ECOgardener

Spring work in the garden in April

In April, a truly labor-intensive period begins for summer residents. If at the very beginning of spring the capricious changeable weather still interfered with plans and forced to postpone certain events “for later”, then with the arrival of the second spring month the list of gardening work not only increases significantly, but also requires execution. Let's take a closer look at what kind of spring work we have ahead of us in the garden.

Everything about spring work in the garden: stages of work with photos

Every day the sun warms up more and more, the earth and plants are waking up right before our eyes, so there is no time to hesitate. We need to try to implement the entire planned program of events for the summer cottage for April, or at least carry out basic work in the garden. Typically this includes:

Final determination of planting and sowing locations.
Soil preparation and planting material.
Work in greenhouse structures.
Treatment of damaged trees and shrubs, protection from garden pests.

In addition to the listed actions, in April, gardeners make up for what they did not have time to do in March - they repair old equipment and purchase new equipment, carry out sanitary and cosmetic pruning of pome trees.

We, for example, are in a hurry to do all the pruning early because along the eastern border orchard a mixborder of perennials is placed, and circling around the tree with a hacksaw, it is easy to trample out the hatching sprouts of tulips and decorative bows. Other perennials wake up later (hostas, black cohosh, etc.), but bulbous ones wake up immediately after the snow cover melts.

Features of spring soil preparation

If the soil in the beds is not prepared, then before late crops (peppers, eggplants, sweet potatoes) we sow either greens or green manure - this agricultural practice has a double benefit: before June you will have time to eat plenty of radishes, lettuce, shallots. The soil under them will not erode and, after cutting off the tops, their roots will remain in the soil.

And if there is already a lot of greenery, then green manure will bring the same benefit - they will enrich the soil with roots and increase the green mass, which can be used for mulching the same bed.

Yes, even for the crops that we plant in open ground in May (tomatoes, cucumbers, pumpkins) it is very useful to sow green manure - green fertilizer that has grown by 10-15 cm will protect tender seedlings from sunburn. In this case, the holes should be made directly among the green manure, and after 1.5-2 weeks they should be carefully cut off.

But there is not always time or desire to tinker with sowing green manure. In this case, the bed must be protected from weathering moisture and weed growth. Black non-woven fabric is perfect for this, but organic mulch is still better. It hasn't been mowed yet in the spring lawn grass, so you can pour in wood chips ground after pruning fruit trees.

For those whose soil structure requires radical improvement, and who have accumulated enough strength over the winter, we can recommend laying a high bed in April. Then the ground is dug up once, and organic fertilizers, ash, and clay on sandstones, sand on loams are added there at the same time.

Spring work on the lawn

If you didn’t have time to comb your favorite lawn in March, it’s not too late to do it in April. In general, it is advisable to carry out this procedure every time the green carpet changes shade, becoming light brown. This indicates that there is too much dry grass, and it interferes with the growth of young ones. The simplest tool for clearing your lawn of dry grass, felt and debris is a moderately stiff fan rake. This type of lawn work is one of the most labor-intensive, since you will have to rake both lengthwise and crosswise. Otherwise, a good effect will not be achieved.

In the spring, aeration is also carried out - piercing the turf for better air access to the roots. In a small area this can be done with ordinary pitchforks, and if grass cover occupies a large area, then you cannot do without an aerator - a special device for making holes in the turf.

At the end of April, the lawn is mowed for the first time after winter. It is advisable to set the lawn mower blade lower (for example, 3 cm) in order to remove the remnants of dry felt remaining after combing along with cutting the green grass. Of course, in the evening of the same day, the mowed lawn should be watered abundantly.

As you understand, carding felt is a traditional agricultural technique, similar to how fields on agricultural land are cleared of crop residues. Poor soil microbes and worms have nothing to crunch on. So you can do without such bad work. But! It is advisable to water the lawn with some natural fungicide immediately after the snow melts and after a couple of weeks. We water it with Fitop Flora-S. You can, of course, treat it with a richer microflora - Globiome Biota Max. If you have neither one nor the other, then simple Fitosporin-M will help out.

