Edition Thirty Seven - April 2009

If, like me, you have been plagued in your garden with the Red Lily Beetle, you can help the RHS with their research on these pests by clicking here  and telling them of your location and experiences with the beetles. 

I won't be growing lilies in my garden in future due to the beetles decimating them and the amount of time needed searching out the beetles and killing them..  A run of mild winters and warm summers has allowed them to colonise gardens and wreak havoc on lilies throughout the UK. I have just one established lily that seems immune to their advances however, and it will be interesting to see if it survives..

At last spring has arrived and what a delight it is, after an especially hard winter, to see signs of life in the gardens and countryside.. Well worth waiting for.

But then again, with the everpresent drone of lawn mowers and strimmers, together with the smell of bonfires and barbecues, the added problems of hayfever and insect bites, we forget how it really is.

Jobs for the month..

House plants

Increase watering and feed plants more frequently. You can still re-pot plants that have become root bound. Choose a warm, sunny day to stand  larger specimens outside and give them a wash with the hose pipe on `fine spray`and allow them to dry before bringing them back inside. This is a job that can also be done in the summer on a rainy day. 

Lawns

The harsh winter we had, which followed a very wet summer last year, may have resulted in a heavy growth of moss in your lawn. This needs to be removed either with an electric scarifier or a lawn rake.  Follow this with a treatment of Weed and Feed.

Shrub borders and roses

Plant out dahlia tubers and sow hardy annuals where they are to flower. . The flower borders will appreciate a mulching this month, which will help conserve moisture and stop weeds from growing. If you are using grass cuttings as a mulch, take care not to use the first three mowings after applying lawn feed, as per the manufacturer's instructions. 

Paths, walls and fencing

There is still time to do any necessary repairs to walls, fencing and paths before plant growth really gets going. Use a weedkiller such as Pathclear to kill grass and weeds on concrete areas for a whole season. Examine the supports for climbing plants and replace if necessary. Pressure clean  paths or other ground  areas that have become slippery with moss and algae. (Read instructions carefully on weedkiller packets if you have pets)

Greenhouse 

Increase the amount of water given to plants but keep some gentle heat on in the greenhouse during the nights as frosts will still quickly kill your new seedlings. You can also cover them with horticultural fleece..
Plant up hanging baskets this month but make sure they're kept frost free and watered, then by the end of May they can go outside looking nicely established..

Vegetables

Growing your own vegetables is becoming more popular as the recession bites deeper. Even if you have a tiny garden you will be able to grow salads and tomatoes for the summer months. And container gardening for vegetables is highly popular this year. The soil should be warmer and dryer now, so you can continue to sow your favourite crops.  Keep an eye on the birds pinching your produce though and be prepared to cover everything up with netting if they become a nuisance.  

Fruit

This is the month when the fruit grower finds there is plenty of spraying to do to ensure a healthy crop and prevent pests and disease. Keep a close watch on developing fruits and treat accordingly. Take care still with late frosts and cover small trees and bushes with horticultural fleece. Refer to the appropriate section of your gardening book for fruit pest and disease control.  

Trees and shrubs

Trees and shrubs will appreciate a good mulching this month, which not only conserves water, but stops weeds growing and adds goodness to the soil. Look for any signs of disease or pests and spray accordingly. If there has been any late wind damage, tidy the branches so there are no ragged edges which will let the damp and disease penetrate. If you need to remove any branches of trees, there is a preparation you can buy that seals the newly sawn wood. 

Water gardens  

If you are `spring cleaning` your pond, be sure to put your fish in a large container where they can swim around quite happily until being returned to their pond, making sure that cats cannot get to them. Use the old water from your pond to fill this container. Once you have cleaned out and re-filled the pond, allow the water to stand for a day or two to avoid any temperature changes before returning the fish. If you are re-lining a concrete pond take care to use the correct sealant afterwards, and give it ample time to dry.  Be ruthless and thin out aquatic plants. They will soon re-grow and fill the pond.

Wildlife

In April the birds are still breeding and so are most of the mammals that use our gardens. Parent birds are so busy feeding their young this month that they need concentrated body-building foods themselves such as the suet fat balls that we see in the shops especially for the birds.

Sunflower seed hearts are a favourite for the birds in our garden and even the visiting squirrel favours them above the peanuts he usually eats..