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Working in the garden in April. Dacha and garden work in April. Useful tips and advice from an experienced gardener. April work of flower growers

April is the month when spring is already in full swing almost all over Russia. The second half of it is the time of the onset of active sap flow, swelling of the kidneys. Gardeners are waiting for a lot of things that need to be done before the greenery begins to appear.

Tidying shrubs and trees

Winter shelters are removed from plants, raspberries and blackberries are unleashed. The soil is weeded, loosened, while removing dry, old and broken branches. Until the buds wake up, raspberries are tied up on trellises so that the branches are well lit by the sun. This greatly facilitates the care of the shrub and allows you to get a crop of sweet berries much earlier.

At fruit trees damaged branches are removed, dead bark is carefully peeled off. Wounds inflicted by rodents during the winter must be healed with garden pitch. Thoroughly clean the hollows, treat with diluted copper sulphate (50 g per 1 liter of water), and then cover with cement. For cancerous wounds, prepared putty is used from nigrol, molten paraffin, rosin, mixed in a ratio of 6:2:2, respectively. The composition is applied to the wound, securing with a gauze bandage.

The space between bushes, trees is cleared of fallen leaves, branches. All rubbish is either composted or incinerated.

Before the start of sap flow, you need to have time to complete, remove damaged, dry branches and form a crown, shortening long shoots. Cut points with a diameter of more than 8 mm are coated with garden pitch.

It is advisable to prune stone fruit trees (plums, cherries) in the fall. Thanks to the strong spring gum flow, any putty is washed off under the pressure of the juice.

When pruning shrubs, first remove all branches lying on the ground. Each bush is subjected to a thorough inspection. Swollen kidneys resembling barrels are a sign of a kidney mite that has settled in them. They must be removed. Such kidneys are plucked out and burned. If the entire branch is affected, it is cut off at the very base. From shoots damaged powdery mildew, glass case, you need to get rid of.
A plant that is over 10 years old needs to be rejuvenated by removing a few old branches. They can be distinguished by a thick, scaly bark that is darker in color than the rest.

Trees on which lichens have formed should be treated with 4% iron sulfate. It is important to do this before bud break.

Fertilization

spring garden plants are in need of nourishment. The choice of fertilizers for the garden depends on which of them were applied in the autumn. If these were organic, phosphorus, potash, then in April only nitrogen ones are used. If autumn feeding was not carried out, it will be necessary to apply complex fertilizers - Azofoska, Nitroammofoska. Having determined the norms, which are usually indicated on the package, the granules are scattered evenly over the snow.

Tree planting

Early spring is the best time to plant seedlings. The best time to do this is in April. Their survival rate and the number of harvested fruits in the future depend on how the planting is done. If the actions are performed incorrectly, the tree may die.

Basic landing rules:

  1. A pit for a seedling is prepared in 2 weeks. Humus or compost is added to it - 2-3 buckets each.
  2. A stake is set at the bottom of the pit, to which the seedling is tied.
  3. The roots are covered with more fertile, nutritious soil, carefully straightening them in such a way that voids do not form around.
  4. When backfilling the soil, it is slightly crushed.
  5. When the roots are 10-15 cm covered with earth, 2 buckets of water are poured under the seedling and the hole is completely covered.
  6. After planting, the peg is cut down to the first lower branches in the crown so that they are not damaged by the wind.

In no case do not fill the bottom of the planting hole with fresh manure! It is placed only in the upper layer of the soil.

Treatment of the garden from pests and diseases

As soon as the snow melts, the garden is filled with overwintered pests. Saving plants from them, even before the buds swell, they must be treated with insecticides. For this purpose, a solution of nitrafen is used, diluting 300 g in 10 liters of water. No less effective are karbofos, inta-vir and other insecticides. They spray not only branches, but also the soil in the trunk circle. Having found a scale insect on the branches of trees and shrubs, the bark is lubricated vegetable oil. When heated by sunlight, it clogs the insect, causing its death.

Stamps need slaked lime (3 kg per 10 liters of water), to which ½ kg of copper sulfate is added. To increase stickiness, clay or mullein is mixed into the solution.

Spring frost protection

During the period when the ovaries are forming, the buds are blooming, the gardener has to protect the plants from the frosts that still occur at this time. One of the most accessible methods is smoke. Creating a smoke screen allows you to save the heat accumulated by the soil during the day. You can provide it using brushwood prepared in advance, fallen leaves, peat.

Held in April necessary work in the garden will allow you to unload and make May less stressful - the most laborious month for a gardener.

Seasonal work in April - video

The main work of the gardener and gardener in April

1. April is the responsible month . First of all, it is necessary to drain the water from the site, for this it is necessary to dig trenches along the slope of the site so that the water flows into the ditch. If there is no slope on the site, then simply dig a shallow groove, gradually deepening it so that the water flows in the right direction. Especially dangerous is the stagnation of water on raspberries, strawberries and clematis.

2. At the beginning of the month, it is necessary to remove the spruce branches from young plantings of strawberries, roses, irises, clematis, lilies, especially from oriental hybrids, because under a warm shelter they will quickly start to grow and their flower bud may freeze out during return frosts. But boxes of roses and clematis do not rush to shoot.

3. Feed with nitrogen fertilizer (3 tablespoons of urea per 10 liters of water) lovage, rhubarb, sorrel. You can use instead of urea an infusion of manure or bird droppings, diluted with water 1:10 or 1:20, respectively. If at the same time you cover these landings with lutrasil or put arcs over them and stretch the film, then by the first of May you will already have greenery.