When the snow melts, pathogenic fungi will likely multiply, and spilling or spraying with biofungicides will disinfect the microflora and improve the soil health. Then, on such a lawn, during the first warm days, it’s not scary to let your crawling grandchildren run across it—there won’t be pathogenic microorganisms on your arms and pants. It is advisable to treat the entire area of the site - lawn, vegetable garden, shrubs, walls and fences - so that pathogens are discouraged. And on May 1st you can safely invite everyone to a barbecue and the opening of the new season!

Well, where the lawn has dried out, you need to carry out precise repairs - cut off the green turf on the outskirts of the site and replace the yellow spots that have not overwintered. Bald spots with a diameter greater than 15 cm should be replaced - smaller bald spots will heal on their own.

As you can see, the last month of spring is a very important period for gardeners. If you miss or forget something, it will definitely affect the harvest. And not in the best possible way. Therefore, before you grab a hoe or shovel, you should think through the sequence of events and draw up a competent plan.

April can be called the most important period for owners suburban areas. This month both the earth and plants demand increased attention and special care. If you do not provide them with proper care and preparation, you cannot count on good harvests. But this may not be the entire list of gardening work in the spring. So, share your experience about spring work in the garden and vegetable garden in the comments and send original photos of your successes, we will be happy to post information about you.

The arrival of spring means the awakening of plants and the preparation of the soil for a new harvest. The weather will tell you when and what kind of work to do, especially since it is different every year. But general recommendations worth sticking to.

The spring sun is so bright, and the rays are reflected by the unmelted snow so much that the crowns of the conifers get burned. While the snow lies, the branches of young trees are tied together with twine and covered using burlap or blankets.

Low trees are covered with shields. Around the roots they pour warm water so that the frozen ground warms up and sap flows in the trunks.

Spring snow is heavy, and lingering snow breaks off the branches of fruit trees. To protect fragile branches, it is discarded and shaken off in time, but carefully, without resorting to force.

In the spring, the bark on the trunks is gnawed by hares and other rodents. It is better to remove snowdrifts from under the trunks, then animals will not get to the branches, and inspect the trunks regularly.

At the beginning of the month, on warm days, it is recommended to whitewash the trunks. Lime with copper sulfate will protect trees from waking pests, and white will reflect the burning sun rays. Instead of whitewashing, the trunks are temporarily wrapped in white paper.

When frosts are at least 10 degrees, begin pruning apple trees. First, old fruit-bearing trees, then young trees. Pears, cherries and plums are pruned before flowering.

Trimming rules:

Thick branches are cut first, then lower, so that the crown turns out to be in the form of a bowl.
Do not leave visible stumps.
A cut wider than 1.5 cm is cleaned with a knife and painted over. oil paint.
To avoid infecting the trees, the file and knife are disinfected with potassium permanganate.
In shrubs, old branches are cut to the ground level.
Fruiting shoots of bushes are shortened by 15 cm, damaged branches are cut off at the first or second healthy bud.

You cannot prune it every year, otherwise the tree will weaken. Last year's plantings are not pruned. To treat broken areas or areas damaged by frost, use pitch or clay mash.

Treatment against diseases and pests

To treat pests and fungi, use urea, iron sulfate or Bordeaux mixture.

Pests are also afraid of Fitovermom or Agravertinom.

At a temperature of 7 degrees Celsius, but before the buds enlarge, fruit trees and bushes are sprayed with a special insecticide.

It is also necessary to make grooves, drain streams and stagnant water to ensure the roots can breathe.

Major cleaning work:

Collect covering material, clean and put away.
Clean the area: rake up last year’s leaves and grass and put them in compost pit. Remove broken branches from the area and burn them.
Remove emerging weeds.
Remove moss from under stones and containers.
Sweep the garden paths.
Repair and paint gazebos and benches.
Check containers, flowerpots, remove cracks, and treat with disinfecting solutions. For overwintered plants, replace the soil.
Replace or remove old bark or decorative woodchip mulch.

When to open flowers covered for the winter

On sunny days, covered flowers are opened, as condensation accumulates under the cover, causing the plants to rot.

In the second half of March, daffodils and lilies are released.

Roses open at a temperature of 5-7 degrees Celsius, when the snow melts. The first time is for ventilation. Immediately make drainage grooves and remove the earth poured on top.

Then the roses should be covered again by making holes in the material. They finally open when the soil warms up by 15 cm.

