Gardening Calendar - May
The Magic of May
May is the change over month, Spring bulbs will have finished flowering and it's time to prepare for planting Summer bedding. Whilst it's still possible to get the odd night frost it's highly unlikely after mid month. But it is still worth keeping the horticultural fleece handy to drape over tender plants if a night frost is forecast.
The warm days means the garden can change daily with old favourites popping up and tantalizing us with what's to come.
However, its also a prolific time for weed growth, the best advice is keep on top of weeds by hoeing regularly and preferably on dry days.
TREES & SHRUBS
- Tie in growths of climbing roses which will be growing vigorously
- Tie in Sweet Peas
- Prune out overcrowded or dead shoots of early flowering clematis (which will have finished flowering now) e.g. C cirrhosa, armandii.
- Prune back Spring flowering shrubs immediately after flowering (Forsythia, Spiraea arguta cvs)
VEGETABLE GARDEN
- Continue earthing up potatoes
- Harvest Rhubarb, pick only 1/3 of stalks to ensure strong crowns for future years
- Cover Carrots with horticultural fleece to ward off carrot root fly
- Plant out Brassicas (such as Cabbages, Calabrese, Cauliflower) and Leeks
- May is the busiest month for sowing outside but remember stagger the sowing to give good crop succession
- Pinch out tips of Broad Beans
- Regular careful hoeing will keep on top of weeds
FRUIT GARDEN
- Hang pheromone traps in fruit trees to monitor moth population and help reduce codlin moth infestation
- Put straw around strawberries to protect fruits
- Erect a fruit cage (net) over all soft fruit to keep birds off
LAWN
- Apply weed killer
- Feed lawn with high Nitrogen to encourage healthy green growth
- Sowing seed to repair bare patches can still be done
GENERAL GARDENING
- Begin to harden off Half Hardy Annuals, Dahlias and other tender plants. Move back under cover or cover with fleece if a frost is forecast
- It's the last chance to divide perennial plants especially Hostas
- Take softwood cuttings of Fuchsias and Geraniums
- Feed container plants regularly to encourage strong growth
- Don't be tempted in to cutting off the foliage of Spring bulbs, allow it to die down naturally. You need all the goodness to go back in to the bulbs to ensure strong flowering in subsequent seasons
TULIP TIME
Feed lawn with High N fertilizer
* Subject to terms and conditions
