April

April jobs can be very weather dependent. Normally, this is the month for planting up.

General Garden

Sow sunflowers and sweet peas

Vegetable Planters

Sow broad beans, spinach, radish, lettuce, parsnips, sweetcorn, lettuce and celery under a cloche outside now.

Plant asparagus, potatoes, garlic, shallots, onion sets and onions raise from seed – last chance to plant onions.

Fruit Cage

Strawberries can be planted out now (they don’t last forever and need replacing every 3 to 5 years.

Growing in the Greenhouse

Most vegetables are sown this month including beetroot, peas, cucumber, broad beans, broccoli, brussels sprouts, cabbage, cauliflower, leeks, spinach, rocket, lettuce and radish.

Most herbs are sown this month – parsley, basil, chives, fennel, coriander, dill and chamomile. Sow mustard.

Sow tomatoes, runner beans, basil, green pepper, courgettes and sweetcorn in individual modules undercover for planting after the frost.

Harvest

Early salad crops like radishes and fast lettuces. Spring cabbage, broccoli, very early peas (from greenhouse).

Summary

April on	Asparagus – harvest when 15cm high
April	Blackcurrants – mulch
April	Gooseberries – mulch
Week 1	Asparagus Crowns – plant outside
Week 1	Brussels Sprouts – Sow seed of mid to late varieties
Week 1	Mustard – sow seed outdoors for seeds
Week 1	Onion Sets – plant
Week 1	Onion Sets – protect from birds for 5 weeks
Week 1	Radish – sow seed under cloches
Week 1	Shallot – plant sets outside (18cm / 7in apart)
Week 1	Shallot – protect from birds for 5 weeks
Week 1	Spinach – sow seed inside
Week 1 – 2	Carrot – remove cloches from early sown varieties
Week 1 – 2	Carrot – sow early seed varieties in open
Week 1 – 2	Strawberries – buy and plant potted plants
Week 2	Beetroot – sow seed in pots indoors
Week 2	Broccoli (sprouting) early varieties – sow under cover
Week 2	Tomatoes – pot-up young plants
Week 3	Broccoli (sprouting) early varieties – sow seed bed
Week 3	Courgette – sow seeds indoors
Week 3	Onion seeds – harden off seedlings
Week 3	Radish – sow seed outside
Week 3	Sweetcorn – sow seed indoors / greenhouse
Week 4	Beetroot – sow seed outside
Week 4	Broccoli (sprouting) late varieties – sow under cover
Week 4	French Beans – sow seeds under cloches
Week 4	French Beans – sow seeds in pots indoors
Week 4	Parsnip – sow seed outside
Week 4	Spinach – plant out seed sown indoors
Week 4	Spinach – thin out previously sown seedlings
Week 4	Sweetcorn – sow seed under cloches