4. If the compost pile is located in the sun, then early greens (chervil, watercress, cilantro, parsley, lettuce, spinach, dill) and early carrots, as well as radishes, can be sown on it. To do this, shed last year's pile of compost hot water, pour a layer of soil about 7-8 cm high on top of it, and then sow the seeds. I usually do it this way: I mix one teaspoon of seeds with half a glass of fine sand and sow in the furrows as if I were salting food. You can use special seeders, in which the hole is adjusted according to the size of the seeds. In this case, the seedlings will not thicken. From above, the crops should be sprinkled with soil with a layer of 1-2 cm, compacted with a board and covered with a film until germination. Warmth and moisture are stored under it, and shoots appear faster. After the emergence of seedlings, the film must be removed so that they do not burn out. If you cover the crops with lutrasil or spunbond, then the covering material can not be removed until the plants grow up. Before germination, crops should be watered directly over the material if the weather is dry or windy so that the hatched seeds do not dry out in the top drying soil layer.

5. In early April, pre-grow on vegetable beds weeds, covering the ground with an old film and fixing it so that the wind does not blow it away. Under the film, weeds will quickly sprout, and as soon as they appear, remove the film and loosen the beds, leaving them open for a day. Then cover again with foil and repeat the operation. Now there are no weeds in the top layer of soil in the garden. It is important not to dig up the soil, but only before sowing, loosen it with a Fokin flat cutter, then make furrows for sowing with the sharp end of the flat cutter. Sowing in open ground all of the above crops can be produced at the time of flowering mother and stepmother, that is, in late April - early May.

6. To get early strawberries, cover at least one bed with a film on arcs or double thin lutrasil directly over the bushes, but first spray strawberry plantings with a spring cocktail. It is prepared as follows: two grains of Healthy Garden, two grains of Ecoberin, two drops of Zircon, six drops of Fitoverm, four drops of Uniflor-growth - all together for 1 liter of water. "Healthy Garden" and "Ecoberin" must first be thoroughly dissolved in 100 g of water.

7. At home, water the seedlings of tomatoes and peppers moderately so as not to overmoisten the soil. Remember that seedlings need good lighting. As a top dressing, I use a weak solution of Uniflor-growth (1 teaspoon per 3-5 liters of water), with which I water the seedlings instead of water. Do not forget to spray the leaves of tomatoes and eggplants with a very weak solution of a copper preparation (the easiest way is to use Hom (copper oxychloride), dissolving one fifth of a teaspoon of the powder in 5 liters of water). The solution can stand, you will use it two more times approximately every two weeks. This is good preventive measure against phytophthora. As mentioned above, instead of "Homa" you can use "Fitosporin".

To give seedlings vitality, you can spray them a couple of times during growth with the above spring cocktail. But the often recommended spraying with a solution of manganese can be omitted, since it does not save from late blight, and other diseases rarely appear on tomato seedlings. Peppers can be sprayed with a solution of potassium permanganate, especially if they are annoyed by aphids. Pepper is difficult to protect from aphids if they are in the same room with houseplants. The Healthy Garden helps a lot against it, but if the aphids are already on the plants, then the concentration of the solution should be increased to 4-6 grains per 1 liter of water. The apartment can be used "Fitoverm". This is an excellent protection not only from aphids, but also from thrips.

8. Good results are obtained by systematic spraying of seedlings (or watering) with a solution of Healthy Garden and Ecoberin preparations (two grains of each must be completely dissolved in 100 g of water, and then, adding water to 1 liter, mix well). This solution can stand for a long time, it can be added to top dressing (Uniflor-growth or Bud solution) and water the seedlings with it instead of water.

9. It's time to take the potatoes out of storage. Dip it in hot (45°C) water. When the water has cooled, add potassium permanganate to a bright pink color and hold the tubers in the solution for 15-20 minutes. Then wash the tubers, dry them and lay them out for vernalization in a bright and cool place. At the end of April, remove the potatoes in carton boxes, layering each layer with newspapers, and put in a warm place so that good, strong sprouts appear. You will plant grown tubers, thereby accelerating the ripening of the crop by two weeks.

10. If you have not done pruning, then at the very beginning of the month you can still do it. Start with blackcurrant bushes, gooseberries and honeysuckle.

Cut off the black ends of the branches, rejuvenate the bushes by cutting out the old branches. At the gooseberry it is necessary to cut out all the young shoots growing in the middle. Only those that grow along the edges of the bush should be left. In red and white currants, the tops of the branches are not cut off, but only the old branches and those branches that branch into the crown are removed. In honeysuckle, pruning thickens the crown or broken branches.

Do not rush to cut cherries and plums, leave it for the fall, otherwise the wounds after cutting under strong pressure of the juice will not close and gum will form (growths from thickened juice). Take your time with pruning apple or pear trees. After a harsh winter, the ends of the branches could freeze slightly, but some of them will be able to recover from the buds on the bark, so leave pruning for the end of summer. Frozen wood from apple trees has a light brown color on the cut. Start pruning from the end of the branch and, gradually moving from the end to the skeletal branches, you will get to the place where the cut is light. Starting from this point, the tissue of the tree is alive, and there is no need to cut further. But keep in mind that unfrozen pear wood is slightly creamy, so don't try to cut the branch down to white wood!

11. At the very beginning of the month, while the buds have not yet awakened, you can have time to spray with iron sulfate (1 teaspoon without top per 100 g of water) to destroy lichens on tree trunks.

12. In addition, it is still possible to spray against wintering pests with a solution of urea (700 g per 10 liters of water). Spraying should be done at the ends of the branches, along the branches and skeletal branches, along the trunk and near-stem circle along the soil.

13. Toward the end of the month, those plants should be sprayed in which the scales of the kidneys have moved apart and a green cone of leaves has appeared, since the first pests lay their larvae here. But, of course, a high concentration solution cannot be used, so spray with infusions and decoctions of weeds or infusion of needles to disorientate pests with their smell.

14. April - good time for vaccinations. You can cut the cuttings for grafting in early April, wrap them in a newspaper, put them in a plastic bag and dig them into the snow on the north side of the house - but so that they are not flooded with melt water. At the end of the month, these cuttings can be used for grafting.

