C&DAHA

Cheltenham & District Allotment Holders Association

  • Home
  • Member Benefits
  • Allotment Sites
  • Plot Advice
  • Members Area
  • Shop
  • Contact

April Gardening News

Just when you thought that there was a hint of spring to enjoy, March caved in. The vanity of early sown seed was compromised, and things stood still. Those that lifted their heads were soon sulking.

Bizarrely the early cherries defiantly just got on with it and I have had a glorious pink haze at the centre of the garden. The bulbs too have managed, and the daffs put on a good show for race week. The jury is still out on the fate of winter damaged shrubs, I’ll give them another month. With the change of the clocks and extended evenings, we will have the chance to play catch up in April and in recent years the month has been quite balmy. So, as we move forward, we can get the rest of the potatoes in (and don’t fret if you haven’t any chitted, they will get underway quickly now, so just pop them in).

If you are playing catch up, then you will still get away with planting, onion sets, shallots and garlic. There are vegetable plants around too and certainly green stuffs like summer cabbage, cauli and calabrese are fit. You can be sowing seeds of course and not just the aforementioned, but salad as well. They all grow quite quickly, so don’t overdo it, instead try to set up some succession planting every couple of weeks. Hang back of course with marrows, cucumbers until May, but if you have a cold greenhouse or a well sheltered spot, I always think a couple of tomato plants are worth a gamble. Look for something upright rather than a bush or a trailer this early.

In May you can extend your play. This year I am going to be growing a trailer called Cherry Falls. It’s trialled really well and is recorded has having cascades of fruit that can run down 3 feet. The first of the bedding plants are around now, but be cautious, April is not the month for Begonias, Busy Lizzies or Marigolds and I get very frustrated by those that promote them in the doorways of the big outlets. Pansies,Violas,Snapdragons, Sweet Williams and Dianthus will all be fine to start with.

And finally, the lawn will need attention if you haven’t yet given it a trim. The ground is terribly wet and a few days ahead of your mowing try a bit of aeration with a garden fork.

Happy Gardening.

Chris Evans
www.dundrynurseries.co.uk
www.thebutterflygarden.org

TwitterFacebook

Not a Member?

Find out about the benefits of C&DAHA membership

>> click here <<

Sign Up For Updates

Join 612 other subscribers.

Latest News

July Gardening News

1 July 2025

The Summer arrived without too much fuss and no frost to speak of. Where we committed to keeping plants alive, things have grown albeit slowly and Read More

June Gardening News

1 June 2025

May delivered relentless heat, a dryness that rolled on and on and whilst many were encouraged to buy and plant early, opening the ground required a Read More

May Gardening News

1 May 2025

And so to business? The month of April did nothing too dramatic, though the ground did stay very dry through the early weeks and the wind remained Read More

April Gardening News

1 April 2025

Hooray for the lengthening day. Who knows there may even be a slight rise in temperature, maybe even a little consistency. My goodness the spiteful Read More

Free Talk – Mick Poultney, The Compost King

5 February 2025

Mick Poultney, The Compost King – The Brown Jug, Monday 3rd March 2025 7pm Mick will talk about making compost. He has perfected a natural, cost Read More

  • Home
  • Posts
  • Contact
  • Privacy Policy

© 2025 Cheltenham & District Allotment Holders' Association

Affiliated to the National Allotment Society and the Gloucestershire Federation of Gardening Societies