To Do List - April

April is here and temperatures are starting to rise as we emerge out of the winter hibernation and into the spring sunshine.

This is a gorgeous time of the year with days filled with not-too-hot sun and everything looking lush and fresh after the recent showers. But, in between sitting back in your recliner and enjoying it, there are a few things you need to do now so that you and your garden, are prepared for the oppressive heat that is just around the corner.

• Irrigation and watering systems will now need to be running on a more regular basis. Check all your sprays and drip lines and if possible, flush out the system by undoing the end-stops on each piped zone. This will rid the pipework of any built up calcium/limescale or sand deposits that have accumulated over the dormant period and help prevent any of the spray heads and drippers from becoming blocked. Don’t forget to close them up afterwards!!
• As you probably know, I am an enthusiastic mulcher and your plants and shrubs will be fans too. Many people believe it’s just to keep the weeds down and make your borders and planters look neat and tidy. But although this is certainly an added bonus, especially during the wetter periods when weeds spring up at a rate of knots, a pine bark or gravel mulch has a much more important role to play in your garden. 
• One of the biggest forms of stress to a plant is overheating and dehydration brought on as a result of it sitting in baking hot soil every day. Adding a drip line under the pine bark or gravel keeps it feeling cooler and leads to less water evaporation. And it doesn’t get a scalding from hot water dripping onto the roots of your poor plant from sun exposed pipes. So happier plants and less water bills. Need I say more!!
• April in the Mediterranean is probably the last month where you want to carry out any movement of shrubs or transplanting. It’s also a good time to plant your annuals in pots or around the garden. The earth is at a cozy, warm temperature so the transition from garden centre to soil is not too unsettling for your new babies.
• This is also a good month for giving your garden a good fertilizing hit, especially for those of you who have lawns. Use a fertilizer with a higher nitrogen level to keep your lawn looking thick, lush and green. But remember to water it well in.
• We can safely assume that the warmer weather in is here to stay until at least September so this makes it a perfect time to sow seeds directly outdoors, as the warmer soils will ensure a quicker germination. It’s especially a good time to seed your summer salad vegetables as well as pumpkins, cucumbers, radishes, peppers, tomatoes and melons. You can also sow all the heatloving herbs such as pin-pin, basils, thyme and oregano.
• Your salad leaves can be sown directly into narrow furrows directly into the soil. I recommend the pick and grow varieties, but don’t seed them all at the same time. Try seeding every two weeks so that you will have a continuing harvest throughout the summer.
• Peppers and tomatoes are normally started off in small pots in the early spring (March/April), and allowed to grow to approx. 3 or 4 inches before being planted into the soil, although I know that a lot of people sow them directly in to their final position. Use different ranges of peppers and tomatoes as they all have different flavours and yields of harvest, especially the cherry tomato, which is particularly abundant in fruit. Aim for around half a dozen plants of both tomatoes and peppers,, which will keep a whole family happy for the whole of the summer.
• This is a good time to prune and care for your citrus trees. Cut out all dead wood and diseased leaves and also any branches that are skimming the ground as this leaves them susceptible to diseases. Inspect them for leaf miner, scale and aphids. Often shrivelled or curled leaves are the early signs of problems.
• Prune any last minute roses before buds start to appear.
• This is a good time to turn the compost heap, especially after any rain.