One of the biggest garden maintenance jobs in April is your lawn.  They are beginning to stir after the winter rest, and so are the dandelions and daisies!  We all feel differently about those.  I love to see the daisies but loathe the dandelions!

Established lawns should be mown, but set the blades fairly high for the first few cuts.  Newly sown lawns, or recently turfed areas should be left well alone until the grass is a good 7 cms long.  A spring feed and weed treatment is a good idea too.  Before you do that get out the scarifying rake and go over the whole lawn thoroughly to get rid of any loose moss and thatch that has developed.  It will look horrid for a few days but the hard work will pay off very quickly.

If you have any serious lumps, bumps and holes in the Lawn now is a good time to carefully peel back the turf and level up the soil underneath.  Remember to allow plenty if you are filling a hole as it will tread down.

Garden Ponds also start crying out for attention now as well.  It is probably time to start feeding your fish if you haven’t already.  Taking early preventative action in the war against algae never goes amiss.  I like to use Barley Straw Pads and they work well.

Take a good look at your pond plants too, splitting waterlilies before they really get going again or they are unmanageable.  Other perennial pond plants can be cut back or divided now.  I always take this opportunity to make sure that the pond is still easily accessible for birds and other wildlife by softening the sides to provide easy access.  Check all the material you have round the edge of the pond before everything starts growing so that you know you have firm footing if you have to do maintenance work on the pond later in the summer when it’s not so easy to see through the foliage.

These are probably two of my favorite garden maintenance jobs for this time of year as you can really see where you have been and the garden starts to look loved and cared for.

Garden Maintenance In April – 3 is a post from: The Garden Magazine

The last few garden maintenance jobs that must be done in March are fairly obvious but bear mentioning none the less. Lawns need to be looked at as they are starting to grow again and time can usefully be spent raking to remove thatch and moss before starting to mow. When you do start to mow, make sure the blades are set quite high for the first few cuts and rake off any cuttings if you don’t catch them in a box or bag on your mower. You should also look to see if any areas need some care by way of reseeding or turfing and prepare the ground accordingly.

It’s a good time to check over your Pond as well, check over all the pond ‘electricals’ like pumps, lighting systems and filters. Give any other water features a quick check too. I generally put some barley straw pads on the top of my pond at this time as well just to prevent any algae getting hold in the spring sunshine.

Just as a word to the wise, it’s a good time to clean your patios and paved areas. My husband nearly took a tumble yesterday when going to fill up the bird feeders. Some of the paving stones had developed quite a slippery surface and had become dangerous.

If it’s too cold to be outside there are jobs to be done indoors or in the Greenhouse. Some houseplants might need to be repotted. Overwintered plants such as pelargoniums, fuschias and other tender perennials will need to be cut back and it’s a good time to plant your begonia tubers in pots. Don’t forget that March sun can sometimes be very warm in the greenhouse and you may need some ventilation but do remember to close up at night as it is still very cold.

Garden Maintenance in March – 4 is a post from: The Garden Magazine