To protect shrubs, trees and flowers, and their roots from temperature changes, a layer of mulch from fresh humus or compost is poured around. Pine bark or crushed cones are also suitable. In addition, mulching will help retain moisture and prevent weed growth.

In April they work with the soil and beds and graft trees. Carefully dig up the trunk circles of fruit trees. After the snow cover melts, before the buds appear, plant the seedlings in a permanent place.

Tips for working with soil:

If you dig up soil that has not dried out, lumps will remain, which will immediately harden. You also can’t wait for the soil to dry to dust.

Readiness for digging is checked by squeezing a lump of soil in your hand. It turned out to be a dense lump - it was still damp, crumbled - it was too late, fell into pieces - the earth was ready.

Before digging, organic fertilizers are scattered, and then mineral and nitrogen-containing fertilizers.

When digging, they remove the roots, so the litter will not grow longer.

Heavy soil where water stagnates is improved by adding gravel or sand. Hard soil is softened with sawdust, humus or river sand. Clay is added to the loose mixture. They deoxidize with ash, and malic or acetic acid will help make it sour.

Using covering material before sowing seeds, root crops and greens grow earlier in heated beds.

With the onset of warm days, it’s time to take care of the pond: clean, inspect the bottom and fill clean water. The next day, plant aquatic vegetation, and after a couple of days, introduce fish.

When insects appear, treat the area 2-3 times.

When the snow begins to melt, it’s time to spread mineral fertilizers with nitrogen, after leveling the snowdrifts and removing ice crusts. You should not walk on the surface so as not to leave holes.

As it dries, remove debris and leaves by combing the grass. Then they loosen using a special rake. To penetrate the soil with oxygen, pierce it with a pitchfork around the edge of the lawn.

If the surface is damaged, sand is poured into the holes and fresh seeds are sown. May is the time to cut overgrown grass.

After the snow melts, inspect the currant and gooseberry bushes. Broken, dried out and aged branches are pruned. Then they fertilize the soil under the bushes. Pests are repelled by treating with copper sulfate or using nitrophen.

Branches with swollen buds are removed, but if there are a lot of such buds, the bush will have to be thrown away - there are mites in the buds.

On warm days, branches are rooted for propagation.

The bent raspberry is first freed. After straightening, they are tied to supports, cutting off old, broken and dried shoots. Then add mulch made from manure, broken branches or straw.

Strawberry care

First, remove the snow guards, then last year's leaves and debris, old tendrils and flowers. What is collected is burned. Then nitrogen-containing fertilizer is poured under each bush, and Bordeaux mixture is sprayed on top.

The swollen first leaves are dug in, while simultaneously loosening the soil around the bush. With the onset of persistent heat, spray with dissolved calcium chloride and wood ash. Young rooted bushes are planted in place of frozen bushes. Mulching with ash and pine needles will repel.

Flowers are planted when night temperatures do not drop below plus 10. Before this, they work with hyacinths, crocuses, and snowdrops.

In order for the flowering of petunias, asters and other flowers to begin earlier, the seeds should be planted at home in seedling boxes, pre-soaking for 10-15 minutes. in potassium permanganate, then dry. Plant bulbs are kept in the solution for 30 minutes.

Conclusion

Clean and well-groomed area It's nice to admire during leisure hours. And timely processed shrubs and fruit trees with beds will provide a harvest for the winter.

Winter is about to end, and we will return to gardening chores again. As you know, this work involves not only planting fruit and vegetable crops, but also carefully caring for the soil, shrubs and trees. And you should start working on them as soon as the cold weather subsides, so as not to waste time. Each month of spring has its own characteristics in garden care.

What to pay attention to as March approaches

In March, the main concern for the garden is quality pruning perennial plants– trees and shrubs. It can be started after frosts below 10 degrees cease.

In March, after the snow melts, trees and shrubs should be pruned.

