What to do in your garden during April

In subtropical regions of the country do the following during April.

Plant & Sow

Annuals

Sow quick-maturing summer annuals like:

Vegetables

Give citrus trees their mid-season feed of 6:1:5 granular fertiliser or an organic equivalent spread evenly over the drip line 20-30cm away from the stem. Mulch and water well

Sow vegetables like:

Garden Maintenance

General garden maintenance

• Water tropical plants frequently when the weather is hot and dry.
• Put out snail bait after watering or rain.
• Feed mangoes, and water pawpaws every two weeks in dry weather.
• Water staghorn ferns, bromeliads and orchids daily.
• Do not neglect your container plants; prune them lightly and feed and water them regularly.
• Cut out the dead branches from garden trees.
• Feed and deadhead annuals.
• Feed shrubs with a fertilizer high in potassium.
• Water and mow the lawn.
• Fertilize and mulch heliconias and calatheas which are starting to grow during this month.
• Fertilize guava, litchi and mango trees.
• Feed foliage plants with a nitrogen-based fertilizer, such as Nitrosol or Seagro.
• Watch out for mildew on plants, especially on zinnias, and spray if necessary.
• Feed cannas, mulch with compost and water regularly.
• Deadhead flowering plants.
• Water mango trees well from now on.

For April maintenance tips on watering, pruning,
pests and disease, fertilizing and much more visit our countrywide maintenance guide.