Jobs on the Smallholding: April
Are you a smallholder? Would you like to know what other smallholding folk are occupying themselves with as Spring gets underway? Or are you just keen to find out what is on the jobs list for us smallholders in April? Then this post is just what you’re looking for. Keep reading to find out about the jobs on my smallholding this April.
Harden off seedlings on warmer days
All the seeds you planted in March should now be sprouting. As the days get warmer, you could take them outside to a sunny spot for a few hours during the day, so they begin to acclimatise. If you have a greenhouse or polytunnel that retains heat well overnight, then you might feel confident to leave your module trays out there on some shelving. However, there is time yet for some late frosts overnight, so you may prefer to keep your trays indoors overnight for now.
Pot on your seedlings
As your seedlings grow, they will likely be ready to move into bigger pots this month. You can buy in compost or use your home-made compost, if you have any available. We have some very active moles in our field. While the mole hills are frustrating in many ways, they do provide us with a source of fine, loamy soil. We mix this in with our sieved, home-made compost to make it go a little further when filling pots.
On the day you plan to pot your seedlings on, start by watering them well. Leave them for an hour or so whilst you get everything set up. Chose pots that are slightly larger than the current pots or modules. Pack them with your compost or compost/soil mix around the outside, leaving space in the centre. Very carefully loosen your seedlings from their modules or pots, aiming to move as much of their compost along with them as possible. Place in the hole in the centre of the new pot, and pack them in firmly with a little more compost if necessary. Then water again.
Keep sowing successionally
It can feel a little overwhelming to be planting EVEN MORE seeds when you have pots and trays full of little seedlings.
But, to make sure you have a consistent supply of fresh salads and veggies throughout the summer, it is a good idea to practice successional sowing.
Salad leaves, beetroots, beans, peas and more all work best when planted little and often. So start experimenting this year to find out how many you need to mature at a time, and how often to sow them.
Weeding
Warmer, sunny days and occasional April showers help all the plants to grow. And unfortunately this does include weeds. So, it’s time to find out hoe and keep it busy for 30 minutes to an hour each day. A quick pass over your garden beds on a regular basis is far more manageable than a big weeding session once a week or fortnight.
Top up your wood store
We never pass up on an opportunity to get more wood split, stacked and dried out for winter. Honestly,. having our wood store fully topped up is better than looking at a healthy bank account!
Our neighbour wanted to fell some trees on their property, so we agreed to help and cleared the trunks away for them. It didn’t take long to cut the trunks down to length and stack them away.
So, if you have a wood burner, keep your ear to the ground for any wood going spare. Spending a bit of time helping someone out is well worth your while!
And then, of course, there are all the usual daily checks and chores for the animals. You can check out my animal husbandry posts for more on that!
So there’s the quick run down of the jobs on our smallholding this April. Stay tuned for to find out what we have planned for May!
