Gardening Jobs for May

With the temperature rising and the wet spring weather ending, in May there are plenty of opportunities to spend time in the garden.

As summer approaches, your gardening jobs for May will involve supporting growth of developing plants, maintaining health and preventing pests.

Tips for May Gardening

1. Don’t cut back all the foliage from your finished spring bulbs. Apply liquid fertiliser to make them even better next year.
2. Water your plants early in the morning or late at night. This will allow your plants to absorb the water before the sun hits. It also helps deter slugs and snails.
3. Begin to harden off plants for summer bedding. May is the perfect time to do this. Bring your plants outside during the day and keep them indoors. Repeat this for seven days and your plants will be ready for bedding.
4. Keep a plant diary to help you keep track of your garden.

Garden Maintenance

1. Establish a mowing routine to keep your lawn tidy. Try to mow your lawn every week if possible.
2. Routinely remove weeds from your lawn. The earlier you catch weeds, the easier it is to remove them at the root.
3. Feed your lawn with nutrient rich fertilisers to keep it healthy and green.
4. If you haven’t sown grass seeds to replenish bare patches on your lawn make sure to do so this month.
5. Routinely check your compost bins for usable compost. Continue to add organic matter to maintain your compost levels.

Garden Beds

1. Remove cloches and covers from your plants as the weather gets warmer.
2. Continue to mulch your garden beds to retain moisture and prevent weeds.
3. Water your garden beds in the morning and late at night. This will allow plants to absorb water before the soil dries out.
4. Weed your garden beds regularly.
5. Check for pests in your garden beds. Protect your plants with methods such as beer traps and copper borders.

Vegetables

1. Harden off any plants you have sown indoors such as tomatoes, peppers, runner beans, sweetcorn, cucumbers, courgettes and squash.
2. Transfer your hardened tomatoes and beans into large beds or pots with stalks for support.
3. Thin out your spinach, carrots and other vegetables that were directly sewn into beds.
4. Keep an eye on any leafy greens as snails and slugs will be more prominent this month.
5. Earth up potatoes which have shoots over 20 cm tall by raking the soil.

Fruits

1. Harden off your fruit bearing plants including your strawberries, raspberries and blueberries. Transfer them into larger pots or beds.
2. Add straw to the pots of your strawberry plants to lift them off the ground.
3. Use netting to protect your fruiting plants from birds.
4. Begin to harvest any rhubarb.

Flowers

1. If you haven't planted summer flowering bulbs, this is your last chance. Make sure to plant your dahlias, freesias, gladiolus’ and begonias.
2. Continue to prune spring flowering perennials before they flower. Perennials that bloom in late spring include daylilies, peonies, coneflowers, lavender and yarrow.
3. Harden off any tender flowering plants you have growing indoors or in your greenhouse such as dahlias, fuchsias and petunias.
4. Check your flowering plants for powdery mildew and treat with fungicide if present.
5. Lift up any heavy flowering plants such as forget-me-nots to prevent them from self-seeding and overtaking your garden.

Trees & Shrubs

1. Place traps in apple trees and stone fruit trees to prevent pests.
2. Continue to remove any blossoms from your young fruit trees to promote tree growth.
3. Begin to move your tender shrubs outside.
4. Continue to check your shrubs and trees are dead or diseased stems. Cut them away when spotted.

Herbs

1. Begin to take soft cuttings of your shrubby herbs such as sage.
2. Transfer any established tender herbs outdoors like basil, rosemary, sage. Feel free to keep them inside or in your greenhouse if preferred.
3. Make sure your herbs are well watered.

Greenhouse

1. With lots of sunshine and longer days, it’s important to ventilate your greenhouse to prevent humidity from building up.
2. Make space by hardening off and transferring plants outdoors.
3. Continue to tend to plants you will be keeping indoors.
4. Keep your greenhouse plants well watered and regularly feed them to support flowering.
5. Plant any hanging plants in your greenhouse before you hang them outside.
6. Put up shading during hot days to prevent your plants from scorching in the heat.

Wildlife & Birds

1. Consider leaving a corner of your lawn or garden wild. The long grass and wildflowers will support pollinators like bees and butterflies.
2. Be careful when mowing your lawn - check for frogs and other wildlife.
3. Check your shrubs, trees and hedges for nests before pruning.
4. Make sure bee hotels and bird houses in your garden are clean and secure.
5. Leave dandelions growing in your garden for butterflies.
6. Put out ladybird towers in your garden. This will give them a safe place to hide. They will also eat the pesky aphids disturbing your plants.

Ponds

1. Regularly use a net or weed brush to remove algae, blanketweed and debris.
2. