April Gardening Essentials
April showers bring more flowers
April Gardening Essentials
Well, we are here. It is April, indeed the most active time of the year for me in the garden. There is still so much to do to prepare for the spring and summer boxes, and I am proud that I did not believe the false spring we enjoyed over the equinox; I haven't transplanted anything that needs heat, and I am still on seeds.
As always, please keep in mind that I am in Lazio, Italy, near Rome. I am in the northern hemisphere, and my region is generally between 8a and 11a gardening zones.
What's in season?
I will go in the garden or to the market any day now, and the broccoletti will be done. It is always a sad day because they are my favorite green, so we will be saying goodbye to a lot of greens over the next month or so, but not to worry, it is time for asparagus, peas, fava beans artichokes, rucola, fresh garlic, spring onions, loads of salad greens, the final cabbages of the season, and early cicoria. Is anything better than freshly foraged tender spring cicoria? I think not.
I have also eaten my first strawberries and see that the wild fennel in the area is everywhere, as is borage, wild peas, cardoons, and loads more. April and May are the best times of the year to forage in the Roman countryside; I am still thinking of organizing something with our friend and local foraging expert. I haven't organized events and tastings for over a year due to illness, and I am not sure I am ready for the stress of it, but on the other hand, I want to share this local countryside I live in, and I want that to benefit my local community.
Almost all my fruit trees are flowering or have just finished. The pears, plums, and apricots are loaded with flowers and bees, and the bees have been quite busy.
What work to do?
April is a month of major activity in the garden! It is time to work the soil, add compost (it seems like that chore is endless), and generally help your soil fertility to get the best results. Even though April tends to be a time for weeding and cutting back wild plants and weeds, I'd take a bit more time to cut back everything if you most. The bees are just starting to get active, and those borage and dandelion flowers are attractive to our local pollinators. When Ettore is cutting the grass, I ask him to leave the edges and some patches of borage. Bees love all purple flowers.
If you have already planted outdoors, beware of late frosts and make sure your plants are covered.
It's been raining a lot around here, and it does tend to lend itself to a sense of doom, especially for this California lady, but I always remember this: April Flowers Bring May Flowers. I did some wildflower and sunflower seed bombing around the property last month, and everything is starting to sprout, so I am hoping they continue to get the water they need to flourish.
What to sow?
Now is the time to sow seeds of all types of tomatoes, eggplants, zucchini, peppers, cucumbers, and annual aromatic herbs like basil and cabbages. I have just sown Napa cabbages so I can have kimchi year-round. During the waning moon last month, I got in a lot of root vegetables, and I will follow the moon's lead this month as I always do.
The waxing moon started on March 29th, and the full moon will be on April 13th. The waning moon will be April 14th, and the dark moon will be April 27th.
Days for pruning will be April 20th to April 26th
The days for transplanting will be April 13th to April 26th
Remember, avoid genocide seeds from Israel. I have written to three seed companies I have been using in Italy and will update here on their reply.
Another option is to order seeds from this woman, Vivien Sousour, a Palestinian conservationist and founder of The Palestinian Heirloom Seed Library. She is saving Palestinian heirloom seeds. Learn about here and order seeds here. Palestine Heirloom - Vivien Sansour
GARDEN READING
I actually had no idea that seeds are a major and lucrative export from Israel. Ewww, disgusting stuff. I'll make sure to spread this information! Luckily it never personally affected me as I only use our locally collected, organic seeds.
The Irish Seed Savers Association is my to-go place. Beside seeds, they also preserve old Irish heirloom apple trees from all over the island, some of the varieties they have were first recorded in the early 19th century. I've just planted two of their trees yesterday! And I was very glad when I saw they've saved some heirloom seeds Syrian refugees took with them when fleeing. What a beautiful small act of bravery, resistance and perseverance it was to ensure your traditional food isn't lost when you have to urgently leave your homeland.
End the Zionist Occupied Gardens.