15. At the end of the month, sow directly into the ground in place the seeds of annuals that are not afraid of frost (poppy, escholcia, cosmea, cornflowers, iberis, catchment, forget-me-nots). Other flowers can also be sown directly into the ground, even such as tobacco or petunia, but their crops should be covered with a film stretched over small arcs. Arcs are easy to make yourself from wicker, from which the bark should immediately be removed (willow usually grows along ditches). Can be used as props plastic bottles with water, placed along the landings. Lutrasil is thrown on them in two layers. Water gives the bottles stability and, heating up during the day, gives off heat at night, thereby leveling out sharp daily temperature fluctuations.

16. At the end of the month, you can remove the shelter from all ornamental plants, except for clematis.

It is better to cover their growing shoots with at least lutrasil.

17. At home, in early April, sow leaf parsley on greens and bush dill - in order to plant seedlings in a greenhouse or soil at the very beginning of May.

18. In addition, you can sow medium-term cabbage, both cabbage and cauliflower (or broccoli).

19. At the end of the month, it’s time to go to nurseries for seedlings of perennial and annual flowers and vegetables and for planting material for strawberries, ornamental and berry bushes (usually grown in containers) - for example, to Slavyanskaya Usadba in Shaglino (between Pavlovsky and Gatchina Varshavskaya), where well-known experts from Hardwick work.

Fruit trees grown in containers can be purchased at the New Agrotechnologies nursery in Pushkin on Gusarskaya Street, 15. New varieties of strawberries by the famous breeder G. D. Aleksandrova, which have proven themselves in the North-West region, are also sold there.

Now in large cities there are huge OBI stores specializing in the sale of goods for gardeners. There, in particular, a large selection of all kinds planting material. However, you should be aware that this entire range is grown according to special technologies on the assembly line in greenhouses, and therefore in the open field, as a rule, dies, especially in our region. Such plants should be kept in containers and put outside only in suitable weather.

New seed varieties

New varieties of tomatoes and cucumbers for low greenhouses, loggias and balconies. Almost all of these tomatoes and cucumbers can be grown on glazed loggias and balconies, as well as a room on the windowsill. But containers for plants should be at least 3-4 liters.

Decorative hybrids "Pearl yellow", "Pearl red" only 20-30 cm high. They can be grown in a room on the windowsill. These tomatoes produce up to 30 small fruits weighing only 15-20 g each. It is well suited for Hedgehog loggias and balconies. The variety is quite tall (60 cm), with fruits weighing up to 80 g. Hybrid "Ustinya" - a short bush with fruits weighing about 80 g, "Venus" - with fruits up to 90 g, "Inkas", "Koenig", "Mikhey" , Sophia. More varieties: "Rival" with fruits up to 100 g, "Suiter" with tomatoes up to 120 g, "Knight", "Marusya". There is a new variety, resistant to adverse weather conditions, "Crossbow" with red fruits weighing 50-60 g.

Varieties of cucumbers suitable for growing on a windowsill in an apartment: Dynamite and Berendey.

Carrot. Early - "Sister", "Mother-in-law", "Crunchy" (resistant to carrot fly), medium term - "Baltimore", "Supermuscat", late for storage - "Giant Ross" and "Malika".

Winter is about to end, and we will return to gardening again. As you know, these works consist not only in planting fruit and vegetable crops, but also in careful care of the soil, shrubs and trees. And they should be taken as soon as the cold subsides, so as not to miss the time. Each month of spring has its own characteristics in the care of the garden.

What to look out for in March

In March, the main concern for the garden is high-quality pruning. perennials- trees and shrubs. It can be started after frosts below 10 degrees stop.

In March, after the snow melts, pruning of trees and shrubs should be done.

  1. Systematic pruning helps to regulate the processes of plant growth and fruiting, to increase the period of productivity. For example, cutting the branches of apple trees in winter and spring, you will ensure best decoration buds, friendly flowering and high yield.
  2. At currant and gooseberry bushes, old branches should be sawn off to the ground. Usually they are unproductive and give underdeveloped shoots that do not bring a crop. In raspberries, such shoots are best removed in the fall, but the early spring period is also suitable for such work.
  3. Be sure to whitewash garden trees if you didn't do it in the fall. It is better to do this at the very beginning of March, before the snow melts completely, in order to avoid bark burns, and only on a sunny day.
  4. Until the movement of tree sap has come (in the first half of March), graft the cuttings. Later vaccinations will not succeed.
  5. If during the winter damage appeared on the trunks of trees, they need to be “treated”. Clean the damaged area to healthy tissue, disinfect the wound with a solution of vitriol and lubricate with garden pitch or mullein and clay putty. Wrap the stained areas with burlap.
  6. In the last days of March, you can remove the strapping from tree trunks. Loosen the remaining snow around the trees. If the spring turned out to be cold and protracted, then these works can be carried out in April.

What to do in the garden in March

How to avoid mistakes when pruning trees and shrubs

Like any garden work in March, pruning fruit and berry plantations requires some knowledge and has its own secrets.

Tree pruning is as follows:

  • prune old fruit-bearing trees first;
  • after 1-2 weeks, younger trees that do not bear fruit;
  • the apple tree begins flowering before everyone else, so it is cut first;
  • pear, plum and cherry trees can be pruned before flowering.

When you cut large branches, try to make a ring cut without leaving stumps. Such a wound will heal faster and have less impact on the trunk. Slices from branches with a diameter of more than one and a half centimeters, clean with a knife and paint over oil paint oil based.

Please note: in order to avoid infection of the tree due to trimming damaged areas, be sure to treat the tools used with a solution of potassium permanganate.

The branches of shrubs - raspberries, currants, gooseberries - must be cut to the level of the soil. At the same time, pay special attention to the tops of productive shoots: it is enough to shorten them by 15 cm if they have not suffered from frost and mechanical damage. Otherwise, pruning should be done to 1-2 healthy buds so that the cut exposes the green bark and white wood.

