April chores in the garden beds
March in most regions of Russia is only the eve of spring. But when April knocks at the gate, the summer resident needs to be fully armed.
As soon as the ground is free of snow, it's time to start spring tillage. Even areas dug up or plowed in the fall under the weight of snow have compacted over the winter and are not very suitable for the comfortable growth of garden crops. Therefore, the first tool that must fall into the hands of a gardener is a shovel.
Digging the beds is preceded by their planning. It was in April for the summer resident, the time for mass planting did not begin, there is an opportunity to verify in practice the plans created in winter, take into account the crop rotation and the friendly neighborhood of garden crops.
Spring tillage in April
This is one of the most time consuming and difficult stages of work on the site. It is important not just to dig up the future planting sites for vegetables, green crops and root crops. For complete comfort and rapid development, plants need the soil:
- was loose, perfectly let through water and air;
- had an adequate supply of nutrients;
- did not pose a danger to cultivated plants due to the presence of insect pests and weeds.
It is possible to implement the tasks set by breaking up the clods encountered during digging, removing or treating with herbicides weed vegetation that begins to actively germinate, introducing fertilizersif it hasn't been done since autumn.
In parallel with the cultivation of the soil and the arrangement of the beds, the summer resident needs to pay attention to perennial crops, which, with the disappearance of snow, begin to appear above ground level and even give the first greenery. Such plants in Russian gardens include:
- numerous varieties of onions;
- sorrel;
- rhubarb;
- asparagus;
- garlic planted before winter;
- horseradish;
- left from last year for celery greens and the same parsley.
The land on the ridges occupied by these crops is loosened, and the plants themselves are fed with liquid organic fertilizer with the addition of potassium.
Sowing seeds of early vegetables and greens in April
In April, there are frequent cold weather, and even snowfall. So that the greenery does not suffer from temperature extremes and does not suffer from frost, it is useful to cover the beds with a greenhouse. So, fresh vitamins will be on the table at the summer resident much earlier.
From the middle of April, the day gradually lengthens, the sun rises higher and higher, and it is time to sow cold-resistant crops. First of all, they should include representatives of the cruciferous family. When the soil in the beds warms up to 3-4 ° C, you can sow radishes, various types of radishes and turnips, daikonas well as salad. These crops are not afraid even of small subzero temperatures, but if you delay with crops. Instead of succulent leaves and root crops, you can wait for a friendly flowering, starting with lengthening daylight hours.
In addition, April is the time to plant fennel, dill, celery and parsley. As soon as spring primroses bloom, seeds of carrots, spinach and onions, leeks and chives can be embedded in the soil. Coolness in this case plays into the hands of the gardener:
- the soil in the beds for early vegetables is still rich in thawed moisture;
- many pests, including onion flies and flea beetles in radish and cabbage, are still inactive;
- the seeds undergo natural stratification before hatching, and the seedlings are perfectly tempered.
If early vegetables are sown in greenhouses or under a greenhouse, the first harvest can be radish, lettuce, perennial green onions and other green crops can be served on the table as early as the May holidays.
A week later, the land is ready to receive dry pea seeds. Do not forget about planting spring garlic, which, although it wintered at home, with proper care, quickly catches up with its winter counterpart. In the second half of the month, it's time to prepare the beds and sow cabbage, beets and its useful leafy version - chard. When the first leaves appear on the radish beds, according to the old tradition, you can sow cucumbers for the greenhouse.
April work in the house: seedling and preparation of potatoes
April is one of the most difficult, stressful and responsible months in the gardener's calendar. Not only do a lot of things appear on the site itself, there are no less of them in the house:
- seedlings of tomatoes, eggplants and peppers are growing;
- sowing cucumbers, zucchini and squash, melons, watermelons and pumpkins;
- does not want to wait for cabbage and other crops.
Therefore, the summer resident has to work on two fronts, having time both on real beds and on improvised "plantations" near home windows.
In the second half of the month, it is necessary to pick tomato seedlings and feed them. Peppers and eggplants, which are no less demanding to care, are also fed, making sure that the plants receive enough light and do not "stretch".
Experienced gardeners notice that every year potatoes are planted earlier and earlier in the plots. This is facilitated by the appearance of early early ripening varieties, as well as the development by summer residents of simple and effective ways to prepare tubers for planting.
For summer consumption, potatoes are planted in the ground at the end of April, when the ground in the beds warms up to + 10 ° C. At the same time, the tubers are removed from storage in advance, heated, treated with pest control agents and left warm in order to get healthy sprouts ready for active development.
Moistening with a nutrient solution based on humic acids and laying the tubers with a layer of sphagnum, peat or sawdust will help speed up the germination of the eyes.
This procedure is carried out 7-10 days before planting. If the period for such preparation is longer, there is a risk that tangled roots and large shoots will suffer during separation.
April is a difficult, but also very important month, laying the foundations for the future harvest. The summer resident will see the first fruits of the applied labor in a couple of weeks, when the first bright greens of radish and daikon, sorrel, onion and lettuce rise above the beds. But most of the effort will pay off during the summer and fall, bearing generous rewards from greenhouses, greenhouses and open field.