pellets.

Find your local store and start growing your garden.
Find your local store and start growing your garden.