What should you do in April?

Maintenance side of the vegetable garden

You probably started doing this in April, but it is high time to finalize it, because it is impossible to plant or sow anything in soil that is still hard or compacted. So here’s what you absolutely must dedicate yourself to.

Spring cleaning

If this was not done during the month of March, it is possible to carry out a small cleaning during the month of April. It is the time to cut branches and dried flowersand of picking up the dead leaves which may have accumulated in certain places in your garden. They can be used as mulch or added to compost. You can also mow paths to simplify certain accesses and leave other areas as they are to promote biodiversity.

Preparation of plots and cultivation beds

• Because in permaculture, one of the golden rules is to do not turn over the earth, loosen the soil with your rake or grelinette. This will allow the plants and seeds to root more easily.
• To limit the development of unwanted weeds on your growing beds, it is necessary to occupy the borders of each of them. If you have decided to raise your growing areas, this step is not necessary, but if you are growing flat, it is recommended to dig around the edges of the areas. This way, you will limit competition by cutting off the roots of unwanted plants to prevent them from invading the areas. This operation can be carried out several times during the season. You can also dig a trench of about ten centimeters around the edges of the boards.

Preparation of growing media

Some plants need to be supported to grow well, prepare supports on the plots where you will grow vegetables such as eggplant, beans or tomatoes. For the latter, you can also prepare tomato cages, that is to say a cylindrical structure made with fence mesh in which you leave holes allowing you to pass your arm when the time of harvest comes. .

This type of structure prevents the leaves of your tomato plants from being in contact with the ground, which is most often the cause of late blight. You will then just need to install the cages that you have prepared around the tomato plants.

Anticipation of the protection of young plants

Start installing slug traps, because they will soon come, attracted by the smell of young lettuce. It can be:

• A beer trap : Fill a cup with beer, bury it halfway in the ground and partially cover it with a thin board. When the slugs come to drink, they will not be able to leave;
• A borage trap : As the borage leaves are armed with small pimples, slugs do not cross them. Install leaves around your salad plots, for example;
• An ash trap : The ashes have the effect of drying out the slugs.

Ecological and efficient techniques!

Cutting side

To propagate your plants economically, spring is the ideal season to make your cuttings. They can be used to revegetate certain areas that are not yet green, to replace plants that did not survive the winter or to offer some to your loved ones or other gardening enthusiasts. A solution that offers very interesting results is stewed cuttings. Here is a little overview of the plants to take cuttings in April:

• Small fruit shrubs, such as blackcurrants, gooseberries, raspberries, etc.
• Aromatic plants, like thyme, sage, lavender, lemon verbena, etc.
• Rhizome plants, like mint or deadthorn.
• You can also divide certain perennials, such as chives, tarragon, rhubarb, asters, yarrow, etc., but also strawberries and rhubarb.
• Plants intended for the creation of a defensive hedgesuch as hawthorns, sea buckthorns, barberries, blackthorns, etc.

Please note that it is also possible to grow a gooseberry bush into a small shrub by cutting the lower branches of your plant. After two or three years, you will have a small shrub of 1.20 m from which it will be easy to pick the fruits.

Planting side

If you live in an area with a harsher climate, it is preferable to wait until the second half of April to plant. Either way, act according to the weather and climate in your area.

Plant the potatoes

April is the ideal time to plant your potatoes. You want to know when to put them in the ground, watch your lilac! As soon as it is in flower, it’s the start of your potato plantations. Indeed, potatoes need soil between 10 and 12°C to develop. Furthermore, do not hesitate to sow flax between your rows of potatoes, it will protect them from Colorado potato beetles.

Planting leeks

For leeks, it’s the start of the season. You can start transplanting your first leeks, the ones you will eat in summer.

Other vegetables to plant

Planting young plants saves you time compared to seedlings. You can plant artichokes, asparagus, garlic, onions, cauliflower, lettuce, chicory, etc., depending on your region, of course.

Planting honey flowers

In a permaculture vegetable garden, it is interesting to dedicate a plot to honey plants, such as phacelia, mignonette, borage, gaillardia, lupins, etc.

This has two essential benefits for biodiversity:

• You help pollinating insects survive by providing them with a flowery oasis where they can feed.
• You contribute to the pollination of your own plants, which is a guarantee of abundant harvests.

You can also broadcast a ready-made mix that you can find commercially.

Seed side

Finally sow the cucurbits in a warm place

Squash needs only a few weeks to develop well. If you sow them too early, the roots will tighten in the pot and the recovery will be slowed down, whereas by sowing them in mid-April, you will see a rapid emergence of your seeds and your plants will quickly be ready.

As soon as the seeds have emerged, you can take them out sheltered from the wind and bring them indoors if there is a risk of night temperatures below 10°C. You can therefore sow your squash and zucchini in a warm place to plant them in the ground when the soil temperature has reached 18°C. Otherwise, you can also sow them directly in the ground from May.

Other sowing to be done under cover

Have you chosen to grow your plants from seed, rather than buying ready-made plants? So, in April, you can sow the following vegetables if this has not already been done:

• eggplant;
• celeriac;
• celery stalks;
• kohlrabi;
• cauliflower ;
• cucumbers;
• chillies and peppers;
• fennels from Florence;
• tomatoes;
• green beans ;
• row beans.

Possible sowing in open ground

In April, you can do some sowing directly in open ground. This is the case for the following vegetables:

• carrots;
• Asian cabbages;
• spinach ;
• arugula;
• turnips;
• chewed up ;
• lettuces;
• leeks;
• onions ;
• beans;
• etc.

Concerning broad beans, peas and beans, do not hesitate to sow them, because by fixing nitrogen from the air in the soil, the roots of these legumes allow you to have a rich and balanced soil in which other vegetables benefit, because this nitrogen spreads through the soil.

Mulch side

As for whether or not to remove the mulch, you may hear two bells and whistles and have a hard time knowing what to do. While some advise removing the mulch to help the soil warm up, others are in favor of leaving it alone. Each solution has its share of advantages and disadvantages:

• Removing the mulch represents a physical effort that requires time and the soil will be left bare. If you opt for this solution, it is recommended to sow seeds quickly so that the soil is quickly covered again. But before sowing, give it a superficial hoe and let the soil dry out slightly. This also helps destroy some slug eggs. So this is a good technique for areas where you are going to sow carrots, for example.
• Conversely, if you choose to leave the soil covered, you will limit the development of weeds while waiting for future plantings and you will preserve life under the mulch. The soil will be looser and moister, which is ideal for planting tomatoes.

It’s up to you to choose what you prefer!