What to do during April in your garden and greenhouse.

Your monthly gardening checklists

Flowers

How to plant waterlilies in ponds

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Fruit and veg

Sow radishes in gaps for an extra crop

Greenhouse

Sow sweet peas in deep pots and protect from frost

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House plants

  • Start feeding houseplants once a week with liquid fertiliser, continuing through to autumn
  • Water your house plants more regularly as the temperatures warm, check the soil before watering. Take a look at our guide to watering house plants
  • Maximise the amount of light your house plants receive by moving to brighter spots, or choose house plants that will grow in shadier spots
  • Some house plants, like snake plants, are particularly prone to collecting dust on their leaves. So be sure to give these a wipe regularly
  • Try and keep house plants away from temperature fluctuations caused by draughts or central heating
  • Check your house plants for pests like aphids, scale insects, thrips and mealybugs

For more house plant advice and inspiration visit our Growing and caring for house plants page

Garden maintenance

  • Put a bag of barley straw in ponds to discourage algae and keep the water clear all summer
  • Lay turf or sow grass seed to create a new lawn or repair damaged patches
  • Cut back tatty old fern fronds to make way for new ones that are starting to unfurl
  • Keep cloches or large sheets of fleece handy to protect young plants if late frost is forecast
  • Cut away unwanted suckers growing around the base of trees and shrubs
  • Hoe between rows of veg seedlings regularly, as weeds grow rapidly at this time of year
  • Remove moss and weeds in turf, and boost growth with a nitrogen-rich lawn feed
  • Check that guttering on sheds and greenhouses is clear of debris, so that April showers will fill up water butts
  • Add new aquatic plants to ponds and divide established plants that have outgrown their baskets
  • Put pumps and fountains back into ponds, thoroughly cleaning the filters first
  • Treat problem weeds, such as nettles and brambles
  • Look out for clusters of aphids on shoot tips and young leaves, and wipe off before they multiply
  • Keep putting out food for birds, as they're busy raising their broods

Hoe between rows of veg to keep weeds down.

Offers

Gardening offers
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Hyacinth 'White Pearl' & 'Pink Pearl'

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