The gap season In the first of a new series, Great Dixter’s gardener cook Aaron Bertelsen prepares for all eventualities in the April kitchen garden

In the first of a new series, Great Dixter’s vegetable gardener Aaron Bertelsen prepares for all eventualities in the April kitchen garden

April is nothing if not unpredictable. Rather like a peevish elderly relative, you never quite know which version of it is going to turn up – benign and beaming with warmth, or changeable and ready to pour cold water on proceedings at a moment’s notice. All of this can make life tricky for the gardener. It is very tempting on seeing the first signs of green emerging to rush to get seedlings and plug plants into the ground, especially as the winter crops will have started going over. This can be a lean time in the vegetable garden. By April, the soil should have warmed up enough to allow you to get started, but remember that there is still a very real risk of frost and even snow at this time of the year. Arm yourself with a roll of horticultural f leece and keep a close watch on the weather forecast so that you are ready to protect young crops from any chilly spring blasts. Despite its rainy reputation, April in the UK is in fact no wetter than any other month of the year. But any rain we do get will be landing on soil that is very likely already waterlogged from the winter. It’s extremely important to avoid compacting the soil by treading on it while you’re working. Put down boards – old scaffolding boards are perfect – to spread the weight and fork the soil over gently once you’ve lifted them off.

Of course, this being April, the opposite may also be the case. Daytime temperatures can easily climb well into the 20s, bad news for young plants and seedlings which, with their immature root systems, are particularly susceptible to drying out. Stressed, they may run to seed before you have a chance to make use of them. Be ready to water if the weather is warm, always remembering that a thorough watering once every few days is better than a daily sprinkle and will encourage the roots to reach down deeper into the soil.

As if all that wasn’t enough to keep you busy, the warmer weather is also a wake-up call for slugs, who will be emerging from their winter slumber hungry for fresh, young greens. I do my best to steer clear of chemicals and pesticides in the vegetable garden, so I use organic slug pellets. They are effective, but they do tend to break down faster than the conventional pellets so you will need to keep an eye on them and reapply as necessary.