Hello Little Green Growers, welcome back , the months are flying by! ! How has your gardening year been so far? Are you excited to find out what can you grow in April? Read on for our five must-sow seeds for April!
We love to grow cucumbers as they give such bountiful harvests! Use them in summer salads, in sandwiches or even as eye masks!
First, you should add compost to your soil a week before sowing.
You can start sowing in March in a heated space, April if growing in a tunnel or glasshouse or May if growing outdoors.
Keep them warm and toasty, and they hate the frost!.
Top tip - sow the seeds on their narrow side to reduce the risk of rotting!
Cucumbers like being trained up canes, or they can become challenging to control.
You can find a full growing guide here!
Carrots hate being moved. Sow them directly into the soil to avoid any hassle, and they love a place with plenty of sun, well draining sandy soil and no rocks! But we even manage to grow them in Connemara so there's hope for everyone!
Beware of carrot fly which can smell out and attack carrots! Cover with mesh and minimise disturbance of carrots to prevent this
Baby carrots will be ready about seven to eight weeks after sowing, or leave longer for full size carrots
You can find our full growing guide here
Tomatoes love fertile soil, so make sure to use plenty of compost to help
If growing in containers (check out our blog on container gardening) in organic compost .
Tomatoes in Ireland are usually grown in a greenhouse or polytunnel but they can also be grown in a sunny position outside, ideally against a wall for added protection. The wall will also keep them warmer by absorbing heat during the day and releasing it at night. Fleece at night will help too!
You can find our tomato growing guides here
If you want to skip growing from seed, you can choose our organic tomato plants instead!
Check our previous blogs, for more tips!
They love a fertile soil, so make sure to use our compost and plant food a week before sowing.
Sow seeds indoors in 10cm pots at a depth of 2cm.
They should be ready for transplanting in May but make sure to space them at least 60cm apart.
Courgettes love water so keep them hydrated!
We love the amazing patterns of these beans! They can be eaten as young pods, tender beans can be cooked or you can store mature beans to eat all year!
So easy to grow, just put a bean in a large module or small pot and keep in a sunny windowsill, conservatory or heated greenhouse/polytunnel. Pot up as needed.
In June plant out in a sunny spot, polytunnel or greenhouse, similar to our advice for tomatoes!
Our borlotti beans are a dwarf variety which means less messing around with staking, and it's easier to grow them in a small garden!
