MAY
Now that the frosts have gone, the garden in May becomes green and bright.
This is a good time to TIDY the garden, PRUNE, FEED, PLANT and PLAN.
CHECKLIST OF KEY TASKS FOR MAY:
PATIOS & BORDERS
Plant hanging baskets and containers.
Harden-off annual bedding plants ready to plant out soon. Put them in a shady spot, keep well watered but bring them back inside if frost is likely.
Keep an eye on them and they will be toughened up ready to plant after about a week.
Stake border perennial varieties that are tall growing and that tend to flop over.
Cut Aubretia back hard when it has finished flowering and give it a feed. It will produce new growth soon and remain more compact if this is done each year.
Plant out dahlias and begonias. Trim foliage off early flowering perennials to encourage fresh new leaves.
Regularly tie in sweet peas and remove unwanted side shoots.
Hostas divide well this month. Lift clumps and split them up making certain that each shoot has plenty of root attached.
Wait until spring flowering bulb leaves die back naturally before removing them.
Plant out basil; but this herb is best grown in a very sheltered spot in pots or even in your greenhouse with your tomatoes.
TREES & SHRUBS
Ensure all recently planted trees and shrubs are thoroughly watered regularly and staked securely.
PLANTING & PRUNING
Sow borage, nasturtium and other edible flowers for use in salads.
Give some of your border perennials a prune back by about half now; it will delay flowering but extend the display longer in your garden.
Prune early flowering shrubs back now so that they have time to make new growth and flower buds for next year.
Large Forsythia can be cut back hard; flowering currants trimmed a little and Camellias can be trimmed to reshape them.
Spirea arguta, chaenomeles, winter jasmine, choisya and viburnum tinus will benefit from careful pruning and still have plenty of time to set flower buds for next year.
Large over-grown early flowering clematis such as montana, alpine, macropetala and winter flowering species can be pruned hard when they have finished blooming.
BULBS
Lift and dry off tulips ready for replanting in the late autumn.
Other bulbs can be left in the ground.
FRUIT GARDEN
Buy and hang out pheromone traps for apple and plum maggots at end of May.
Tie in soft new shoots of trained fruit trees and canes. Check gooseberries for sawfly larvae.
If necessary, prune cherries, plums, nectarines and peaches.
Remove strawberry runners as they develop. Lay straw under fruit trusses to prevent mud splashing. Cover with bird netting.
VEGETABLE GARDEN
Earth up early potatoes but watch out for late frosts.
Sow sweet corn directly into well cultivated soil outside. Sow or plant out in blocks, not long rows, for better wind pollination.
Sow courgettes, marrows, cucumbers and melons in individual pots. When germinated, plant them under glass or polythene with lots of compost.
Sow turnips, swedes, cauliflowers, leeks and other late winter vegetables now.
Continue successional sowings of lettuce, carrots, beetroot, spring onions and radish.
Support runner beans with canes or poles and strings. Make sure that they are well watered.
Support peas and mange-tout with pea sticks, prunings or netting.
Outdoor tomatoes, pumpkins, squashes and cucumbers can be planted out late this month. Give them cloche or tunnel protection to start with.
LAWNS, HEDGES & PATHS
Treat those lawn weeds with a good lawn weed killer now. This is the best time to do it.
Don't use the cuttings for composting until the fourth cut after applying weedkillers.
Mow lawns weekly. Sow new lawns after thorough soil preparation. Lay turf this month too.
Check for nesting birds before cutting hedges. Delay until nestlings have fledged.
THE GREENHOUSE
Start feeding greenhouse tomatoes with a high potash feed, as soon as you can see the first visible tiny fruit.
Vibrate flowers regularly to improve fruit set.
As plants grow larger and days get longer and hotter you will need to increase the amount and frequency of water that you give.
Increase ventilation on bright days.
It may be necessary to open vents very early in the morning and close late in the evening. Leave open a little on very warm nights.
