Your Sowing Plan for April

These seeds can be sown outside in April

You can already sow these vegetables outside:

• Carrots
• Radishes
• Spinach
• Rocket
• Lettuce
• Asia lettuce
• Mangold
• Beetroot
• Onions
• Peas
• Beans
• Root vegetables

The soil is getting warmer so if you haven't done so already, now is the time to sow carrots, radishes, spinach, peas, lettuce, onions and root vegetables.

At the end of the month you can also sow chard, brussels sprouts, kohlrabi, white and red cabbage, and savoy cabbage directly outside.

But make sure to cover your tender plants with a protective fleece when temperatures are lower so they survive chilly nights and days unscathed.

What to germinate indoors

These are the varieties that you should start indoors in April:

• Chinese cabbage, brussels sprouts and red cabbage
• Cauliflower
• Broccoli
• Cucumber
• Kohlrabi
• Pumpkin
• Melon
• Courgette
• Leek
• Lettuce
• Sweetcorn

Vegetables that prefer warmer temperatures are Chinese cabbage, kale and cauliflower, radicchio, cucumbers, pumpkin, courgettes, melon, runner beans, bush beans and sweetcorn. But you can start growing them in a warm place in April. Also make sure you have started growing tomatoes, peppers and chillies. You can transfer your plants outside after the last frost in mid-May.

April is also the time to sow sunflowers, marigolds and garden cosmos, and plant bulbs such as gladioli and dahlias so you can enjoy a gorgeous sea of flowers this summer.

Other jobs for April

Remove mulch

Remove mulch before you start sowing and planting - this allows the sun's rays to warm the soil.

Weeding

In April everything starts to grow - including weeds. Remove them now to prevent things from getting out of hand - that way they can't grow into strong plants that take over your garden.

Have a great spring and lots of fun gardening this April!