Vegetables What vegetables to plant in April April is a busy and productive month in your vegetable garden. Whatever your culinary tastes or skill level, there are plenty of vegetables to plant in April. Sow indoors in pots with warmth (windowsill, greenhouse or conservatory will all work well): Beans (for example runner beans or French beans) Marrow Courgette Squash Sweetcorn Cucumbers Aubergines Celery Celeriac Globe artichokes Sow outside directly into well-prepared soil (containers, beds and borders will all work, whether in a garden or on a balcony): Beetroot Brussels Sprouts Cabbage Carrots Leeks Lettuce Onions Garlic Parsnips Potatoes Radishes Shallots Spinach Swiss chard Summer cauliflower Radish Peas You should also chit and plant out second early potatoes at the beginning of the month to mid-April, whilst doing the same for maincrop potatoes from mid-April onwards. What Vegetables to harvest in April If you already have crops growing, or if you’re just interested to know what’s in season, the vegetables usually ready to harvest in April are: Purple sprouting broccoli Asparagus (when the spears are no more than 18cm tall) Rhubarb Radishes Spring onion Chard Leeks Kale Spring cauliflowers & cabbages Lettuce & rocket Vegetable plant maintenance in April As the weather can be still a little on the cold side, protect any early outdoor sowings with horticultural fleece or polythene. Do this until you’re sure temperatures will stay above around 5-7°C at night. Support any pea plants – choose from sticks, mesh, green support or wire netting. Begin preparing runner bean supports for planting out in June. Try to thin out rows of seedlings where possible and as soon as they are big enough to be handled. Keep any carrots covered with a very fine mesh or a horticultural fleece. Make sure the edges are buried to keep out carrot root fly. Be aware of slugs and snails. Treat them if you’re already seeing the damage and put preventative measures in place before they can attack.

Fruit What fruit to plant in April A lot of fruit tends to ripen nearer the autumn, but April is a great time of year to plant young fruit trees and bushes in time for the harvesting season. Plant outdoors: Raspberry canes Blackberry canes Strawberries April is also an ideal time of year to pot grow fruit trees and bushes including apples and pears. Plant in the greenhouse or indoors: Tomatoes Melon seeds Strawberry seeds Fruit plant maintenance in April Look after your fruit trees growing in pots by liquid feeding them with a balanced feed every two weeks. Cover any fruit blossoms with a horticultural fleece on cold nights to protect them from late frosts. Do this until you’re sure temperatures will stay above around 5-7°C at night. Mulch fruit trees with well-rotted manure or garden compost. If you’re growing any citrus plants in the greenhouse, mist or damp them down when the flowering begins. You should try to maintain a minimum temperature of 14° Towards the end of the month, thin peach and apricot fruitlets – the trees will likely grow more than they can handle. Allow covered strawberries time in the sun to be ventilated. If you planted strawberries in September and they are in their first year, make sure that you de-blossom them to help with their initial establishment. Look for apple and pear scab and treat accordingly. Be aware of the potential for powdery mildew on grapes, peaches and gooseberries. Keep your eye out for red spider mite and aphids on your strawberries in the greenhouse.

Trees and shrubs What trees and shrubs to plant in April Earlier in the month, and in cooler areas of the garden, you will still be able to plant and move evergreen trees and shrubs. These could include: Bay Box Azalea Heather Yucca Pittosporum Lavender Mahonia What trees and shrubs to prune in April As we reach the end of April, pruning trees and shrubs becomes a regular and ongoing job in the garden. Clip evergreen and conifer hedges now as they start to show signs of growth. Cut back any hedges that are becoming top heavy, too tall or bare at the base. Cut back smoke bush and elders to retain their bright young foliage. Allow spring-flowering shrubs including forsythia and Chaenomeles to finish flowering before pruning. Lightly cut back lavenders once any cold weather is gone. Tie honeysuckle and clematis regularly, twining them round their supports. Prune hardy fuchsias once they come into bud. Remove dead, weak or crowded branches. Pinch out the tips of fuchsias to encourage growth in summer. Tree and shrub maintenance in April Mulch the soil around trees and shrubs with a 5-7.5cm (2-3in) thick mulch. Tie in the shoots of climbers as they grow, spreading them out evenly over their support. Protect the bark of newly planted trees by using rabbit guards. Check the previous year’s hardwood cuttings. They may need planting or potting. Look out for damage on deciduous trees, including bacterial canker. Check for signs of blight on box and holly trees.