Let’s take a look at numerous tasks in our May garden!
The Garden Lawn
Check your mowers blades are at there normal summer height for mowing and mow regularly as the weather allows.
Use a ‘summer-long’ slow-release lawn fertiliser for summer long lawn performance.
Alternatively, you can use a ‘Weed & Feed’ type of fertiliser if weeds are a problem in your lawn. Whichever you choose, pick a moist, warm day to apply.
There is still time to get rid of moss patches in the lawn, by raking or using moss-killer.
Don’t forget you can still improve ‘thinning’ areas by over sowing with a quality lawn seed mixture and raking in where possible.
The Flower Border
Choose an unused part of the garden and start to sow biennials like dianthus, wallflowers and foxgloves.
Perennials too e.g lupins, and delphiniums etc. can be sown at this time.
Established perennials from last year will be growing strongly and may well need staking to support the new shoots.
You may have sown some ‘hardy’ annual flowers last month, but there is still plenty of time to sow some more. Sow these where you intend them to flower.
There’s lot of choice such as calendulas, poppies and alyssum.
In time you may need to ‘thin-out ‘ some seedlings if you have sown to thickly.
Do you have ‘half hardy’ annuals growing in the greenhouse?
If they are large enough you can start to ‘harden them off’ (placing plants outside during warm days and bringing them in the late afternoon to avoid cold overnight damage.)
You can be planting these outside later in the month.
Are you planting up your own hanging baskets?
Two tips – firstly, use a slow-release fertiliser for summer-long flowering.
Secondly mix water storage crystals in with the compost to reduce the amount of watering during the summer.
Choose large flowered plants for the centre of the basket for maximum colour effect with smaller flowered trailing types around the basket edges.
Don’t forget foliage plants to add to your basket.
You may have saved some in the garage, or bought new stock, but now is the time to plant summer flowering bulbs such as begonia, dahlia and gladioli.
Spring flowering bulbs -look after the bulbs from last spring that you are not lifting. Cut back old flower stems, but look after the plants by feeding well, for flowering next spring.
Alternatively, if some of your bulbs are becoming too congested, then split them up and plant them in another part of the garden.
Tie in this year’s sweet peas as they grow, to their plant supports.
Don’t forget to feed and water plants in containers.
Keep on top of watering and weeding to grow the best flowering plants.
Remember to hoe regularly to keep beds and borders weed-free. It will save many problems as the summer progresses.
The Vegetable Patch
‘Busy days in the vegetable garden’
Don’t forget to sow your salad crops regularly for continuous cropping.
Thin resulting seedlings to the distances suggested on the seed packets.
Try one of the long rooted beetroot such as ‘Alto’. When you harvest, just chop the root up – there’s no waste!
Sow cucumbers for outdoor growing indoors. The same is true of sweet corn, but choose an F1 variety to produce the cobs throughout the season.
Earth-up early potatoes with soil to increase cropping potential.
Protect your carrots from attack by carrot fly whose grubs will tunnel into the developing roots. Cover with fine-mesh horticultural fleece.
Harvest asparagus no longer than18cms in length for optimum taste.
Sown your runner or climbing french beans?
If not, sow them this month.
Finally a thought about vegetables for winter and the following spring.
Sow your autumn and winter brassicas in a prepared seed bed ready for planting in the autumn.
Pinch out the growing points of broad bean plants as pods start to form at the plant bases. This will prevent attack from blackfly.
Support garden peas with netting or long twigs from the hedge rows.
Runner beans, like peas can be supported by netting, but long, stout 8ft canes are the ideal supports.
The Fruit Garden
‘Straw down’ strawberry fruit to protect the developing fruit suppressing weed and fungal diseases.
Tree & Shrubs
Tie in the long shoots of rambling and climbing roses
Prune spring flowering shrubs after flowering.
Mulch plants with garden compost or farmyard manure. This provides plant nutrients and helps maintain the soil moisture.
Garden Ponds
Maintenance of garden ponds is important.
May is the ideal time to remove excessive weed and prevent it becoming overgrown later in the summer.
You are in for a busy time in your May garden and as my therapist tells me it’s great exercise!
The secret is knowing when it’s time to stop and put the kettle on!
Happy Gardening!
