What needs to be done in the garden and vegetable garden in April: useful tips from an expert
Kyiv • UNN
Expert advice on April work in the garden and vegetable garden: planting trees, pruning, choosing fertilizers and protection against pests for a bountiful harvest and long flowering.
April is the time when gardeners spend days working in their plots in order to enjoy a bountiful harvest and long flowering all summer long. Master of topiary art Yulia told UNN journalist about what needs to be done in April in the first place and what to pay attention to.
People say that the April day feeds the year. According to the expert, April is an extremely important month for gardeners, because in April they start sowing lawns, sowing vegetable seeds and planting flowers.
Main rules for planting and transplanting plants in April
According to Yulia, seedlings of ornamental or fruit trees or shrubs planted this month will take root well. However, it is important to finish planting before the buds swell on the plants, if you are planting seedlings with an open root system, the expert noted.
When planting, you should pay attention to the features of a particular plant.
The expert explained that, for example, roses should be buried in the ground by about 5 cm when planting so that they do not freeze in winter. Fruit trees are not so demanding on burial. Coniferous trees and shrubs, on the contrary, should not be buried in any case. The root neck (the place where the roots begin) should be at the same level as the soil. The planting hole should be twice as large as the root ball so that the roots can develop freely in soft soil. If possible, use a rooting agent and be sure to generously water the newly planted plant.
April is the time to start sowing peas. Some vegetables need to be planted in advance with seedlings, but radishes, peas, carrots and beets can be sown directly into the ground in mid-April, if the temperature allows and night frosts have already receded. It is desirable that the temperature stabilizes and stays no lower than +5-10 at night. To protect newly planted young plants from sudden frosts, the expert advises to take a closer look at portable greenhouses, which can be used to cover seedlings in the garden at night, just in case.
Most people tend to sow the garden after Easter (this year it falls on April 20), because just before this holiday, the so-called "Jewish heaps" come, which are characterized by a certain cooling.
Pruning trees
In April, gardeners usually finish pruning fruit trees, pruning dry and diseased branches, whitewashing trunks, and grafting seedlings. However, this is an ideal time for pruning roses. Don't forget to take care of berry bushes as well. After pruning, spray the garden with products against pests and diseases so that the trees do not get sick in summer.
It is better to prune fruit trees in February and March. The expert noted that stone fruit trees (cherries, sweet cherries, apricots) are best pruned twice a year: the first time after fruiting, and the second time in spring. Coniferous plants can be pruned at any time, it is important to take into account the air temperature on the day of the procedure. After all, if it's freezing outside, you will be, at a minimum, uncomfortable, and in extreme heat, excessive resin secretion from the trees will interfere. At the same time, the expert noted that it is necessary to form the crown of spruces as often as possible.
What fertilizers are better to choose
Usually plants are fertilized twice a year - in autumn and spring. April is just the most favorable time for applying fertilizers to the soil. Nature awakens, and plants begin to actively absorb all nutrients and trace elements - their lack in the soil can significantly slow down their growth and development. That is why, during this period of time, it is necessary to manage to apply all the necessary basic fertilizers (mineral or organic) to the soil, which will provide plants with nutrition throughout the growing season.
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According to the expert, the basis of spring feeding is fertilizers with a high content of nitrogen. It is responsible for activating the growth of greenery and young shoots. Nitrogen fertilizers are applied until the appearance of the first ovary. Then the amount of nitrogen supplements is reduced. In autumn, plants do not need nitrogen at all, because new shoots will freeze with the arrival of the first cold weather.
Fertilizers are mineral and organic. Mineral fertilizers are created on the basis of chemical elements. Organic fertilizers are fertilizers of plant and animal origin. Granulated fertilizers are extremely popular, they are poured under the root of the plant and have a prolonged effect, that is, they feed the plant for a certain period (sometimes up to six months), specified by the manufacturer. They have a quick effect, are effective and complex, their composition includes three most important components - nitrogen, phosphorus and potassium.
In plant nutrition, it is important to rely on the quality of the land on your site and use an integrated approach: root nutrition (granules and water-soluble fertilizers) and foliar nutrition (spraying).
Root fertilizers should be mixed with soil or water or abundant watering immediately after feeding. A high concentration of fertilizers can burn the roots of the plant
Pest control
There are 2 types of drugs to fight pests: ecological and chemical. The former usually do not show the desired effectiveness in the fight against a large number of pests.
The treatment of trees against pests is carried out in 2 stages. Gardeners have already managed to carry out the first treatment in March. The second stage - processing "on a pink cone", is carried out in April. This is the period when the buds have just begun to open and showed the so-called "pink cone", but the flowers have not yet opened. It is better to treat the garden prophylactically than to fight diseases and pests
Yulia also advises adding preparations to the tank mixture according to temperature conditions: fungicide (against diseases) and insecticide (against pests), as well as an adhesive. For example, Chorus+Aktara, or Salto+Synerid, etc. Remember that it is impossible to treat the garden with such preparations during the flowering period of trees in order not to harm pollinating insects. If it is necessary to treat trees during flowering, you should use insecticides that are safe for bees. For example, "Provanto-Vernal" or "Coragen". The fungicide "Signum" works well against moniliosis on apricots or peaches (the first time the plant is treated with it at the beginning of flowering and the procedure is repeated after 2 weeks). Do not forget to use protective equipment (closed clothing, gloves, mask and glasses). During the treatment of plants, pets should stay at home for several hours. The garden treatment itself is carried out closer to the evening, in dry weather, without wind and scorching sun.
Apricots are best treated against pests three times a year, because they are very vulnerable to pests. Roses are also quite painful, it is desirable to treat them once a month in order to admire their flowering for a long time, - added the expert.
Flowers that bloom the longest
Most plants have a short flowering period. Irises, tulips and daffodils will delight you with flowers for only a few weeks. Most annuals and perennials also have a short flowering period. In order to enjoy flowers as long as possible, the expert advises to consider roses, hibiscus and hydrangeas as decorations for your garden. However, the latter are demanding on temperature conditions and humidity. So, in Transcarpathia they bloom profusely for a long time, and in the southern regions they may not withstand excessive heat, - she added.
However, each individual owner decides what to decorate his garden with, the main thing is that your green area brings you sincere pleasure.
Earlier, UNN wrote that in March it is time to plant cold-resistant crops in open ground. The lunar calendar determines favorable days for planting various plants, from vegetables to fruit trees.