Systematic pruning helps regulate the processes of plant growth and fruiting, and increase the period of productivity. For example, by pruning the branches of apple trees in winter and spring, you will ensure best design buds, friendly flowering and high yield.
In currant and gooseberry bushes, old branches should be sawed off to the base. They are usually unproductive and produce underdeveloped shoots that do not bear fruit. It is better to remove such shoots from raspberries in the fall, but early spring is also suitable for such work.
Be sure to do some whitewashing garden trees, if you didn’t do this in the fall. It is better to do this at the very beginning of March, before the snow completely melts, to avoid bark burns, and only on a sunny day.
Before the movement of tree sap begins (in the first half of March), plant the cuttings. Later vaccinations will not be successful.
If damage appears on tree trunks during the winter, they need to be “healed.” Clean the damaged area down to healthy tissue, disinfect the wound with a solution of vitriol and lubricate it with garden varnish or mullein and clay putty. Wrap the stained areas with burlap.
In the last days of March, you can remove the strapping from tree trunks. Loosen the remaining snow around the trees. If the spring turned out to be cold and protracted, then this work can be carried out in April.

What to do in the garden in March

How to avoid mistakes when pruning trees and shrubs

Like any gardening work in March, pruning fruit and berry plants requires some knowledge and has its secrets.

The order of pruning trees is as follows:

First of all, prune old fruit-bearing trees;
after 1-2 weeks, younger trees that do not bear fruit;
the apple tree begins to bloom earlier than everyone else, so it is pruned first;
Pear, plum and cherry trees can be pruned before flowering.

When you cut down large branches, try to make a ring cut without leaving stumps. Such a wound will heal faster and have less impact on the trunk. Clean cuts from branches with a diameter of more than one and a half centimeters with a knife and paint over them with oil paint based on drying oil.

Please note: to avoid infection of the tree due to pruning damaged areas, be sure to treat the tools you use with a solution of potassium permanganate.

Branches of bushes - raspberries, currants, gooseberries - need to be cut to soil level. Pay special attention to the tops of productive shoots: it is enough to shorten them by 15 cm if they have not been damaged by frost and mechanical damage. Otherwise, pruning should be done to 1-2 healthy buds so that the cut exposes green bark and white wood.

When pruning branches, check the location of pest nests and destroy them. It would be best to burn the nests along with the cut branches.

April worries

This month will require a lot of hard work from us. It is in April that the snow finally melts, but cold snaps are frequent. Therefore, we will have to eliminate the shortcomings of March and take care of the soil.

In April, you need to dig up the trees and fertilize them.

If you haven't finished trimming your trees and shrubs in the past month, it's time to get started. And after that you can start planting and replanting plants.
Shoots of shrubs laid on the ground before winter need to be freed and straightened.
Be sure to fertilize the plants with fertilizers - organic and nitrogen. If your garden is still young or consists only of berries, use this recipe: a mixture of 30 g of superphosphate, 4 kg of humus and 0.5 kg of wood ash per 1 sq. m. area. A fruit-bearing garden will require an increase in the dose of fertilizer by 30%.
Be sure to dig up the soil around the tree trunks. It is very important not to miss the most opportune moment. To do this, check the soil: take a little earth, squeeze it in your palm and unclench it. The soil should be slightly moist and break up into large pieces. If it has retained the shape of a clenched palm, then it is too early to start digging, but if it has crumbled, then the earth has already dried out and it is too late to cultivate it.
You need to dig around the trunk areas along a radius, starting from the tree trunk, so as not to damage the root system. When processing bushes, it will be more convenient to use a garden fork. Carefully break up lumps and level the surface with a rake. While working, try to select the roots of the weeds.

Planting new plants and care features

When the snow has melted and the ground has completely thawed and warmed up, you can begin planting young trees. Plan the location of the holes in advance and prepare them so that by the time of use the soil in them will subside to the desired level. The size of the hole should be approximately 2 times larger than the earthen clod wrapping the rhizome.

Fill the bottom with a mixture of fertile soil and organic fertilizers. Form a mound in the center of the hole and strengthen the seedling by straightening the roots. Compact the soil, water and secure the plant on a pre-driven stake. After a couple of days, mulch the tree trunk circle.

Advice: be sure to check the quality of the seedlings! Root system must be strong, healthy and sufficiently developed. Avoid diseased or broken branches on the plant.

When planting shrub seedlings, adhere to the following rules:

currants are planted with a slope of 45 degrees to the soil surface;
Gooseberry bushes are planted vertically;
after planting these crops, the branches are pruned to three buds above the ground;
Raspberries should be trimmed to a height of 40 cm.

If you have prepared cuttings for grafting, then April is the time to use them. Before the sap begins to actively move along the trunks, it is most convenient to apply methods of improved copulation into clefts.

