Garden jobs in April – mom Bart tells how and what
The world wakes up, spring begins (well, if it doesn't snow that is) and there is plenty to do in the garden, on the balcony or roof terrace. Because if the greenery doesn't sit still, we can't do that either. And Mama Bart knows that a lot grows around this time. Weeds also grow a lot. So we'll start with the tip of all tips: lots of weeding.
You do weeding in your garden, but there is also plenty to remove indoors - this is how you clean up.
Weeding. You might be thinking of using a lot of force to rip all the unwanted greenery out of the ground and throw it in the green bin. That's one way, but you can also do something with those weeds, for example making a natural growth substance. One of Mama Bart's recipes is a mixture of comfrey
nettles and rhubarb leaves. Take a bucket with a lid and put ten liters of water in it.
Put the plants in it and place it for fourteen days in a place that gets some sun, but where it does not get scorching hot. Use your muscles and stir regularly. After two weeks you can strain the stuff (just through a tea towel or old pantyhose). Tada, it's done. It still needs to be diluted (1:10 is the best ratio). It is full of all kinds of substances that plants do well on. Be careful not to throw it over the plant when the sun is shining, because then it will burn.
You can still plant trees and shrubs now. You can prune the shrubs that have already flowered.
The summer flowering clematis can be pruned back to about 60 cm above the ground. The
Spring flowering clematis should be pruned after flowering and a clematis that blooms in winter should be pruned after flowering.
bloom. If you do not prune the clematis, the flowers will bloom higher and higher in the plant.
The remaining herbs can also be pruned into beautiful shape. And if you like the roses, lavender and
Butterfly bush has not yet been pruned, it must be done now. Hydrangea Annabel (with that beautiful one
white flowers) can be pruned back to 10 cm above the ground. So dig in.
If you have perennials that are growing too big or are not in the right place, they can be transplanted now
Service. Release your inner Hulk and tear them to pieces. It is best to throw away the middle part.
Grow root vegetables such as begonias, dahlias and gladioli in pots. But beware of the pots
outside after mid-May, because they cannot tolerate frost and April really does what it wants this year. The pond can be cleaned and the moss raked from the lawn.
Check the container plants and water them regularly. They can be done on a nice sunny day
outside, but still put them inside at night.
There is also a lot to do in the vegetable garden – in addition to weeding, you also have to keep sowing. If you have sown indoors, the seeds that have emerged can probably be transplanted into their own pot or a toilet roll (which can be placed in the ground and will rot away on its own).
If you place a bucket (or a bleach pot) over the rhubarb, the stems will get a redder color (looks beautiful in the garden) and therefore a better taste. If you have little space for larger crops (such as pumpkin), you can also let the plant grow taller.
If you are plagued by snails, lice or fungus, you can put garlic cloves in the ground (also good for vampires) or nettle vulture (works less well against vampires). Sowing flowers that attract many insects is also a very good method of getting rid of small pests. To grow your own garlic bulb, you have to put the cloves in the ground in October (put it in your diary) and then a bulb of garlic will grow in the summer.
Planting potatoes can be tricky – they are susceptible to disease and potatoes cannot be planted in the same spot twice. A solution is to plant plants in (plastic) pots with a layer of vegetable garden soil at the bottom. Place two seed potatoes in each pot with the growing points upwards. Cover with a layer of soil (do not fill it to the top!) and when the green shoots grow about ten cm above the ground, fill the pot with soil so that the shoots are underground again. Repeat this one more time. End
The potatoes will be about right in August/early September. To check this, cut the
side of the pot (that's why plastic is a lot more convenient). This way you can leave the rest of the plant and it will grow a little further, because you only take out what you need.
The cut up plastic pot doesn't have to be thrown away - just clean it for next year's use. You must transfer the potatoes to a new pot and use clean soil.
