Providing this month’s tips is Graham Stewart, Curator at Dawyck Botanic Garden
Garden tips for April
With the onset of better weather, use a scarifier or rake to remove any dead grass, thatch and moss from your lawn, then aerate it using a spiker or garden fork. Invigorate the lawn by applying a high nitrogen fertiliser which will help to boost its growth and improve its appearance and colour.
Prune early spring fl owering shrubs such as forsythia now as they fl ower on the previous year’s growth.
GREEN SCHOOL Teachers from 644 schools across Scotland can now nominate for Royal Horticultural Society (RHS) Young School Gardener of the Year 2013, a quest to fi nd the most knowledgeable, enthusiastic and talented gardening pupil in the UK. The competition is open to all schools on the RHS Campaign for School Gardening scheme and nominations can be made at www.
rhs.org.uk/schoolgardening until 18 May.
Scottish Botanist Honoured
One of the world’s leading authorities on tropical rhododendrons, Dr Graham Charles George Argent, has been named the 2013 recipient of the David Fairchild Medal for Plant Exploration. In an announcement from its headquarters in Hawaii, the National Tropical Botanical Garden (NTBG) acknowledged Dr Argent for his contribution to tropical fi eldwork, exploration, and conservation, which focused on Southeast Asia.
Take the time to rake and tidy gravelled areas, lift any twigs and leaves left over from the winter. Removing such detritus will help reduce the occurrence of pests and diseases. Raking will also help distribute any worm casts that have appeared and will level out any areas lifted by severe winter frosts.
Now is the time to plant annual seeds of asters, cosmos, marigold and zinnia to give a colourful spectacle later on. Summer fl owering bulbs such as gladioli, dahlias and lilies should also be planted. Apply a generous handful of manure or leaf mould in the planting soil.
Daffodils or other spring- flowering bulbs should be left until the foliage goes brown and crisp to ensure that the bulb has a chance to produce and store enough food and energy for the following year. A high nitrogen feed may be worth considering too, as this gives an additional boost to the bulbs. They may currently look untidy so it can be very tempting to remove leaves earlier but leaving them as long as possible will pay dividends for next year’s flowers.
Dig over plant borders and incorporate organic matter such as manure or leaf mould, this will feed plants, allow air and water to penetrate the soil and will stimulate growth.
DAWYCK BOTANIC GARDEN, STOBO, NEAR PEEBLES, SCOTTISH BORDERS EH45 9JU TEL: 01721 760 254
WWW.RBGE.ORG.UK
WWW.SCOTTISHFIELD.CO.UK 93
Plants in tubs can be re-potted if required, given a feed and moved back outdoors; taking care to ensure protection from any late spring frosts that may well catch you unaware.
In the greenhouse sow vegetable seeds this month and bring them on with a view to hardening them off gradually until planting out towards the beginning of June.
Sow potatoes outdoors this month, either in your vegetable plot or in a suitable container – dustbin or compost bags work wonders but be sure to put some holes in it first.
If you have a pond give it a good check over, clear out any debris that may have fallen in it over the winter and also take out excessive blanket weed or sediment which may risk suppressing oxygen. Be careful not to disturb frog spawn or tadpoles. Marginal pond plants will have been cut back in the autumn. Pond plants in baskets such as lilies should be split every two years and a dressing of fertiliser now will give them a much needed boost.
Start weeding early. It will save you a lot of work later in the season. Use mulch over areas of bare soil to act as a weed suppressant as well as a slow release fertiliser.
© ANDREW ENSOLL
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