To ensure that sudden spring cold snaps do not take you by surprise and the flowers are not damaged, try to warm the soil yourself. Smoke piles will help you with this. And to protect strawberries and strawberries, cover them with old newspapers or film.

During gardening, the first spraying is carried out in April. It needs to be done when the buds on pear and apple trees are just beginning to bloom and look like a green cone. Use Azophos or Bordeaux mixture for this.

There are very good alternative chemical spraying. In April, you can use petroleum oil-based preparations for this. They are very helpful in protecting the garden from pests such as copperhead, scale insects, moths, aphids, and leaf rollers.

Garden care in May

This month brings us closer to summer, and everything you plan to do in the garden is focused on the flowering of fruit trees and shrubs.

There is still an opportunity to get vaccinated in May if you missed the opportunity in April. Pay attention to the condition of the kidneys. If they are swollen and are about to open, it means that active movement of juices has begun. The cuttings grafted at this time will receive the necessary nutrition. In this case, the buds on the cuttings should be at rest, that is, not open.

If you did not provide your garden with smoke piles in April, then in May you will have to hurry up. For an area of 6 acres, you will need to make about 10 such piles, distributing them evenly throughout the garden. Otherwise, you risk losing flowers at the first light frost.

Tip: to avoid wasting time on such piles, in May you can use smoke bombs instead. They can be purchased at a hardware store.

Remember that even light frosts can damage flowers and deprive you of your harvest. For example, flower buds of an apple tree can withstand temperatures down to -4 degrees, and already opened flowers will die at 0: -1 degrees.

Trees and shrubs begin to bloom in May; it is especially important to protect them from frost during this period.

Now May gardening work will consist of regular, proper feeding and protection from pests and disease.

As soon as ovaries begin to form on the branches, fertilize the soil around the plants with organic fertilizers, for example, an infusion of bird droppings or mullein. Sometimes they can be replaced with mineral fertilizers. Be sure to water the plants well after fertilizing so that the water quickly carries nutrients to the root system.

How to avoid pests affecting plants

It is in May that the invasion of insects begins, which can harm trees and shrubs, and even destroy the entire crop. First, the roseate leaf roller and moth caterpillars emerge from their winter quarters. After flowering ends, codling moth butterflies appear. You need to not miss this moment and carefully treat the trees with special preparations.

The most common pests of berry bushes are:

fire;
weevil;
sawyer

These insects become active in May and infect raspberries, currants, and gooseberries. To combat each of them there is a drug. Pay special attention to the choice of products: substances must be permitted for use and approved by the relevant authorities.

A garden protected from pests will delight you with lush blooms

Regular loosening of the soil in tree trunk circles can be very useful. This way you will disturb the pests and destroy their nesting sites. It is especially important to do this after rains to remove any remaining weed roots.

Review the vaccinations you received in April. If they have taken root, you can remove the protective film.

By the end of May, the trees fade and an ovary forms on them. Stone fruits - plums and cherries - finish flowering first, then pears, and apple trees are the last to bloom. At this time, complex treatment of trees will be required, which includes exposure to the following drugs:

acaricide will prevent the occurrence of ticks;
insecticides will repel pests - insects and rodents;
fungicides will stop the development of diseases.

Timely and correctly carried out work will save your garden, make it healthy, beautiful and productive.

Pests threatening the harvest of fruit and berry plants

A beautiful, well-kept garden is not only good harvest, capable of providing you with supplies for next winter. This is also cozy place, where it is pleasant to relax both in spring and summer. Therefore, summer care becomes an integral part of the life of any owner of a summer cottage. We hope our article will help you learn something new. Tell us in the comments about your secrets for spring gardening. Comfort to your home!

If snow does not melt on the soil for a long period of time, and work on summer cottage do not tolerate delay, then we speed up the process - pour a thin layer of peat onto the snow. If time allows, we wait. The soil on which the snow has melted is well moistened. If you leave the snow cover near the trees, the process of gradual wetting is prolonged.. This way you can retain a significant amount of moisture for quite a long time.

As the snow melts, work in the garden in the spring can begin with cleaning up last year's leaves (if this was not done in the fall). It can be burned or composted. Then remove the insulating film from the grapes, ornamental plants, open the strawberries. We pay special attention to the soil of the site: if necessary, then we remove excess moisture and loosen it.