When cutting branches, check the location of pest nests and destroy them. It would be best to burn the nests along with the pruned branches.

April worries

This month will require a lot of diligence from us. It is in April that the snow finally melts, but cold snaps are frequent. Therefore, we will have to eliminate the shortcomings of March and take care of the soil.

In April, you need to dig in the trees and feed them

  1. If you haven't finished pruning trees and shrubs during the previous month, now is the time to get to work. And after that you can start planting and transplanting plants.
  2. Shrub shoots laid on the ground before winter must be released and straightened.
  3. Be sure to feed the plants with fertilizers - organic and nitrogen. If your garden is still young or consists only of a berry, use this recipe: a mixture of 30 g of superphosphate, 4 kg of humus and 0.5 kg of wood ash per 1 sq. m. area. A fertile garden will require a 30% increase in fertilizer dose.
  4. Be sure to dig the soil around the tree trunks. It is very important not to miss the most opportune moment. To do this, check the soil: take some earth, squeeze it in the palm of your hand and open it. The soil should be slightly damp and break into large pieces. If it has retained the shape of a compressed palm, then it is too early to start digging, but if it has crumbled, then the earth has already dried up and it is too late to process it.
  5. It is necessary to dig near the trunks along the radius, starting from the tree trunk, so as not to damage the root system. When processing bushes, it will be more convenient to use a garden pitchfork. Carefully break up lumps and level the surface with a rake. While working, try to pick out the roots of weeds.

Planting new plants and care features

When the snow melts, and the earth completely thaws and warms up, you can start planting young trees. Plan the location of the holes in advance and prepare them so that by the time of use the soil in them has sunk to the desired level. The size of the pit should be about 2 times larger than the earthen clod that wraps the rhizome.

Pour a mixture of fertile soil and organic fertilizers at the bottom. Form a mound in the center of the hole and strengthen the seedling by spreading the roots. Compact the soil, water and fix the plant on a pre-driven peg. After a couple of days, mulch the trunk circle.

Tip: be sure to check the quality of the seedlings! The root system must be strong, healthy and sufficiently developed. Avoid diseased and broken branches on the plant.

When planting shrub seedlings, follow these rules:

  • currants are planted with a slope of 45 degrees to the soil surface;
  • gooseberry bushes are planted vertically;
  • after planting these crops, branches are pruned to three buds above the ground;
  • raspberries should be cut to a height of 40 cm.

If you have prepared cuttings for vaccination, then in April is the time to use them. Before the juice begins to actively move along the trunks, it is most convenient to apply the methods of improved copulation and splitting.

So that sudden spring cold snaps do not take you by surprise, and the flowers are not damaged, try to warm the soil yourself. Smoke piles will help you with this. And to protect strawberries and strawberries, cover them with old newspapers or film.

In the course of gardening in April, the first spraying is carried out. It must be done when the buds on pears and apple trees are just beginning to bloom and look like a green cone. Use Azofos or Bordeaux liquid for this.

There is a very good alternative to chemical spraying. In April, preparations based on petroleum oil can be used for this. They help very well in protecting the garden from pests such as sucker, scale insect, moth, aphid, leafworm.

Garden care in May

This month brings us closer to summer, and everything that you plan to do in the garden focuses on the flowering of fruit trees and shrubs.

There is still an opportunity to get vaccinated in May if you missed the opportunity in April. Pay attention to the condition of the kidneys. If they are swollen and are about to open, it means that the active movement of juices has begun. The cuttings grafted at this time will receive the necessary nutrition. In this case, the kidneys on the cuttings should be at rest, that is, not open.

If you did not provide your garden with smoke piles in April, then in May you will have to hurry with this. On an area of ​​​​6 acres, you will need to make about 10 such piles, evenly distributing them throughout the garden. Otherwise, you risk losing flowers at the first light frost.

Tip: In order to avoid wasting time on such piles, in May you can use smoke bombs instead. They can be purchased at the hardware store.

Remember that even light frosts can damage the flowers and deprive you of the harvest. For example, flower buds of an apple tree can withstand temperatures down to -4 degrees, and already opened flowers will die at 0: -1 degrees.

In May, the flowering of trees and shrubs begins, it is especially important to protect them from frost during this period.

Now May garden work will consist of regular, proper feeding and protection from pests and disease exposure.

As soon as ovaries begin to form on the branches, fertilize the soil around the plants. organic fertilizers, for example, infusion of bird droppings or mullein. Sometimes they can be replaced with mineral fertilizers. Be sure to water the plants well after top dressing so that the water quickly brings nutrients to the root system.

How to avoid the impact of harmful insects on plants

It is in May that the invasion of insects begins that can harm trees and shrubs, and even destroy the entire crop. First, the caterpillars of the rose leafworm and moth come out of wintering. After flowering ends, codling moth butterflies appear. It is necessary not to miss this moment and carefully treat the trees with special preparations.

The most common pests of berry bushes are:

  • moth;
  • weevil;
  • sawyer.

These insects are activated in May, and infect raspberries, currants, gooseberries. To combat each of them there is a drug. Treat the choice of funds with special attention: the substances must be approved for use and approved by the relevant authorities.

Pest-proof garden will delight you with lush blooms

Regular loosening of the soil in tree trunks can be very useful. Thus, you will disturb the pests and destroy their nests. It is especially important to do this after rains to remove the remnants of weed roots.

Review the vaccinations you received in April. If they have taken root, you can remove the protective film.

By the end of May, the trees fade, and an ovary forms on them. First, the flowering is completed by stone fruits - plums and cherries, then - pears, and apple trees are the last to bloom. At this time, complex processing of trees will be required, which includes exposure to the following drugs:

  • acaricide will prevent the occurrence of ticks;
  • insecticides will scare away pests - insects and rodents;
  • fungicides will stop the development of diseases.

