Finally, spring has arrived! As days gradually lengthen and the sun starts to warm, our gardens awaken from their winter slumber. With vibrant blooms peeking through and tender shoots unfurling, it’s the perfect time to get your hands dirty and prepare your outdoor haven for the season ahead.
Whether you’re a seasoned gardener or a newbie just starting out, we are here to give you some inspiration for essential gardening jobs you could be getting on with this month.
Prepare The Lawn
If one of your big garden aims this year is to start a new lawn from seed, then now is the time to prepare the ground. Rake the soil level and remove any stones or debris you come across. Broadcast seed and rake gently into the surface. Water and cover with netting to protect from those pesky birds.
For any established lawns, give them a much-needed pick-me-up. Remove thatch, which are build ups of dead grass, by going over the lawn with a rake, before applying a spring lawn feed to boost growth.
Bulbs
- Deadhead daffodils as flowers fade to prevent bulbs from pouring their valuable energy into producing seeds. Leave the foliage untouched until it turns brown.
- This is the ideal time to plant alstroemeria, lilies, gladioli and any other summer flowering bulbs.
Beds and Borders
- If you have a bare patch in a mixed border or flower that you want to fill fast, try sowing seeds of hardy annuals. Californian poppy, for example, can all be sown directly into well-prepared soil, then in a few weeks time you’ll have a splash of colour that will last into autumn.
- Rejuvenate congested clumps of herbaceous perennials. Prise from the ground with a fork and split into several smaller pieces – you may be able to do this by hand, but use a spade if the roots are tough. Replant. then water well.
- Mulch beds and borders with garden compost, leaf-mould, composted bark or other materials to lock in moisture and prevent weeds from growing.
Plants in Pots
- Keep pansies, violas, daisies and other spring bedding plants going for longer by pinching off flowers as they fade.
- Pinch out the growing tips of bedding plants with your thumb and forefinger to encourage bushier plants to form.
Plants Undercover
- Inspect indoor plants for pests. Greenfly, whitefly, mealybug and red spider mites can spread quickly, so control by hand or introduce a biological pest control to prevent the problem from getting out of hand.
- Remove sheets of bubble wrap or any other material used to insulate the inside of greenhouses. Hard frosts are now unlikely (even with our unpredictable British weather!), so allow the maximum amount of light to penetrate the structure, this will ensure the strong and even growth of the plants inside.
- Many windowsills and greenhouse benches will be heaving with containers full of developing seedlings by this point. To prevent these seedlings from becoming weak and leggy, move them to their own pot when the first set of real leaves start to appear above the rounded seed leaves.
- Sunny weather can cause extreme temperatures inside greenhouses so turn down the heat by painting the outside with a whitewash. Alternatively, fix shade netting to the inside with clips. Leave in place until autumn.
Trees and Shrubs
- Check tree ties and loosen if necessary to prevent them from biting into the bark as stems expand.
- Give shrubs a quick boost by scattering a general fertiliser over the soil – chicken manure pellets are ideal.
- Remove pure green branches from variegated shrubs, such as privet and euonymus – cutting them right back to the main stem with secateurs.
- Frost damage on tender shrubs looks unsightly, so prune back any damaged shoots to healthy growth. If your garden is exposed, or you live in a colder area, wait until May when all danger of frost should have passed.
- Regularly water newly planted trees and shrubs, particularly during periods of hot and dry weather.
- Keep forsythia shrubs within bounds to ensure a great display next year by pruning when the flowers start to fade. Cut back a third of old stems to just above ground level.
- Get roses off to a flying start by sprinkling a general-purpose or specialist rose fertiliser around plants, followed by mulching with well-rotted farmyard manure – spread a 5cm layer over the soil, ensuring there’s a gap between the material and stems of the plant.
- Keep azaleas and rhododendrons looking good by pinching off any faded or fading flowers above a new set of leaves.
In the Kitchen Garden
- Dispatch black fly and other sap-sucking bugs in the vegetable garden with a pest control spray.
- Plant well-rooted strawberry runners in growing bags, pots or in a sunny spot outdoors. Be prepared to protect the flowers with fleece at night if frost is forecast.
- Protect newly planted carrots from carrot root fly by surrounding crops with a 42cm high fine mesh barrier or by covering with fleece.
