Gardening tips for April.

• Sow seeds of summer bedding and many vegetables this month. Some can be sown directly into open ground but many benefit from being started off under glass.
• Prick out and pot up young seedlings and cuttings before they become overcrowded.
• Complete bare root plantings.
• Control pests and diseases especially slugs and snails.
• Place supports in position around border perennials that need staking. If the supports are put in place early the plants will grow through them and hide them.
• Plant evergreen trees and shrubs.
• Mulch beds to retain moisture and help prevent weeds.
• Apply a general slow-release fertiliser to containers – applied as a surface dressing in spring, it should last plants in containers for the whole growing season.
• Prune early flowering shrubs like Berberis, Forsythia and Spiraea immediately after flowering.
• Prune less hardy shrubs like Ceanothus, Fuschia and Hydrangea.
• Begin mowing the lawn regularly – frequent mowing encourages dense growth.