April garden jobs: the complete checklist for a productive month

April: the busiest month in the garden

If there's one month where everything comes together in the garden, it's April. The soil warms up, the days grow longer and life erupts everywhere. But so does the to-do list. No need to panic: with decent planning, you'll get through it just fine.

GardenWorld helps you visualise your garden's potential after seasonal care. Extra motivation to tick off that task list.

Week 1: Clean up and prepare

Start the month with a thorough inspection. Which plants have sprouted? Which didn't survive winter? Clear away dead plants and make space for new ones. Rake borders clean and remove the last of the winter protection from your plants.

Check your garden furniture and give it a scrub or a fresh coat of oil. See if the outdoor tap can be turned back on and test the hose for leaks. These sound like small things, but come May you just want to get stuck in without fuss.

Spread compost

Spread a three-centimetre layer of compost over your borders. The soil needs feeding after winter and compost is the best you can give. Lightly work it into the top layer without deep digging.

Week 2: Prune and plant

April is the month for pruning summer-flowering shrubs. Buddleja, hydrangea paniculata and lavender can all be cut back hard now. Prune to about a third of their height for a compact, flower-rich plant.

Plant new perennials and grasses. The soil is warm enough and there's plenty of moisture. Garden centres and RHS partner shops are stacked with fresh plants right now. Read the label: spacing and aspect make the difference between a plant that thrives and one that languishes.

Week 3: Sowing and the veg patch

Now it's warm enough, you can sow outside. Carrots, lettuce, radishes, spinach and beans go directly into the ground. Flowers like sunflowers, marigolds and cosmos get sown now too. Sow in rows with enough space between them.

Indoors on the windowsill, sow tomatoes, peppers and courgettes. These don't go outside until after the last frost, usually mid-May. Use seed compost and keep the pots moist but not waterlogged.

Tackle the lawn

This is the moment for the big lawn overhaul. Scarify, overseed bare patches and apply a spring feed. Mow for the first time on the highest setting. Within a fortnight your lawn will look as good as new.

Week 4: Fine-tuning

The last week of April is all about details. Edge your borders crisply. Put in supports and canes for tall perennials that'll need them later. Lay out soaker hoses or prepare your watering system for summer.

Check your plants for aphids and slugs. They start becoming active in April. A simple solution: attract ladybirds to your garden with flowering herbs like dill and fennel. For slugs, beer traps or a ring of coffee grounds around vulnerable plants work well.

The tricky question: wait for the last frost or not?

Same dilemma every year. It's warm, the garden centres are bursting with geraniums and fuchsias. But frost can strike until mid-May. My advice: buy them, but stand tender plants outside during the day and bring them in at night. Or cover them with fleece when frost is forecast.

Hardy types like violas, primroses and daisies can go outside without any worry. They laugh at a touch of frost.

April sets up the rest of the year

What you do in April determines how your garden looks for the rest of the season. A well-pruned shrub flowers more generously. A well-fed border grows more lushly. A well-overseeded lawn stays green all summer. It's the month of investing, and the returns are enormous.

Curious how your garden will look soon? Discover it on GardenWorld and get inspired for a beautiful gardening season.