Tips for April
 April is considered one of the most important months in the garden and on the allotment. This is where the growing year truly begins. The soil becomes more workable and is starting to warm up; this is the month that we think about planting out those tender seedlings from the sheltered conditions we’ve started them in. Take care of the frost so keep an eye on the weather forecast. Aim to get all your potatoes planted by the end of the month – plant out chitted second early potatoes in the first two weeks of the month and maincrop potatoes in second two weeks, that’s the professional advice. But I tend to plant all in one go once the potatoes are chitted. You should have started aubergines, chillies and tomatoes which need a long growing season to do well, under cover or in a greenhouse if you have one. Also under cover celeriac, courgettes, squashes, pumpkins and marrows, and leeks. Runner beans and French beans all can be sown in pots. We stock French bean Stanley (Dwarf) and Blue Lake (Climbing) both £1.50 per 100g. Blue Lake is a heavy cropper and a variety which I grow every year. We also stock Runners beans Achievement £1.50 per 100g and Enorma £1.60 per 100g. What to sow directly into the ground – salad onions, lettuce, radish, beetroot and carrots; try sowing parsnip seeds with radish so you can easily identify if they are pushing through, they are slow to germinate and often get lost in weeds. It’s the right time to plant peas. We sell three varieties of Peas: Kelvedon Wonder and Onward are the ones that can be planted now just £0.50p per 100g. However peas are a favourite snack for mice – if these are a problem, sow them indoors and plant the plants outside when they are 15cm tall. Although some gardeners believe soaking them in water helps to deter too. Transplant the seedlings of broad beans sown in pots last month, and plant in their final positions. For over winter broad beans pinch tips if aphids appear, or treat with a mild soap spray. Continue weeding – if you get on top of them now, they’ll be easier to control for the rest of the year. Hoe regularly to prevent annual weeds growing. It’s a good time to prepare beds for heavy planting: April is not just about getting crops into the ground but also creating healthy soil which is the foundation of a productive allotment. Add compost, leaf mould, or well-rotted manure.. We stock shredded manure £1.50 for 25 litres bring your own bags, and mushroom compost (£3.50 for 40 litres. Both of these are good quality and well-aged so are excellent additions to improve soil structure and fertility naturally – this is a good addition before the winter too so nature does the work for youAvoid excessive digging to protect soil organisms, worms, and fungal networksSow companion flowers such as pot marigolds, Poppies, and Cornflowers which are highly attractive to pollinating insects. Look out for the promotions page on our EDACA.org.uk web page which will be coming soon and price list which we aim to keep up to date. We welcome any feed back or queries so please do get in touch. Happy Gardening everyone Lakeside SO50 5RQ 9-12 every Sunday Woodside SO50 9QX 10-12 every Sunday Underwood Rd SO50 6FX 11-12.30 Saturday and Sunday Gilly Trading secretary edacegen.secretary@hotmail.com |