Works in the Garden in April

Requested by one of our readers was an article about maintenance works throughout the year.

I thought it would be nice to make a monthly series out of this.
This is part 4, in which I talk about the works in April. You can find the other parts here: 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12.

Because the life of a gardener is tied to the weather and seasons, it is essential to mind the weather during the month described.

Japan with Prefectures by FreeVectorMaps.com

Japan is a long island, stretching from the North-East to the South-West and crosses several degrees of latitude. Plus it has a mountain range running from north to south, which will create different weathers in the west and east.
I will start each article with the average weather of that month focussing on Tokyo and Kyoto if possible.

The weather in April:
Usually, the cherry blossoms in Tokyo flower at the beginning of April and you find Hanami feasts everywhere. The trees start to become green and everything sprouts. April is the month where the true works for a gardener begin.
Spring is in full swing with temperatures ranging from 18 °C (64°F) during the day to 10 °C (50°F) during the nights and slowly the rainfall increases to 125mm. The average sunshine per day is 5 hours.

Works, which will be done in April:

Pruning trees
Intertwined twigs or branches with a bad appearance will be cut.

Planting
April is the time where evergreen trees can be replanted. It is, of course, also the time of garden-making and a lot of plants are planted during this and the following month.

Searching for Pests and Diseases.
When it becomes warmer, insects also appear in the garden. The gardeners will check the young sprouts of trees for diseases and harmful insects.

Fertilizing
When the early flowering trees’ petals are falling down, fertilizing them can start.

Lawn care
April is also the month where the care for lawn begins. In Japan, a special grass is used. You can read more about it here.
The dormant Zoysia begins to become green again and spots where it died during winter, can easily be recognized. In April these spots will be repaired. It is also a good time to seed western lawns. Essential is to start weeding early or the weeds will soon take over the lawn! Be sure to fertilize your lawn from now.

Anika

With twelve years of professional landscaping experience under her belt, Anika Ogusu is your perfect guide to the world of Japanese gardens. Her love of nature began early, in the woods near her childhood home and the garden of her grandmother’s house. During her teenage years she developed a strong interest in Japanese culture, and after university she decided to combine her love of Japan and gardens into a profession. Anika started her career as chief gardener in charge of the perennial valley at the Botanical Garden in Hamburg, Germany, then moved to Tokyo in pursuit of her dream. For two years she apprenticed under local landscape designers and learned the art of Japanese garden design, construction and maintenance. Now, in partnership with Real Japanese Gardens (www.japanesegardens.jp), her wish is to spread the magic of Japanese gardens to the rest of the world. Her in-depth guide books on gardens throughout Japan are available in eBook format or paperback. In her free time, Anika enjoys exploring her adopted country (especially green moss gardens), and soaking up nature and any details that interest her.

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