10 things to do at the dacha in April

Work on the summer cottage is in full swing in April. It is necessary to carry out pruning in the garden, preventive treatment against pests and diseases, plant seedlings, take cuttings of fruit bushes, and prepare the soil for planting. Cold-resistant crops can be sown under film or even in open beds. Summer residents clean greenhouses, after which they sow radishes and greens there, and remove covers from perennial flowers and conifers.

Prevention of diseases and pests in the garden

In April, the apple bark beetle becomes active; adhesive-based trapping belts are installed on fruit trees as an obstacle to the pest. Help protect your garden from other pests:

"Fufanon";
"Kemifos";
"Spark";
"Alatar."

To process currants, use a mixture of Kinmiks and Topaz. To prevent the development of fungal infections, the garden is sprayed with a 3% Bordeaux mixture; crops on which the leaves have already bloomed are treated with a 1% solution. For prevention, you can also use fungicides (Gamair, Skor, Horus). To make seed crops resistant to return frosts, they are sprayed with Novosil.

Pruning fruit trees and shrubs

If you suspect frozen branches, do not prune too early. In April, it becomes clear which branches are alive and which are not. Trees and bushes are pruned for sanitary purposes at the beginning of the month. It is necessary to remove all broken, dry, frozen branches.

Having discovered a clutch of pests on a branch, it is cut off and burned. At the same time, the tree trunk circle is tidied up, granulated fertilizers are scattered over it, and mulched. In April, gooseberries and currants are also pruned. Lignified annual shoots of bushes are used for propagation.

The branches of black currants are cut into cuttings 16–18 cm long, which are immediately planted in a nursery. In the fall of the following year, young bushes can be planted in a permanent place. Cuttings of red and white currants are carried out in September.

Planting seedlings

The second month of spring is a good time to plant seedlings. It is important to pay attention to the quality of the planting material. The seedlings should be 1–2 years old, with good roots and dormant buds. Before planting, the root system is soaked for several hours in warm water or in a growth stimulator solution. After planting, the tree is watered generously, and the trunk circle is mulched with organic matter. All lateral branches are cut by 1/3, the central conductor is shortened by 25-30 cm above the level of the skeletal branches. The lower part of the trunk, 40-50 cm high, is cleared of shoots and buds.

8 tips for preparing the garden for winter

In mid-spring, you can do grafting in the garden. During this period, active sap flow occurs in the trees. It is important to keep the buds on the cuttings in a dormant state so that the fusion of the scion and rootstock is successful. Cherry, plum and apricot are grafted at the beginning of the month, with the grafting of pome crops (quince, pear, apple) there is no need to rush. The cuttings are cut at the beginning of the month, after which they are grafted immediately or wrapped in paper, placed in a plastic bag and buried in a snowdrift (depending on the crop).Having discovered a clutch of pests on a branch, it is cut off and burned. At the same time, the tree trunk circle is tidied up, granulated fertilizers are scattered over it, and mulched. In April, gooseberries and currants are also pruned. Lignified annual shoots of bushes are used for propagation.

Planting seedlings

The second month of spring is a good time to plant seedlings. It is important to pay attention to the quality of the planting material. The seedlings should be 1–2 years old, with good roots and dormant buds. Before planting, the root system is soaked for several hours in warm water or in a growth stimulator solution. After planting, the tree is watered generously, and the trunk circle is mulched with organic matter. All lateral branches are cut by 1/3, the central conductor is shortened by 25-30 cm above the level of the skeletal branches. The lower part of the trunk, 40-50 cm high, is cleared of shoots and buds.

8 tips for preparing the garden for winter

Carrying out grafting

Black currant branches are cut into cuttings 16–18 cm long, which are immediately planted in the school. In the fall of next year, young bushes can be planted in a permanent place. Cuttings of red and white currants are carried out in September.

Planting seedlings

The second month of spring is the right time to plant seedlings. It is important to pay attention to the quality of planting material. Seedlings should be 1-2 years old, with good roots and dormant buds. Before planting, the root system is soaked for several hours in warm water or in a solution of a growth stimulator.

After planting, the trees are watered abundantly, and the tree trunk circle is mulched with organic matter. All side branches are cut by 1/3, the central conductor is shortened by 25–30 cm above the level of the skeletal branches. The lower part of the trunk, 40–50 cm high, is cleared of shoots and buds.

8 tips for preparing your garden for winter

Vaccinations

In mid-spring you can start grafting in the garden. During this period, active sap flow occurs in the trees. It is important to keep the buds on the cuttings in a dormant state so that the fusion of the scion and rootstock is successful.Cherries, plums and apricots are grafted at the beginning of the month; there is no need to rush with the grafting of pome crops (quince, pear, apple trees).

Soil preparation

In April, it’s time to start preparing the soil in the beds. If the ridges have already been formed in the fall, they are corrected, leveled, and mineral fertilizers are added to the soil. All this work is carried out 3–4 weeks before planting the seedlings in the ground.

You can replace chemical fertilizers with wood ash (1 cup per 1 sq. m of area). For preventive purposes, it is advisable to treat the soil with “Fitosporin” or a solution of potassium permanganate.
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Weed removal
To avoid tedious weeding later, weeds are pre-germinated in early April by covering the ground with film. In such a greenhouse, weeds will quickly sprout.
After the weeds sprout, the film is removed, and the beds are loosened and left open for 1–2 days. Then the procedure is repeated.
There is no need to dig up the soil before sowing. It is only slightly loosened, and then grooves are cut and the seeds are sown.
Removing covers from roses, clematis and conifers
The insulation must be removed gradually so that flowering shrubs and conifers have time to adapt to the cool air.At first, you can only remove the shelter for a short time, and then return it to its place. The time spent outdoors should increase every day.
It will be possible to completely remove the shelter after the ground has warmed up to a depth of 15–20 cm. After opening, roses and clematis are pruned, treated against pests and fed, and at the same time the soil in the tree trunk is loosened. The cover of coniferous plants is removed only in cloudy weather or in the evening so that the sun does not burn them.
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Sowing cold-resistant crops

In order to get an early harvest of greens and some cold-resistant vegetables, they are sown in April. Another advantage of early planting is that the soil is well saturated with moisture during this period. Planted in open ground under film:

radish;

salad;

parsley;

dill;

parsnip;

carrot;
chard;
arugula;
asparagus;
peas.
For planting, you can use a compost heap located in the sun or warm beds. In the middle of the month it is time to transplant seedlings of all types of cabbage into the ground. At the end of April, thyme, basil, lemon balm, hyssop, and marjoram are sown. To retain moisture in the soil, crops should be covered with non-woven material.
Work in the greenhouse

At the beginning of April, the greenhouse is prepared for planting. First of all, the frame and covering are washed, then the soil is prepared for planting.The top layer of soil is removed, the soil is fertilized with compost, humus (1 bucket per 1 sq. m) or complex fertilizers (2 tablespoons per 1 sq. m). After this, onions, garlic, radishes, spinach, and dill are planted in the greenhouse.