Care guides › Sydney › April

April in the Sydney garden

Mid autumn in Sydney. Warm temperate: mild winters, light frost inland, humid summers. Here is what needs doing this month, with the essentials first.

What to plant 15
What to harvest 18
Feeding 1
Pruning and deadheading 7
Watering 1
Seasol and tonics 1
Pests and diseases to watch for 1
Tidying up 4

What to plant in April

Kale, Broccoli and Cabbage

Plant seedlings in late summer to autumn
Parsley and Silverbeet

Sow or plant seedlings
Lettuce

Sow or plant every few weeks for a steady supply
Broad Bean

Sow seed direct
Pea

Sow seed beside a trellis
Spinach

Sow in cool weather; it bolts in heat
Garlic

Plant cloves pointy end up
Allium

Plant bulbs in autumn
Foxglove

Plant in autumn for spring spires
Sweet Pea

Sow seed around St Patrick's Day (mid March)
Coriander

Sow in cooler months; it bolts in heat
Daffodil

Plant bulbs twice their own depth
Strawberry

Plant runners in autumn
Paper Daisy

Sow seed or plant seedlings in autumn or early spring
Pink Everlasting

Sow seed direct in autumn, where it is to flower

What to harvest in April

Lettuce

Pick outer leaves or whole heads
Carrot

Pull from about 12 weeks after sowing
Leek

Lift as needed through winter
Apple Tree

Pick when the fruit twists off easily
Pear Tree

Pick firm and ripen indoors
Passionfruit

Collect fruit as it drops; wrinkled is ripe
Olive Tree

Pick for curing as fruit turns from green to purple
Feijoa

Gather fruit as it drops
Lime Tree

Pick limes green and firm
Silverbeet

Pick outer leaves as needed
Finger Lime

Pick when the fruit comes away with a gentle tug
Lemon Myrtle

Pick leaves as you need them; they dry well
Rosemary If you have time

Snip sprigs as needed; it keeps it bushy
Thyme If you have time

Snip sprigs as needed
Mint If you have time

Pick often to keep it leafy
Sage If you have time

Pick leaves as needed; best before it flowers
Chives If you have time

Snip leaves to 5 cm; the flowers are edible too
Parsley If you have time

Pick outer stems first

Feeding

Cool-season vegetables If you have time

Liquid feed every 2-3 weeks while growing

Pruning and deadheading

Raspberry Cane

Cut canes that fruited to the ground; tie in new ones
Bower Vine

Prune after flowering to keep it in bounds
Pampas Grass

Remove plumes before they seed: pampas is a weed in much of Australia
Dwarf Pampas

Remove plumes before they seed
Rose If you have time

Cut spent blooms back to a leaf to keep flowers coming
Dahlia If you have time

Deadhead to keep flowers coming
Geranium If you have time

Snap off spent flower heads

Watering

Cool-season vegetables If you have time

Keep evenly moist; water when the top few cm are dry

Seasol and tonics

Natives, shrubs and perennials, azaleas, camellias and other acid-lovers, citrus and fruit If you have time

Seaweed tonic (e.g. Seasol) in spring and autumn, and after a heatwave

Pests and diseases to watch for

Kale, Broccoli, Cauliflower and Cabbage If you have time

Cabbage white caterpillars: check under the leaves, squash eggs and grubs, or net the crop

Tidying up

Summer vegetables

Pull out spent plants and compost them
Fountain Grass If you have time

Pull out seedlings: some forms spread into bushland
Jasmine If you have time

Pull out runners that root where they touch the ground
Watsonia If you have time

Pull off old dead leaves

Not listed: Cooktown Orchid, which don't suit Sydney's climate.