After this, the top layer of soil should be mulched, that is, sprinkled with organic or inorganic material. The first is hay, nut shells, sawdust, humus, pine needles. The second is gravel, pebbles, and various covering materials. Mulching helps conserve water and loose soil, prevents soil erosion, reduces the number of weeds and promotes the formation of adventitious roots.

Spraying and whitewashing - don't forget about the trees

All work in the garden must be done before the buds begin to swell. First of all, this applies to pruning shrubs, fruit trees and grapes. Early pruning reduces the negative consequences possible from shortening. It is also important to get rid of dry branches damaged by frost or disease and cut out excess growth.

If you decide to carry out, remove no more than a third of the branches in one year.

If the autumn whitewashing of trees was not carried out for some reason, then this must be done. Whitewash, which contains chalk and lime, protects the tree well from flightless insect pests that overwinter in the bark or fallen leaves. It is imperative to do the first spraying of trees and grapes before the buds open - many insects lay their eggs in the buds or buds.

Spring work in the garden – March-May

At the end of April - beginning of March, all fruit trees must be opened and the soil must be dug up in a circle, only carefully so as not to damage their roots. This is done both to destroy possible pests and infections, and to improve the quality of the soil. Also during this period, it is advisable to dig up the soil throughout the entire area and add mineral fertilizers or ash. Then use a rake to level the ground. When the weather is warm and sunny, early crops can be planted.

The beginning of May represents the time when spring work in the garden requires special attention and patience. During this period, a variety of decorative and vegetable crops. For example, potatoes, cucumbers, melons and others. Due to the fact that in May there are sometimes frosts, both on the soil and in the air, it is necessary to carefully monitor changes in atmospheric temperatures. On frosty days, in extreme cases, you can light smoke fires in your summer cottage to prevent the flowers of fruit trees from freezing. On cool nights, seedlings should be covered with plastic or thick paper.

It always starts with tillage. To do this, use different gardening tools: hoes, rakes, crampons and cultivators. After digging, loosen the soil properly. The depth of loosening should not be too large: a maximum of 2-3 cm. Plant roots grow and develop better in loose soil, since it is well supplied with oxygen. While loosening, also trim and destroy weeds. It is better to get rid of them at the seedling stage than to deal with them later. tall grass. If you dug the soil very deeply, it means that the seeds of many weeds remained in the lower layers of the earth. And from there they, as a rule, do not germinate.

Fertilizer application

In the spring, add only humus to the soil, and leave compost and manure for the fall. Traditional rate for applying organic fertilizers: 1 bucket per square meter. Methods of applying fertilizers are different. Place them in furrows when digging the soil or sprinkle them evenly over the surface and then dig up the soil. Instead of organic fertilizers, you can add mineral ones. So, in the spring, add nitrogen to the soil while loosening. This is especially true for the area where the beds and flower garden will be located. For one cubic meter 30-40 grams needed nitrogen fertilizers.

Pruning trees and shrubs

In spring, trees and shrubs, as well as climbing plants and roses are usually pruned. Remove diseased, dead branches and those that are poorly placed. Try to carry out formative pruning before the beginning of May or a little later. In any case, you need to hurry so that you don’t have to trim the tree with already blossoming leaves. Coniferous plants release from shelters only in early May, when the soil thaws. During loosening, fertilize with the preparation “SOTKA” Coniferous” (50−60 g/m2) or other complex fertilizer.

After digging, mulch the tree trunks and other perennial plants, mainly shrubs. Use sawdust or fresh compost as mulch.

Lawn care

After the snow melts, make sure there are no puddles on the lawn. Be sure to aerate the soil using special cutting aerators or regular garden forks. So, you will improve the access of oxygen to the roots, the absorption of water by the soil and nutrients. Carry out drainage work in waterlogged areas. Be sure to remove last year's leaves from the lawn by raking the lawn.

Pest treatment

When the trees are about to bud, treat them for pests. Use one of these chemicals like copper sulfate, Bordeaux mixture, emulsion "Abiga-Pik", colloidal sulfur, Neoron. Copper sulfate dilute in the ratio: 100 grams per 10 liters of water. Biological products can be used. They do not contain chemicals. Combination remedies are popular. They are used against several types of pests at once. Perform the treatment procedure in the morning or evening, when the sun's rays are not too active.