Side shoots should be removed from cordon type tomatoes before they get too long. Thin out side shoots on bush varieties. Support both.
Apply shade to the roof of your greenhouse to keep temperatures down.
Open greenhouse vents and doors on warm days.
Damp the floor down regularly to raise air humidity to protect from red spider mite.
Plant marigolds as 'companion plants' to encourage natural predators in to control pests.
INDOOR PLANTS
Some houseplants can be moved outside for summer this month.
Put them in a shady spot until they get used to the brighter light outside and make sure they get watered regularly,
eg. citrus plants, yucca, aralia, aspidistra, ivies and ferns and some orchids.
Watch out for pest attacks from aphids and red spider mite.
SOIL
Regularly hoe weeds.
Apply mulch to trap in moisture and to minimise weed growth.
If not done earlier, control weeds on paths and drives.
Watch for bindweed shoots as they begin to appear now.
PONDS
Plant water plants this month.
Divide and plant water lilies now.
Regularly clean water filters. Use bags of barley straw if the water turns green.
Plant waters edge plants and oxygenating plants now.
WILDLIFE
Continue to feed birds.
Provide a regularly cleaned and refilled bird bath so that birds can drink and bathe.
Keep some areas of longer grass and even some weeds as wildlife sanctuaries.
Piles of old logs can make a brilliant home for wildlife. A small sheet of corrugated iron may encourage slow worms and grass snakes into your garden. In return they will eat many of your pests.
Feed hedgehogs with a little cat food but take care that you aren't encouraging too many foxes.
Encourage plenty of insects into your garden. These will provide food for wildlife and pollinate your crops.
GARDEN CHORES FOR MAY:
This is a good time to TIDY the garden, PRUNE, FEED, PLANT and PLAN.
CHECKLIST OF KEY TASKS FOR MAY:
- Divide hostas.
- Prune early flowering shrubs and clematis after flowering.
- Feed plants in borders, tubs, pots and hanging baskets.
- Plant hanging baskets and containers.
- Sow outdoor vegetables.
- Some indoor plants may be placed outside during sunny days.
- Ventilate the greenhouse and water plants regularly.
- Remove strawberry runners as they appear and cover with netting.
- Watch for bindweed shoots as they will appear now.
- Check the weather forecast every day this month.
PATIOS & BORDERS
Plant hanging baskets and containers.
Harden-off annual bedding plants ready to plant out soon. Put them in a shady spot, keep well watered but bring them back inside if frost is likely.
Keep an eye on them and they will be toughened up ready to plant after about a week.
Stake border perennial varieties that are tall growing and that tend to flop over.
Cut Aubretia back hard when it has finished flowering and give it a feed. It will produce new growth soon and remain more compact if this is done each year.
Plant out dahlias and begonias. Trim foliage off early flowering perennials to encourage fresh new leaves.
Regularly tie in sweet peas and remove unwanted side shoots.
Hostas divide well this month. Lift clumps and split them up making certain that each shoot has plenty of root attached.
Wait until spring flowering bulb leaves die back naturally before removing them.
Plant out basil; but this herb is best grown in a very sheltered spot in pots or even in your greenhouse with your tomatoes.
TREES & SHRUBS
Ensure all recently planted trees and shrubs are thoroughly watered regularly and staked securely.
PLANTING & PRUNING
Sow borage, nasturtium and other edible flowers for use in salads.
Give some of your border perennials a prune back by about half now; it will delay flowering but extend the display longer in your garden.
Prune early flowering shrubs back now so that they have time to make new growth and flower buds for next year.
Large Forsythia can be cut back hard; flowering currants trimmed a little and Camellias can be trimmed to reshape them.
Spirea arguta, chaenomeles, winter jasmine, choisya and viburnum tinus will benefit from careful pruning and still have plenty of time to set flower buds for next year.
Large over-grown early flowering clematis such as montana, alpine, macropetala and winter flowering species can be pruned hard when they have finished blooming.