Timely and correctly carried out work will save your garden, make it healthy, beautiful and fruitful.

Pests that threaten the harvest of fruit and berry plantations

Video about gardening in spring

A beautiful, well-kept garden is not only good harvest, able to provide you with blanks for next winter. It is also a cozy place where you can relax both in spring and summer. Therefore, summer care becomes an integral part of the life of any owner. suburban area. We hope our article will help you learn something new. Share your secrets in the comments spring work in the garden. Comfort to your home!

IT IS STILL SNOWING IN THE GARDEN, BUT THE SUN IS ALREADY BEATING SO SPRINGLY THAT THE FEET WALK TO THE GARDEN, AND THE HANDS ARE LOOKING FOR BUSINESS. PEOPLE SAY: APRIL BEGINS WITH SNOW AND ENDS WITH GREEN. WHAT WORKS SHOULD BE DONE IN THIS DIFFICULT PERIOD, LET'S CONSIDER IN DETAILS

Let's see: what's going on in the garden? In April (although sometimes earlier), the snow gradually begins to settle, thawed patches and patches of bare land appear. First - at the very trunks of fruit trees, then - in tree trunks, on paths and paths. The crowns of the trees are the first to feel this heat, then the roots; plants gradually wake up from hibernation, come out of a state of forced dormancy. After the roots awaken, the active life of the whole tree begins.

Snow melting

According to meteorological data, the average values ​​of the beginning of snow melting in the Moscow region fall on April 5-10.

In different parts of the garden, it descends differently, unevenly: in open places - faster, in protected and under sprawling conifers - more slowly.

The snow becomes dense, settles, and water appears under it. At night, when temperatures are low again, the water freezes, during the day it thaws. This effect, together with stagnant water around the trunks, can threaten fruit and berry crops. With prolonged stagnation of water, the roots lack oxygen, and they suffer from oxygen starvation.

During melting

Don't forget to put the barrels under the drainpipes. severe frosts will be gone, the barrels will remain intact, but the supply of melt water can help out. Water and melted snow from the roof are needed not only for irrigation, but also as a measure to combat floods.

Tidy up the soil. After the snow begins to melt, they rake last year's leaves and grass, put everything in compost heaps.

If necessary, they harrow, loosen and fertilize the ridges and tree trunks.

They remove spruce branches or other material from the ridges that covered the soil from freezing and for snow retention.

They remove shelters from young fruit plants and protective devices from hares.

They untie the rose hips and raspberries collected in bunches.

The conifers are unraveled, if necessary, they are fed.

Renew the layer of mulch washed away by spring waters.

crops

Prudent owners have prepared ridges for early sowing of vegetable crops since autumn. Early crops - an early harvest of vegetables for the table.

What do they sow immediately after leaving the snow ridges?

Greens - leaf parsley, lettuce (leaf and head), onion and shallot on a feather, batun, chives, spinach, sorrel, tarragon; legumes - peas, beans, beans; root crops - radishes and carrots. The best results are obtained by step sowing at intervals of 7 to 9 days. So it is possible to provide a green conveyor, and to depend less on whims.

Already in April you can see the results winter crops. Winter onions and garlic come out, shallots and various perennial puddles hatch. A little later, cotyledons appear on the ridges, colored and red cabbage. And even later, shoots of beets, late varieties of carrots, leaf parsley, lettuce (leaf and head), watercress, chicory lettuce (witloof, endive and escariole), dill, sorrel become visible. All these plants tolerate low positive temperatures better than heat. Many of them are cold hardy and can even withstand short sub-zero temperatures.

In the second half of April, corn is sown for seedlings. With a warm, friendly spring in late April - early May, early potatoes are planted for food. Sometimes the holes are mulched with straw or the ridges are covered with a film.

For the growth of potatoes, the main thing is warm soil and its temperature. Peas are sown in the same numbers.

At the end of April, it's time to sow plant seeds for seedlings that will protect your vegetable ridges and scare away pests: marigolds, calendula, feverfew, chrysanthemum, white mustard, sage.

The end of the second spring month is the time to choose honey plants that attract pollinating insects: phacelia, borage, lemon catnip. thyme, oregano, clover, cyanosis. There is nothing better for fruit trees than the buzzing of bees in a flowering crown.

If at the end of March - beginning of April you cover several bushes of perennial onions with a film dome, then in a week and a half you can harvest the first crop of greens. Watering warm water and feeding will also help

young bow

From mid-April, you can begin to thin out the thickened plantings of onions - this good way provide yourself with early vitamin greens. And this is not fantastic advice.

If at the end of March - beginning of April you cover several bushes of perennial onions with a film dome, then in a week and a half you can harvest the first crop of greens. Watering with warm water and top dressing will also help speed up forcing.

snow from the ridges and put arcs with a film or tunnels. It is enough that the film is 35 - 60 cm above the soil level.

To obtain an early feather, good illumination of the ridge and air temperature under the shelter are important (not lower than + 16 ° C at night and + 20 ° C during the day). In some cases, a non-woven covering material is also suitable, but it is moisture-permeable, and folded in several layers is poorly permeable to sunlight. And for onions it is very important that there is as much light as possible, in this case a thicker and more powerful mass of leaves is formed (and this is exactly what we need if we grow onions on a feather).

Trees and shrubs

In the middle of spring, the formation of trees and shrubs begins - cut and cut the branches. If at the beginning of April there is already little snow or it has managed to settle, then pruning begins with berry crops in this order: blackcurrant, gooseberry, red and white currant. Of course, it is better to cut them in the fall, but if you left the molding for the spring, you will have to put up with a number of difficulties. If April is snowy, and the bushes are still under the snow, then sleep

Don't miss the early spring, work a little harder than usual, and let your harvest be generous all season

medicinal plants

In early spring, joyfully and on a plot with medicinal plants. Planted since autumn different types of sage, monard, different varieties mint is already starting to show the first young leaves. All our works of the autumn period are now clearly visible and pleasing to the eye.

