EN·IT
Open Talea
Menu
PlantsAlmanacGuidesPestsOpen Talea
Gardening in the UK?→ April’s almanac for the British climate
ALMANAC · ITALIAN CLIMATE

The garden in April — Italy

April is the month when everything wants to happen at once. Growth speeds up, garden centres fill with vegetable and bedding plants, and the temptation to plant everything out is strong.

The gap between north and south is stark here. In the south and on the coasts summer vegetables are going in and Mediterranean plants are moving back outside; in the north clear nights can still bring frost until mid-month, and later in the mountains. The rule holds everywhere: watch the night-time minimums, not the calendar.

Italy. Po valley: last frosts usually by mid-April. Centre: low risk after the start of the month except inland. South and coasts: no frost risk, but the first hot spells arrive. In the mountains and inland valleys, timings run 2–4 weeks later.

AT A GLANCE

Spotlight: moving oleanders and citrus back outside without scorching them

Plants that have spent the winter under cover have leaves grown in low light, thinner and more delicate. Put straight into full April sun, they scorch: white or brown patches that never heal, and sometimes they drop most of their leaves.

A week of transition is all it takes to avoid this: first in light shade or under a pergola, then in morning sun, and only after that in full sun. Choose overcast days for the move and, in the north, wait until nights stay above 5–8°C for oleanders and citrus, and above 10°C for bougainvillea, mandevilla and Chinese hibiscus.

It's also time for some maintenance: wipe off the dust and any scale that built up indoors, repot if roots are coming out of the pot (using a citrus compost for citrus), and start feeding again with a suitable fertiliser. Oleanders should be pruned now, removing a third of the oldest stems at the base.

OleanderKumquatBougainvilleaMandevillaHibiscus Moving plants indoors/outdoors seasonally ›

In your area

NORTH

Harden off seedlings and plant out tomatoes, peppers and courgettes only at the end of the month or in early May, once nights stay above 10°C. Oleanders, citrus and bougainvillea go outside after mid-month.

CENTRAL

Tomatoes, courgettes, cucumbers and peppers are planted out from mid to late April. Potted plants that overwintered under cover go back outside.

SOUTH AND ISLANDS

Summer planting is under way, and French beans and courgettes are sown direct. Start mulching and get the irrigation ready: dry weather arrives early.

Jobs this month

Sowing and planting out

With the soil warmer, almost every vegetable can be sown or planted out. Summer crops need nights above 10–12°C: set out any earlier, they stall for weeks.

Sow short rows of carrots, chard, lettuces and peas every few weeks. Propagation: sowing seed › CarrotChardLettucePea
Plant out tomatoes, peppers, courgettes and cucumbers in the centre and south; in the north, wait until the end of the month. Planting out (hardening off) › TomatoChilli pepperCourgetteCucumber
Sow melons in small pots in the north, and direct where they are to grow in the south. Sowing in trays under cover › Cucumber
Sow basil in pots in the warm, and direct in the south. Propagation: sowing seed › Basil

Potted plants go back outside

Oleanders, citrus, bougainvillea and hibiscus that spent the winter under cover need to get used to full light gradually: a week in light shade prevents scorch on leaves grown indoors.

Move oleanders and citrus outside, first into light shade and then into sun. Moving plants indoors/outdoors seasonally › OleanderKumquat
Move bougainvillea, plumbago and lantana outside once nights are above 10°C. Moving plants indoors/outdoors seasonally › BougainvilleaPlumbagoLantana
Repot plants that have filled their pots and start feeding again. Repotting houseplants ›

Shrubs, borders and lawn

A good month for planting perennials and evergreens, and for pruning spring-flowering shrubs as soon as their flowers fade.

Prune forsythia and flowering currant after flowering. Pruning shrubs (general principles) › ForsythiaFlowering currant
Clear damaged leaves from heuchera and bergenia and replant any heucheras that have lifted. HeucheraBergenia
Start mowing the lawn regularly again, with the blades set high. Lawn basics ›
Plant summer bulbs: lilies, gladioli and crocosmia. LilyGladiolusMontbretia

Houseplants

Houseplants are in full growth: more water, regular feeding and, where needed, division and repotting.

Repot orchids that have finished flowering if the bark has broken down. Repotting houseplants › CymbidiumDendrobiumMoth orchid
Cut back leggy syngonium, yucca and croton and root the cuttings. Propagation: taking cuttings › Arrowhead plantYuccaCroton
Divide aspidistras and prayer plants that have outgrown their pots. Propagation: division › Cast iron plantPrayer plant

Sow and plant

Sow
  • Carrots, chard, lettuces, peas and radishes
  • French beans and courgettes direct (centre and south)
  • Basil
  • Zinnias, cosmos and French marigolds
Plant out
  • Tomatoes, peppers, aubergines, courgettes and cucumbers (centre and south; north at the end of the month)
  • Summer bulbs
  • Perennials and shrubs
  • Herbs: oregano, thyme, rosemary

Watch out for

Late frostIn the north and inland, a clear, still night is the warning sign. The most common victims are seedlings planted out too early.AphidsColonies build up fast on roses, hibiscus and soft shoots on warm days.Scale insects on oleandersCheck the stems and leaves of oleanders going back outside: scale multiplies as the weather warms.

Questions

When should tomatoes be planted out in northern Italy?

When nights stay reliably above 10°C, usually between late April and mid-May in the Po valley. Any earlier and the plants stall and fall ill more easily.

When can oleanders and citrus go back outside?

In the centre and south from early April; in the north after mid-month, once the frosts are over. Give them a week in light shade before moving them into full sun.

Can I sow carrots in April?

Yes, it's one of the best months. Sow thinly straight into the ground – carrots don't transplant – and cover with fine mesh against carrot fly.