BULBS
Lift and dry off tulips ready for replanting in the late autumn.
Other bulbs can be left in the ground.
FRUIT GARDEN
Buy and hang out pheromone traps for apple and plum maggots at end of May.
Tie in soft new shoots of trained fruit trees and canes. Check gooseberries for sawfly larvae.
If necessary, prune cherries, plums, nectarines and peaches.
Remove strawberry runners as they develop. Lay straw under fruit trusses to prevent mud splashing. Cover with bird netting.
VEGETABLE GARDEN
Earth up early potatoes but watch out for late frosts.
Sow sweet corn directly into well cultivated soil outside. Sow or plant out in blocks, not long rows, for better wind pollination.
Sow courgettes, marrows, cucumbers and melons in individual pots. When germinated, plant them under glass or polythene with lots of compost.
Sow turnips, swedes, cauliflowers, leeks and other late winter vegetables now.
Continue successional sowings of lettuce, carrots, beetroot, spring onions and radish.
Support runner beans with canes or poles and strings. Make sure that they are well watered.
Support peas and mange-tout with pea sticks, prunings or netting.
Outdoor tomatoes, pumpkins, squashes and cucumbers can be planted out late this month. Give them cloche or tunnel protection to start with.
LAWNS, HEDGES & PATHS
Treat those lawn weeds with a good lawn weed killer now. This is the best time to do it.
Don't use the cuttings for composting until the fourth cut after applying weedkillers.
Mow lawns weekly. Sow new lawns after thorough soil preparation. Lay turf this month too.
Check for nesting birds before cutting hedges. Delay until nestlings have fledged.
THE GREENHOUSE
Start feeding greenhouse tomatoes with a high potash feed, as soon as you can see the first visible tiny fruit.
Vibrate flowers regularly to improve fruit set.
As plants grow larger and days get longer and hotter you will need to increase the amount and frequency of water that you give.
Increase ventilation on bright days.
It may be necessary to open vents very early in the morning and close late in the evening. Leave open a little on very warm nights.
Side shoots should be removed from cordon type tomatoes before they get too long. Thin out side shoots on bush varieties. Support both.
Apply shade to the roof of your greenhouse to keep temperatures down.
Open greenhouse vents and doors on warm days.
Damp the floor down regularly to raise air humidity to protect from red spider mite.
Plant marigolds as 'companion plants' to encourage natural predators in to control pests.
INDOOR PLANTS
Some houseplants can be moved outside for summer this month.
Put them in a shady spot until they get used to the brighter light outside and make sure they get watered regularly,
eg. citrus plants, yucca, aralia, aspidistra, ivies and ferns and some orchids.
Watch out for pest attacks from aphids and red spider mite.
SOIL
Regularly hoe weeds.
Apply mulch to trap in moisture and to minimise weed growth.
If not done earlier, control weeds on paths and drives.
Watch for bindweed shoots as they begin to appear now.
PONDS
Plant water plants this month.
Divide and plant water lilies now.
Regularly clean water filters. Use bags of barley straw if the water turns green.
Plant waters edge plants and oxygenating plants now.
WILDLIFE
Continue to feed birds.
Provide a regularly cleaned and refilled bird bath so that birds can drink and bathe.
Keep some areas of longer grass and even some weeds as wildlife sanctuaries.
Piles of old logs can make a brilliant home for wildlife. A small sheet of corrugated iron may encourage slow worms and grass snakes into your garden. In return they will eat many of your pests.
Feed hedgehogs with a little cat food but take care that you aren't encouraging too many foxes.
Encourage plenty of insects into your garden. These will provide food for wildlife and pollinate your crops.
GARDEN CHORES FOR MAY:
- If you haven't done it already, install a rainwater butt.
- Weed and pest control measures are most effective this month.
- All this work during the month of May will be the basis for a lovely and productive garden in summer.
