May jobs for the garden
It’s hot, hot, hot and if we are banking on a great May in the garden, we need a summer approach to ensure all crops and flowers are fed and watered on a regular basis.
Of course, the British weather is fickle, so scorching hot sun today could be followed by the last of the late frosts – either way we must remain vigilant.
April’s ‘sow and grow’ mantra continues into May. An in-between month, May is the bridge between the last of the spring flowers and the first blooms of summer. It is the same in the vegetable patch as we harvest the last of the spring crops whilst waiting for summer crops to appear.
With two Bank Holidays in May, there is plenty of time to attend those weeds, nurture the lawn and make the most of those longer days.
The vegetable garden
- Some crops take longer to grow than others, but continue to sow salad leaves and fast-growing crops such as radish for a continual harvest.
- Harvest spring crops and add a good soil conditioner to give the soil a quick nutrient boost before re-planting. Try 6X Natural Fibrous Fertiliser as a little goes a long way.
- May is the time to sow beans direct in the ground. Dwarf, runner and French beans can be planted now.
- If you are new to growing, there are some crops that are easier to grow than others. Try sowing beetroot and carrots for a good, first harvest.
- Onion, shallot and garlic sets can be planted to ensure a continual crop.
- You’ve chitted your potatoes earlier this year, so now is the time to earth potatoes. This simply means to cover the stems with soil as tubers start to appear. If tubers are left above the surface, then the potatoes will go green and become inedible.
- Keep pricking out new shoots in the greenhouse to encourage stronger growth.
- As the weather and soil warms, hardier varieties of tomatoes and cucumbers can be planted out into grow bags. To grow the tastiest tomatoes, take a look at the blog.
- In the greenhouse, plant sweetcorn, purple sprouting broccoli, tomatoes, peppers and chillies in pots.
- Strawberry runners can be planted outside now either in pots, the ground or hanging baskets! Feed with Organic Liquid Strawberry Fertiliser to give the plants an added boost.
- Although the flowers on fruit canes need to be protected, remove fleeces and protection for varying times during the day to enable pollinating insect’s access.
- Now the late frosts are almost over, think about moving citrus plants outside. Take a look at the ‘How to keep citrus healthy’ blog for some guidance.
- Citrus are hungry plants, so keep them fed regularly with Vitax Citrus Summer Feed.
- Ensure all crops are fed well. Vitax Q4, Vitax Q4 Soluble Plant Food and Organic All Purpose Plant Food are good all round feeds.
- Erect pheromone traps such as Apple Maggot Monitoring Traps and Plum Maggot Monitoring Traps to prevent codling moths and fruit moths laying eggs and destroying crops.
In bloom
- Spring flowers are starting to fade, continue to deadhead and leave the stems to die back naturally.
- As the soil starts to warm plant out dahlia tubers. Take a look at the ‘Dahlias for late summer colour’ blog for some additional tips.
- Plant hanging baskets and pots. There is a huge variety of flowers, evergreens and fruit that can be added. To help keep them blooming, feed with Vitax Tub & Hanging Basket Feed.
- Evenings will still be quite chilly during May, so harden off new shoots outside but return to the greenhouse overnight until there is consistent warm weather.
- Plant shrubs such as lavender. Not only do they add colour but smell gorgeous.
- Plant out summer bedding such as cosmos and sunflowers.
- Prune spring flowering shrubs once the flowers have faded.
- Indoors, ensure houseplants are regularly watered to prevent drying out.
- Feed, feed, feed! All flowers and shrubs need regular feeding as they start the grow. Whether you choose a generic feed or one tailored to a specific plant, there are plenty to choose from.
- Ensure climbing flowers and shrubs are tied back. Climbing rose, clematis, wisteria etc need strong support.
- Topiary is a great addition to the garden as it can be pruned into a variety of shapes. Take a look at the ‘Caring for topiary’ blog for more information.
Additional jobs
- Apply Greenhouse Shading to help prevent scorching of plants as the heat starts to rise
- Keep on top of weeds. The more you hoe, the more they will go!
- We all dream of a green, lush lawn. Apply Vitax Lawn Feed to help reduce lawn stress and get a pitch perfect colour.
- As the grass starts to grow, lower the blades on the lawn mower.
- If the lawn still has bare patches, continue to re-seed.
- Pests, as with weeds, will become more evident. Try Slug Gone to deter slugs and snails, or keep cats, rabbits etc at bay with the Stay Off range.
As you can see, there is plenty to do – sow, grow, weed, feed and repeat. May is a great month for taking stock of the spring that has just passed and basking in what is to come in summer. Take time during the Bank Holidays to enjoy the garden, you deserve it!