JOBS FOR
MAY
By the end of May, the risk of frost for all of us in the UK should have passed and real signs of summer are starting to show. The last month of spring gives us plenty of jobs to be getting on with in a garden bursting full of life. With a promise of more time spent outdoors as the weather well and truly warms up, here are the jobs you can get on with in your garden this month.
JOBS FOR
MAY
By the end of May, the risk of frost for all of us in the UK should have passed and real signs of summer are starting to show. The last month of spring gives us plenty of jobs to be getting on with in a garden bursting full of life. With a promise of more time spent outdoors as the weather well and truly warms up, here are the jobs you can get on with in your garden this month.
- Open greenhouse doors and vents on warm sunny days to allow air to circulate and minimise humidity.
- Mow your lawn weekly, and treat if need be with a high nitrogen fertiliser such as Spring and Summer Lawn 12-3-9 to encourage a lush green and healthy growth. You can also lower your mower blades to their usual summer cut height now.
- Give your hedges a good clip (but check for nesting birds first) and prune any spring flowering shrubs after flowering.
- Watch out for late frosts. Frosts can be particularly damaging to young tender plants and new growth. Protect your plants by covering them with Frost Fleece when frost warnings have been issued.
- Continue weeding your borders, beds and veg patches. Weeds compete with plants for water, nutrients and light so are best kept on top of every week.
- Once your spring bulbs have finished flowering, just deadhead them but leave the foliage as is. Let them die down of their own accord and apply a high-potassium liquid feed such as Magic Grow Tomato Food around the spent stems. Apply again next year once shoots appear and continue every seven to ten days. This will encourage and even better show next spring!
- Look for any signs of pests on your growing plants. Prevention early is better than a cure. We have a range of different Pest Control Solutions available, from Bug Spray and Pyrethrum to Bird and Insect Netting (and everything in between). Don’t forget your fruit and vegetables too – protect carrots from carrot fly with Fleece, and lettuce with Cabbage Collars. It is advisable to hang Sticky Traps around your greenhouse now as this can help you to monitor levels of whitefly, thrips and other pests and also helps stop them in their tracks.
- ‘Earth up’ your potato plants now – this means filling in the soil around them as they grow to protect the shoots from frost damage. It also means that you are less likely to expose the growing potatoes to light which turns them green and makes them poisonous.
- Give your permanent container plants a boost by applying a balanced liquid feed such as Liquid Growmore. Continue to feed them every two to four weeks to promote healthy, vibrant growth.
- Prick out seedlings once their first true leaves appear which will help prevent overcrowding and fungal diseases.
- Tie the stems of indoor tomatoes, cucumbers and aubergines to Bamboo Canes as they grow to give them some support.
- Cover all of your bamboo canes with Cane Caps to prevent any injuries to eyes or hands.
- Towards the end of the month, harden off half-hardy plants as well as outdoor tomatoes, courgettes and pumpkins for planting early next month. Leave the plants outside during dry, still days and bring them back under cover at night. After seven to ten days, your plants should be ready to plant outside.
- At the end of the month, plant out your summer bedding (in warmer areas) and summer hanging baskets. For really colourful hanging baskets, why not use our Colour Hanging Baskets. Fill them with Fuchsia, Petunia, Osteospermum, Creeping Jenny and Verbena for a riot of colour! For a more classic look, our Rattan or Wire Hanging Baskets look attractive with Lobelia, Begonia, Strawberry and Ivy. Don’t forget to replace any tired or rusty Wall Brackets too! Keep your baskets under cover for the time being until all risk of frosts have passed.
What to Grow & Sow in May
Vegetables
- Beetroots
- Brussels Sprouts
- Carrots
- Cauliflowers
- Courgettes
- Cucumbers
- French Beans
- Leeks
- Lettuces
- Parsnips
- Peas
- Pumpkins
- Radishes
- Rocket
- Runner Beans
- Salad Leaves
- Swede
- Sweetcorn
Herbs & Flowers
- Borage
- Chives
- Coriander
- Dill
- Calendula
- Cornflower
- Cosmos
- Delphinium
- Lavender
- Marigold
- Nasturtium
- Nigella
- Petunia
- Poppy
- Primrose
- Sunflower
- Zinnia
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