Currants and gooseberries are the first to come out of hibernation in the garden.

The scheme for caring for them is as follows: pruning, treatment with boiling water, installation of props and frame fences, if necessary, you can make layering for autumn plantings and fertilize tree trunks.

Sanitary pruning of berry bushes begins with cutting dry and broken branches onto a stump (we consider them as an incubator for pests and diseases and burn them).

Often gooseberries and currants are affected by powdery mildew (this can be seen but bent, twisted, sometimes dried ends of the shoots). Such shoots are cut to living tissue, capturing the diseased part of the shoot and 1-2 healthy buds.

pruning

The start time for fruit pruning in the Moscow region is determined when the snow cover begins to settle, the air is already warmed by the sun, and the thermometer shows a positive temperature. For the Moscow region, this is approximately the beginning of April.

Pruning is carried out early in the morning, while the snow is still dense enough to support the weight of an adult. And one more tip, which is often forgotten. If you did not have time to finish pruning before the snow melted, then it is better to postpone the work anyway. From walking on wet, swollen thawed earth - only harm: deep dents from shoes, mixed earth with cut branches, trampled plants ... Don't worry, you can continue working in the garden after the soil dries out a little. And pruning of fruit trees can generally be tightened before they begin to bloom.

Old orchard in early spring needs rejuvenating pruning. As a rule, the shortening of the "age" skeletal branches and the transfer to young shoots are done in one step. Carefully study the tree, carry out sanitary pruning of damaged, shrunken and broken branches, make a plan for updating the crown, and only then pick up a garden saw. Such pruning is carried out for two to three years, then you can expect results and not destroy the tree.

But what you should pay close attention to in the old garden is hollowness. In apple and pear trees, hollows are formed from mechanical damage to the branches, most often as a result of improper pruning. April is the time to clean the hollow from rotten wood, disinfect it with copper sulphate (5% solution) and fill it with a protective mixture (sand: lime: cement - 6: 1: 1). Hollow trees are not only low-yielding, but also dangerous, due to their fragility.

WORKS IN APRIL: GARDEN, GARDEN AND FLOWERS

Spring is a hot period for any gardener: planting, pruning, wound care. spraying trees and shrubs from pests and pathogens feeding ... And all this must be done on time

NOT in vain they say: APRIL HAS COME - TIME FOR THE GARDEN DO NOT SPEND.

FOR THE GARDENER THIS TIME IS THE MOST ACTIVE. TO MAKE EVERYTHING AND NOT FORGET ANYTHING, USE OUR TABLE, IT DESCRIBES ALL THE MOST NECESSARY WORKS THAT NEED TO BE DONE IN EARLY SPRING

PLANTS GROUP: FRUIT GARDEN AND BERRIES

WORKS ON PERFORMANCE

the first weekend of the month they inspect the garden, the trunks of fruit trees. If necessary, all frost cracks and other damage to the bark are healed with garden pitch. Cut out dry and dead branches. Before digging the trunk circles, organic matter and mineral fertilizers are introduced into the grooves made along the circumference.

At the end of the month, seedlings of apple trees, pears, as well as cherries, plums and apple trees are planted on undersized rootstocks. If necessary, 5-8-year-old trees can be transplanted at this time.

They remove the winter shelter from the strawberries, sprinkle the bare roots with soil. All dry and diseased leaves must be removed and burned.

In the middle of the month, young and fruiting bushes of currants, gooseberries, sea buckthorn and raspberries are fed with nitrogen fertilizers, the soil around the plants is loosened. Dry, broken, weakened branches are cut out before bud break. The soil around the raspberries is loosened and mulched, and then the shoots are cut at a height of 20-40 cm. The remaining shoots are tied to a wire even before the buds open.

PLANTS GROUP: ORNAMENTAL SHRUBS

WORKS ON PERFORMANCE

From the first days of April, roses gradually open. First, they increase their ventilation by removing shelters for several hours a day (with partial shading to prevent sunburn). After 10 days, shelters can be removed completely. To speed up the thawing of the soil around the plants, it is necessary to remove the mulch.

In the second half of the month, you can start pruning roses, which will help in the future in the formation of bushes, ensure good development of shoots and abundant flowering. But it is important to remember that pruning must be completed before the buds open. When pruning roses, the bushes are spudded, and then they are spudded again so that the lower buds do not dry out.

After pruning, it is necessary to feed the roses (at the rate of 2-3 g of ammonium nitrate, 3-5 g of superphosphate and 1-2 g of potassium salt under a bush). For the prevention of diseases after pruning before bud break, rose bushes are treated with a 1% solution Bordeaux mixture at the rate of 1 liter for 20-25 bushes.

For abundant flowering paniculate hydrangeas annual pruning is recommended and should be done in the spring before the start of the growing season (before bud break).

GROUP OF PLANTS: GARDEN

WORKS ON PERFORMANCE

They take shelter from clematis, feed them with ammonium nitrate at the rate of 10 g per plant and loosen the soil within a radius of 50-60 cm from the bush. At the end of April, the soil around the plant must be mulched with a layer of 3-5 cm, since the clematis root system cannot tolerate overheating.

Greenhouses are being prepared for sowing early greens and vegetables.

In the third decade of April, seeds of basil, zucchini, cucumber, squash, pumpkin are sown for seedlings. Continue caring for seedlings of eggplant, white cabbage, sweet pepper, celery, tomato. On warm days, the plants are hardened by taking them out into the open air.

Seeds of carrots, spinach, radishes, turnips, dill and parsley are sown in open ground.

Since it is still quite cold outside, it is necessary to cover the planting night with a film or nonwoven fabric. Spring garlic, onion sets and shallots are planted on a feather.

