Tips for April

With the lengthening days the allotment now begins to feel the benefit of higher light levels combined with the increasing power of sun warming the soil. All around the plots there are the signs of early spring growth. The plump buds on the soft fruit bushes and fruit trees break into growth producing fresh green shoots followed by their tiny flowers. Depending on the micro climate on your allotment, the strawberry plants at soil level can grow rapidly and they could catch you out by producing their flowers quite early. When strawberry flowers are damaged by frost they develop a condition known as ‘black eye’. This is easily identified as a dead dark area at the centre of the flower and the fruit crop is lost for this season. To prevent this keep a length of horticultural fleece handy at the end of the row so you can quickly cover the plants when frosty nights are forecast. You may be unfortunate enough to be gardening in a frost pocket. This is when it is of benefit to know your local weather conditions allowing you to ignore the forecast and take the appropriate action.

Early planted potatoes that have broken through the soil will be at risk from spring frosts. Start earthing them up when they have made 150mms/6inches of growth. But if there is the threat of a frost draw the soil up to completely cover the plants. If you get caught out it sometimes helps the potato plants to recover if you can water over the foliage before the sun has chance to melt the frost on the foliage.

Most seed requires good quality light to germinate even though it sown under the soil. You will find this month that nearly everything that you sow will germinate quickly. It is worth setting aside a seed sowing day when you can mark the plot out and sow all of the seeds that need to be sown in the one session. If you water along the row before sowing the seed it helps to prevent the seed drying out and if you add liquid seaweed to the water it will help to speed up germination and produce strong healthy seedlings. It is critical to a plants development to thin out the seedlings. Don’t allow them to become too tall or congested before thinning them down to a single plant. Always water along the thinned out seedlings settle the plants back in. With freshly cultivated soil there is always a threat to plants of the soil drying out. Even though there are supposed to be ‘April showers’ water the seedlings and transplants at least weekly until they are established and growing strongly.

Generally speaking there is an invisible climate line across the UK. The area north of the River Trent can be two to four weeks behind the area south of the Trent and Scotland can be six weeks behind the south. Always be prepared to garden to the local weather not the calendar to avoid disappointment.

 

For more ideas for what you could be doing on your plot this month click here