Garden Calendar - May

 

 

May sees the sun shining more and the days getting noticeably longer. As the weather warms up don’t forget to keep an eye out for those weeds and unwelcome pests in the garden.

Regular hoeing will keep the weeds at bay. Keep checking plants for signs of pest attack. Don’t allow aphids or slugs to get a hold but deal with them at the first sign of attack.

Don’t forget to start feeding your beds, borders and veg patch for great results later in the season.

Fruit and Vegetables

• Continue sowing veg, particularly salad crops, little and often
• Protect young plants and veg from slugs
• Trim back the side shoots of gooseberry plants
• Protect fruit bushes, especially currants and gooseberries from bird damage
• Feed fruit with Growmore Garden Fertiliser or Feed-all Slow Release Plant Food.
• Earth up potatoes
• Harvest overwintering onions, early varieties of beetroot and radishes
• Once your greenhouse tomatoes have flowers don’t forget to tap them occasionally to help pollination

 

Jobs Around the garden

• Plant out sweet pea plants
• Trim and feed hedges
• Flowerbeds and borders can be fed using Feed-all Slow Release Plant Food
• Feed acid-loving plants now with Rhodo, Azalea and Camellia Plant Food
• Top-dress around all acid loving plants such as Pieris, Heathers, Rhododendrons and Azaleas with West+ Ericaceous Compost
• Clear out and compost spring bedding
• Finish planting shrubs
• Mow lawns regularly and feed with Aftercut
• Spray susceptible roses and other plants with Fungus Attack to prevent blackspot, mildew and rust from developing
• Support tall perennials to prevent damage
• Look out for the first greenfly on roses and whitefly in the greenhouse and treat with Bug Attack
• Protect young plants from slugs with Slug Attack
• Don’t be tempted into putting out half-hardy bedding plants into the garden. A warm spell can be very encouraging; especially to beginner gardeners, but at this time of year a cold snap won’t be far away. If your plants are shooting early they may need a little additional protection. Place a layer of horticultural fleece over any plants that are unexpectedly beginning to develop strong spring growth, especially if a frost threatens.

 

Plants To Enjoy This Month

Plants in their prime in May include:

• Rhododendrons
• Clematis ‘Nelly Moser’
• Wisteria floribunda