Perennial vegetables (lovage, rhubarb, sorrel) are fed with urea - 3 tablespoons per 10 liters of water. If you cover the plants with covering material, then after 2-3 weeks you can collect the first fresh greens.

Potato vernalization begins - for a month and a half, the tubers are placed in a bright place, but not in direct sunlight.

FLOWER IN APRIL

At the beginning of the month, begonia tubers are removed from cold storage, cleaned of dried roots and remnants of the earth. Large tubers with several buds can be divided (cut) into several parts so that each has at least one bud. Places of cuts are sprinkled with crushed charcoal. Tubers and delenki are planted for growing in pots so that the buds remain on the surface. Expose on window sills, warm verandas of any orientation. The air temperature should not fall below + 18 °C. intensive lighting is not required, the soil should be kept moist, drying out should not be allowed, and when watering, it is desirable to moisten the leaves.

When the soil in the greenhouse thaws and warms up, perennial seeds are sown: aquilegia, gailardia. carnation pinnate, delphinium, bluebells, cornflower, primrose (after two months of freezing in the freezer of the refrigerator) and pyrethrum.

In the phase of development of the first true leaf, seedlings of March crops are picked. You can dive into a semi-warm or cold greenhouse, on verandas, terraces, balconies and loggias, protected by glass or film; on the windows. Small plants are planted at a distance of 2.5-3 cm, larger ones - 5-6 cm.

Alyssum can be sown in the greenhouse for seedlings at the end of the month. marigolds, zinnia, cochia, and sow cold-resistant plants (matthiola, nemesia, annual gypsophila, annual chrysanthemums, California escholcia, cosmea, cornflowers, iberis) directly in the open ground.

When the perennial sprouts become clearly visible, loosen the soil around them, if they have not been mulched since autumn. Plants with superficial roots or rhizomes (irises, lilies of the valley, phloxes) are loosened with extreme caution, shallow.

Peonies can be divided from the moment the soil thaws until the buds begin to grow.

Before the start of active growth, you can divide irises, phloxes, daylilies, astilbes, delphiniums, chrysanthemums, leucanthemums and others perennial species. If in doubt, remember this rule: in spring, you can divide plants that bloom in autumn or early summer.

April: we launch the "green conveyor"

How nice it is to collect the first bunch of your own salad, pull the first crispy appetizing radish out of the ground, cook green borscht, in which “everything is your own”. Of course, without a greenhouse, it is difficult to keep up with the early market radish or spinach, but nevertheless, by the end of April - the beginning of May, the very, very first green vegetables from the usual beds is quite possible.

Spinach, radish, radish seeds. turnips, dill, parsley, coriander (cilantro), cumin, chervil, leaf mustard, celery, parsnip, carrots, peas, different types lettuce, kale begin to germinate at a temperature of 1-5 °C. So we can sow green from the beginning of April, and in the southern and eastern regions, even from the end of March.

True, in the cold ground, the seeds do not germinate for a long time, first building up the roots and not risking "protruding". To speed up the emergence of seedlings, we treat the seeds with growth stimulants before sowing, this is a good practice, but we will supplement it with traditional methods soaking, sprouting, hardening. So, soaking accelerates the emergence of seedlings by 4-7 days.

And tightly germinated seeds of parsley, dill, celery, carrots, pre-sprouted, wrap in a damp cloth and place before sowing for 10-12 days in the refrigerator (at a temperature of 1-2 ° C). and after that we will sow. After such hardening, seedlings usually appear on the 5-7th day.

First, we sow a small bed of radishes, spinach, lettuce, plant onions and garlic to get greens. In case the weather worsens, we put arcs over the bed for film shelter. During frosts, we can cover the beds with agrofibre and without a frame.

Agrofibre with a density of 17 g / mA will protect seedlings from freezing -2 ° C, more dense. 30 g/mA will withstand temperatures as low as -6°C. To get a conveyor of early vitamin production, we sow radishes, spinach, leaf mustard, watercress at several times, every 10-20 days.

We sow beets no earlier than April 15-25, when the soil temperature reaches 10-12 ° C. When sown in colder soil, the roots will be rough or the plants will shoot. If the end of April turns out to be warm, then after the 25th we sow some seeds in open ground early varieties cucumber. We cover the bed with a film, agrofibre.

Instead of a warm bed, we can use holes filled with heated manure and plant or sow cucumbers and zucchini in them, making more compact shelters for them, for example, from cut plastic bottles.

On the warm beds or we can plant several bushes of early potatoes from germinated tubers in the holes; some seedlings of early varieties of tomato, eggplant, pepper, cauliflower.

At the end of April, on ordinary beds, we plant part of the seedlings of early tomatoes, different types of cabbage under a film shelter. The time to sow heat-loving beans, zucchini, pumpkin in open ground, and the same cucumbers, without any tricks, comes in late April - early May.

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    • April is the middle of spring. However, despite the fact that winter is losing ground, the weather this month is quite unstable: either the sun will warm, or the frost will return again. But the changeable nature is not a hindrance for gardeners and gardeners, because the work done in April days is the key to the health of the garden and the basis of the summer-autumn harvest. And, frankly, it’s unbearable to sit at home already: it pulls on the street, I want the sun, warmth, fresh air. What work must be done in the garden and vegetable garden in April, we will tell in the article.

    During April days when gardening is not possible, take inventory of your gardening tools. © John Nixon

    We clean and plan the territory

    One of the main activities of the spring period is the preparation of the territory for the season. In April, as soon as the snow melts and the soil dries out a little, it would be nice to pick up a rake, a broom and sweep away everything that has accumulated on the beds and paths. Put plant debris in compost, take out the rest. If drains are clogged, clean them. Improve drainage in low-lying areas.

    In cases of territory development - it's time to plan functional areas. To begin with, they are drawn on paper, and then reproduced in reality. This significantly increases the aesthetic moment of the site, simplifies its maintenance, and increases the comfort of using the land.

