Jobs to do this April

1. Prune spring-flowering shrubs

   Prune spring-flowering shrubs, like forsythia and flowering currant, after they’ve finished flowering. Aim to completely remove one in three/four of the oldest flowering shoots and cut back some of the remaining shoots too.

2. Plant dahlias

   Dahlias are easy to grow and put on a great display. The simplest way to grow them is to plant dormant tubers straight into the ground, using lots of compost.

3. Move evergreens

   If you’ve an evergreen plant that’s in the wrong place, now’s a good time to move it. Once re-planted, give it a good watering to help it settle into its new position.

4. Feed the lawn

   Make sure your lawn gets off to the best possible start. Feed it with Lawn Magic and within a few days, it will turn a wonderful deep green and stay looking great for weeks.

5. Sow summer bedding seeds

   For masses of cheap summer colour, you can’t beat hardy annuals like Californian poppies, clarkia, pot marigolds and love-in-a-mist. Sow the seeds now in sunny borders and they’ll be a riot of colour from late June.

6. Control the weeds

   The weeds are romping away in the warmer weather. Hoe the ground once a week on dry days to control annual weeds. Tougher perennial weeds can be sprayed with my Double Action Weedkiller.

7. Re-pot houseplants

   Water houseplants more regularly and give them a treat by feeding once a fortnight with Flower Power. Repot foliage plants that are potbound.

8. Rotate houseplants

   Check that seedlings and young plants on windowsills do not become leggy or lopsided by turning them through 90° every day to make sure that they receive light on all sides.

9. Plant seed potatoes

   Plant out seed potatoes. When the young shoots appear, mound soil over them to protect from frost and to boost the crop.