Peter's tips for April & May

A magical spring

Wow what a magical spring in the most surreal of times!

An explosion of colour, leaves and life!  The senses are being awoken like no other spring in my lifetime.  The peace and quiet, so little air traffic or vehicles on the roads….

The bird song is staggering and the butterflies an absolute delight to see.  The spring wild flowers are stunning and all so early.  Bluebells started here in Surrey/Sussex at the end of March, and now the blossom on the apples, pears, cherries is magical.

With the lockdown the demand for plants, seeds, bulbs, compost, seed trays, fertiliser etc has been truly staggering.  This is the new form of the ‘Dig for Victory’ during WWII and talking of WWII, Captain Tom Moores extraordinary fundraising of over £25m for the NHS - at the age of 99 - is truly magnificent and so wonderful to see some good news come out of these strange times.

However, back to gardening.

As I write it is finally raining – first since last month.  I never thought the ground would dry out quite so fast after the wettest winter.  

Sowing seed

April is the seed sowing month for so many vegetables. Use a good quality seed compost such as Vitax Seed & Potting or John Innes Seed Sowing Compost.  Either sow into pots, seed trays/inserts or direct in the ground.  

Clear any weeds, tickle over the surface with a fork and rake out the lumps. Break lumps up with the head of the rake laid flat on the ground and tamp up and down to crush them.  Then rake the soil lightly to a fine tilth/crumbly texture.  A wooden board to work off is a great help.  

Create a shallow furrow with a trowel using the edge of the plank, it only needs to be 2cms deep for most seeds, and water your mini furrow.

You are now ready to sow, but remember to read the seed packet for sowing depth. Germination works a lot better if you moisten the ground first then sow the seeds as there is less chance of the seeds getting washed away.  

Top tip – if you are sowing lettuce then place the seeds virtually on the surface of the soil as they need light to germinate!!

I’m lucky enough to have an allotment, so it’s been a busy time planting potatoes, onion sets, shallots, peas, etc.  Once seeds and plants are sown please cover with fleece or Enviromesh to keep birds and insects out.  An old net curtain also works well!!

Feeding & Watering

I’ve been busy watering planted tubs and containers. Now is when plants need extra feeding when all their new growth is happening and to encourage more flowers and fruit.   Use a liquid feed such as Vitax Q4 All-Purpose liquid, which has added seaweed and trace elements.

Rhododendrons, camellias and azaleas use Vitax Liquid Ericaceous Feed to help with flowering and promote good growth after flowering.

If you are growing strawberries and they are coming into flower use Vitax Organic Strawberry Fertiliser. It contains potash to increase yields and strong healthy plants.

Roses are very hungry plants.  Either feed with a granular fertiliser such as Vitax Organic Rose Food or Liquid Organic Rose Food.

There is clematis food too and don’t forget the veg patch.  Vitax Growmore, 6X Pelleted Chicken Manure or 6X Natural Plant Feed all contain nutrients which will help your flowers and crops grow.

Top tip – Make sure you apply fertiliser evenly and read the label properly. I’ve seen many plants scorched by being over-zealous or heavy handed.

Composting

There is a huge interest in composting since a lot of the recycling amenity tips are shut.  Best compost is made from 50% green matter (grass, veg, peelings) to 50% brown matter (shredded prunings, leaves, straw, newspaper, cardboard).  Mix thoroughly so you don’t have soggy layers of smelly grass and keep moist.  Cover with old carpet to exclude light and to encourage heat.  Old wooden pallets make good compost bins and you can add Vitax Compost Maker to accelerate and increase the breakdown of the matter.

Lawns

Tempting as it is to cut the lawn short, keep your grass longer.  Longer grass will stand up to drought and higher temperatures and take more wear and tear.  You will also get more clover flowering which helps feed the grass. 

Now is a good time to aerate with a fork for a small lawn or large areas do a bit at a time!!  This can be done by pushing the fork into the ground with your foot and gently pulling back on the handle, with out braking the handle!!  The ground will lift a bit and crack the surface, improving drainage and critically getting more air to the roots of the grass. It’s a good workout too!!  Rake moss out with a spring tine rake or scarifier or for an easy way use Vitax Moss Remover as no raking is required.  

Other jobs: 

• Tie in climbers, clematis, jasmin and roses etc.  Put in plant supports for herbaceous plants, especially peonies.
• Weeds need regular hoeing. A dry, sunny day works well.
• Watch out for late frosts they can do a lot of damage – keep fleece handy. 
• Put up Vitax Apple & Plum traps.
• Repot plants into new compost. John Innes No 3 for mature shrubs/herbaceous, Vitax Ericaceous Compost with John Innes for camellias, rhododendrons and azaleas. If you are growing Japanese Acers, Vitax Acer Feed contains all the essential nutrients.
• Feed box hedging with Vitax Buxus Feed.
• Now is the time to spray on or paint on Summer Cloud Greenhouse Shading to provide some shade in the greenhouse during the bright spring and summer months.
• Plant out Sweet Peas. 
• Dead head daffodils and tulips, feed with Growmore.

Slugs

We are set to see an invasion of slugs, but using a natural deterrent such as Slug Gone wool pellets will help protect new shoots as well as condition the soil.  The mild, wet winter means they are a real problem already.

I have never seen such productive allotments and gardens.  Please do leave a scruffy area for the wildlife, hedgehogs, frogs, toads and good guys. A bare patch of sunny ground is perfect to sow wildflower seeds to encourage bees and the patch is also beneficial for insects and butterflies.  

Keep bird feeders clean and topped up if you can, and bird baths with fresh water.  The antics of birds in a large plant saucer or dustbin lid are very entertaining to watch!

Stay safe and well.  Enjoy this fabulous spring weather and use your senses, listen to the birdsong and identify what you are listening to. You may be surprised to see what you have on or in your neighbourhood.

Happy Gardening

Peter

About Peter Mills:

Peter has over 35 years experience in horticulture working in garden centres before becoming a radio gardening presenter with BBC Radio Southern Counties. Working as freelance consultant, Peter works with the RHS as an external advisor as well as trouble-shooting many gardening-related problems for a range of clients.