“There is no such nice month of April that does not have its sleet hat
. ”
This very apt proverb reminds us that an informed gardener does not plant anything before the Ice Saints, i.e. after May 13. Especially since the weather forecast for this weekend of April 20-21 announces very low temperatures: only 5 degrees in Tarbes, 2 degrees in Biarritz and 4 degrees in Rennes, early Saturday morning. Sunday at dawn, again: -1 in Limoges, 1° in Nantes. In these conditions, what to do in the garden?
Let's dampen all enthusiasm immediately: it would be wise to postpone your planting projects. Given the forecasted weather forecast, a frost during the night cannot be ruled out. And can ruin all your efforts. Better to wait a few more weeks, because the freshness promises to last.
Take the opportunity to do other work, which will prepare for the lovely month of May.
The lawn
It is high time to scarify the lawn if you have not already done so, to maintain a full lawn. Using a scarifier, create light furrows that will aerate the soil. Add fertilizer. An operation to be carried out twice a year, in spring and fall.
Please note that you can opt for differentiated mowing, to promote biodiversity. For this same reason, it is not recommended to trim hedges while birds are nesting.
Flowers
Divide the clumps of primroses and lavender, to reproduce varieties that do not produce seeds.
Cut off the wilted stems of tulips or daffodils, but not the leaves. Leave the bulbs in the ground.
Disinfect the stakes with white vinegar.
Prepare the beds: dig the earth about twenty centimeters, remove stones and weed roots. Spread fertilizer, scratch the soil. Your land is ready to receive the new plantations.
Admire your spring flowers: bellflowers, azaleas, rhododendrons, aronias, Mexican orange trees, lilacs, asters... With a little luck, you will see the first bells of lily of the valley.
In the orchard
It’s time to transplant your gooseberry and blackcurrant cuttings.
Remove weeds and check stakes.
Place overwintering sails or cloches on young plantings.
Be alert for the appearance of aphids on cherry trees.
If you live in the south of France, you can prune orange and lemon trees and thin peach trees.
In the vegetable garden
Harvest asparagus, spring cabbage, broccoli. Dig up the last leeks. Don't forget the white onions: if you leave them in the ground, their taste may be too strong.
A few young lettuce shoots can be harvested: enough to make a first mixed salad. You can also remove the rhubarb by twisting a stem sharply. If you sowed spinach at the beginning of the year, you will also have the first leaves to collect. It will also be time to harvest some new potatoes.
What plantings to do? While waiting for the Ice Saints, it is better to be patient, especially with the temperatures forecast this weekend.
But when it comes to sowing, nothing stops you from placing a few seeds in pots or pots that you will keep indoors or in a greenhouse. You can then plant them at the beginning of June.
Here are the vegetables you can sow:
eggplant
tomato
cabbage
carrot
beet
zucchini
squash
green bean
lettuce
melon
aromatic plant
At home and on the balcony
Repot green plants, dust them and give them a little fertilizer.
Repot the orchids in special compost and water them lightly
Prepare the balcony planters for the plantings that will take place in the coming weeks. Empty the ones where the earth is no longer alive, brush the plastic elements that look dull.
Finally, you can disinfect pruning shears and hedge trimmers, in preparation for future pruning.