    Most often, planning is the division of the territory into subzones, which can be an entrance, a recreation area, a utility yard, a garden and a kitchen garden.

    Preparing garden tools

    If the weather does not allow you to work outside, you can do business at home: repair and sharpen garden tools, bribe the missing tools, prepare several sets of work clothes. At the same time, it is important not to neglect safety measures when working with chemistry, and for manipulating chemicals, allocate separate clothes, which can simply be thrown away at the end of the season.

    We carry out pruning

    When setting the temperature regime around 0 ° C, you can and should start spring pruning. It is better to start it with cultures resistant to low temperatures, such as apple trees, then move on to more heat-loving cherries, apricots, sweet cherries, plums, pears.

    Branches must be cut clean, leaving no sticking bark or broken wood. In order not to tear plant tissue and not carry infections, the pruner must be well sharpened and clean. Since the damaged areas of the branches are breeding grounds for diseases, they must be treated with garden pitch or oil paint within a day.

    In the same period, it is necessary to inspect and remove damaged shoots of berry bushes, cut raspberries. If swollen, rounded buds are observed on blackcurrants, this is a kidney mite. Affected branches should be cut and burned.

    Each culture has its own rules and methods of pruning. In addition, both the variety and the age of the tree are taken into account (young seedlings are formed last). Therefore, it is better to ask in advance how to put your garden in order and draw up an individual pruning plan.


    Let's start spring pruning. © Natasha Starkell

    Removing winter shelters

    As soon as the snow melts, more or less warm weather will set in, with temperature regime+5..+10 °C it is necessary to start removing winter shelters from grape bushes. This should be done gradually, with a focus on the method of shelter. And only when the threat of frost blows away, remove the “winter coat” completely.

    If the grape bushes have not been pruned since autumn, immediately after opening, it is necessary to remove the damaged vine from them, form plants and tie them to a support.

    Gradually open beds with strawberries, planting raspberries. Then they update the mulch, spray against diseases and pests.

    We process the garden

    Before bud break, it is necessary to have time with the processing of trees and shrubs against pests and diseases. For the prevention of a number of diseases at once, a 1–2% solution of Bordeaux mixture is used. Gooseberries and currants are poured over with hot (+65 ° C) water or sprayed with Topaz. Planting strawberries, in order to prevent against strawberry mite, spotting and gray rot, treated with a solution of manganese.

    If the garden is not whitewashed, whitewashing can also be done at the beginning of the month.

    We feed garden crops

    In the early spring period, the use of fertilizers is mandatory. Basically, nitrogen is introduced at this time, scattering granules over the melting snow. But, if organics or complex fertilizers were not applied in the fall, both phosphorus and potassium are used.

    Especially in need of such early feeding raspberries and grapes.

    Planting trees and shrubs

    April is the time for planting seedlings. It is good if the landing pits have been prepared since the fall, but if not, they need to be dug now. At the same time, it is worth taking into account both the characteristics of the soil and the needs of the crops being planted - to lay just such a foundation under the plants that can give them a good start.

    In addition to planting new plants, this month, layering is pinned and added dropwise to obtain currant and gooseberry seedlings.


    In the middle of spring, you can start sowing green and cold-resistant crops. © Deborah Neyens

    Laying out the compost heap

    After the earth dries up, you can start laying a new compost heap. To do this, it is necessary to knock down the fence, 1.5 m wide, 1 m high, dig a recess of 20 cm, put a film or layer of peat in it, 10 cm thick. Such a bottom will allow the heap to retain moisture and nutrients washed out with water. Walls - will simplify maintenance and increase the aesthetic appearance.

    We sow cold-resistant crops

    The middle of spring is a good time for sowing green crops such as watercress, spinach, dill, parsley, carrots, sorrel in open ground. For more friendly shoots, they can be covered with a film, but even without shelters, sown at this time, they will give an earlier harvest.

    If the earth has warmed up enough, in the middle or end of the month (depending on the climatic zone), you already need to sow radishes, beets, peas, black onions, and plant garlic. Where potatoes were not planted at the end of March, plant potatoes.

    When sowing beds, do not forget about observing crop rotation and crop compatibility. In addition, it is good to think over in advance the planting of protective plants for the garden and vegetable garden that drive away harmful insects. These include marigolds (calendula), nasturtium, marigolds, tansy and many other flowers familiar to us that can not only heal trees, shrubs and vegetables, but also perfectly decorate the territory.

    Mandatory part spring plantings siderats should also become. Mustard, rye, phacelia, oats, rapeseed can be sown as soon as the soil thaws. These crops are not afraid of temperature changes and, in addition to cleaning and enriching the earth with nutrients, protect plantings from return frosts.


    We continue to take care of the seedlings, and some crops can be planted in greenhouses. © Karen Jackson

    Taking care of seedlings

    In April, care for the grown seedlings continues. At the beginning of the month, late and medium varieties of white cabbage are sown for seedlings, cauliflower, broccoli, ultra-early tomatoes and eggplant.

    Cooking greenhouses

    If greenhouses for growing heat-loving crops were not prepared in advance, the beginning of the second month of spring is a great time to put them in order.

    Cucumbers are sown in the greenhouses prepared since autumn at the beginning of the month. In the middle - put up seedlings of celery, cabbage, beans. At the end (in the last days of April - early May), tomatoes, zucchini, and squash are sown in warm soil warmed up to +15 ° C.

    If vegetables are grown through seedlings, in the first decade of the month, 50–60 day old seedlings of tomatoes are planted, in the second decade, 25–30 day old seedlings of cucumbers.

    Under temporary shelters, seedlings of tomatoes, peppers, cucumbers and eggplants are planted in the second or third decade of April.

    We hope that in the article we remembered all the obligatory work on caring for the garden and vegetable garden in April. But if you forgot something, write about it in the comments to the article. Perhaps you would like to do something else this month. important works which we have not written about.