| May Tasks |  | We've been harvesting various crops over the last few weeks (especially some delicious rhubarb) but May is where gardening really gets rewarding, as the weather gets warmer and the days get longer. Early salad crops, asparagus and early peas will all be ready for picking soon, bringing a taste of the summer to come. In the garden, the plants are really starting to grow quickly as the soil warms up and the routine work (hoeing, potting and planting) increases all the time. |
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| Borders | | | • | Lift bulbs from bedding displays as the leaves turn yellow, place them somewhere sheltered to dry out. This will leave the beds free to be prepared for your summer bedding plants. | | • | Slugs will become a problem (if you let them) as they feed on tender new shoots. Apply some means of control - evening is best as they tend to prefer feeding at night. | | • | At the end of the month, plant out dahlias that were started in pots of compost earlier in the year, but keep some frost protection ready just in case. | | • | Remove dead flowers from camellias and if you need to prune, do it now to make sure you get flowers next year. Feed them with a fertiliser for ericaceous plants. | | • | Deadhead bulbs as the flowers fade and apply a liquid feed to encourage bigger, better flowers next year. |
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| Young Plants | | | • | Remove any bruised or damaged leaves as they may start to rot and spread infection to healthy plants. This problem is usually worse when the conditions are damp, so uncover during the day to maintain good air-flow. | | • | We can still get a late frost so keep some fleece handy for covering tender plants. | | • | Unpack plug plants as soon as they arrive and keep them warm (and watered). Pot them individually or transplant them into the garden when the conditions are suitable. | | • | Move plants into individual pots as soon as they are large enough and pot them on before they become pot-bound. Any delay can cause a growth check. | | • | Continue to harden off the larger plants by standing them outside during the daytime to get them used to outdoors. If you want really bushy plants pinch the growing tips out as they are potted or transplanted. |
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| Containers | | | • | Make up hanging baskets if you have not already done so. If you can, keep them in a sheltered position for about a week to allow the plants to establish before putting them on display. | | • | Most plants will be growing quickly by now so keep them well watered. When plants are being potted or re-potted, you can add water retaining granules to the compost to make life a little easier. | | • | Quick-growing summer bulbs, like lilies, in containers will need plenty of water. Keep a close watch for the bright red lily beetle, which can strip the entire plant of leaves in a very short time. | | • | Check if your plants need moving up into the next size of pot. | | • | If you are growing herbs in pots, make sure they are in a compost that has plenty of grit in it, as they always do better when grown in a sunny spot with a free-draining compost. |
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| Lawns | | | • | Once the leaves turn yellow on naturalised bulbs growing in the lawn, the grass can be cut without harming the bulbs. | | • | If you haven't already done so, apply a spring lawn treatment including a moss killer to give the grass a boost. You may need to re-seed some areas where the grass is sparse. | | • | New lawns (either from turf or seed) should be kept well-watered in dry periods to help them establish before the summer. |
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| Fruit | | | • | Lay down black plastic or spread fresh straw along rows of strawberries to act as a mulch. It will help to control weeds and keep the berries clean as they ripen. | | • | To get a slightly earlier crop, cover strawberries with low polythene tunnels; it will also deter birds from pecking at the ripening fruit. | | • | As soon as they appear, remove suckers from fruit trees and bushes. Plums, cherries and peaches are usually the first to show sucker growth. | | • | If birds were a problem last year, cover soft fruit with protective netting to keep them at bay. | | • | If pear midge and plum moths caused damage to fruits last year, be prepared to apply a suitable control this month as the adults will be flying and laying their eggs. |
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| The Vegetable Garden | | | • | Now the soil is warmer, runner beans, French beans courgettes, sweet corn and squashes can be planted out towards the end of the month. | | • | Start to harvest early salads, such as spring lettuce, salad onions and radishes and continue with successional plantings to replace these and other salad crops. | | • | Position supports for climbing vegetables like beans as soon as the stems start to twine, and peas as soon as the tendrils are visible. | | • | Plant out vegetables for growing in containers; they can be grown on a terrace or patio to get some earlier crops. | | • | Keep earthing-up potatoes as the growth extends. | | • | Watch for the small holes flea beetles make on brassica seedlings and spray with an edible-approved insecticide if damage becomes severe. Keep plants well watered to help them grow through the pest damage. |
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| The Greenhouse, Polytunnel and Conservatory | | | • | Tomatoes, peppers, cucumbers and aubergines can be planted in the cold greenhouse or polythene tunnel, but have some frost protection handy in case of emergencies. | | • | Bring in container-grown strawberries to encourage early fruit swelling and protect the flowers and young fruits from frost. | | • | Keep plants well watered to promote rapid growth. A damp atmosphere will also help to discourage red spider mites colonising your plants. Always water in the morning if you can, as plants that are wet overnight tend to suffer more from fungal rots. | | • | Apply shading over the glass or plastic to protect plants from being damaged by very bright sunlight that could scorch the leaves. | | • | Move conservatory plants, such as Cymbidium, Ficus and Citrus outdoors during warm days but bring back inside at night. | | • | Inspect plants for mealy bug and scale insects and control with chemical or biological treatments. | | • | Start feeding plants regularly with liquid fertiliser once a month or, in a more diluted form, every time you water. | | • | If you had a problem with whitefly on your plants last year, hang up sticky traps to control them before the population builds up. | | • | Open doors and vents on greenhouses and polytunnels to increase ventilation on warm, sunny days. |
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| Ponds | | | • | Remove blanket weed and algae every other day to protect the fish and plants in your pond. | | • | As fish become more visible and active, protect with netting against hungry herons. | | • | Introduce new aquatic plants into your pond or continue to lift and divide established ones. | | • | If the weather is warm and windy, keep ponds and water features topped up with fresh water. |
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| General Tasks | | | • | Prune shrubs that have already flowered, removing the stems bearing the faded flowers. This gives the maximum time for new growth to grow and flower next year. | | • | Continue to stake and support plants that are growing rapidly; if they become weighed down by the rain, the stems will bend. | | • | Remove and replace any damaged glass or polycarbonate sheets in greenhouses and conservatories. | | • | Apply a moss and algae killer to decking, patios and drives to make them safer to walk on. |
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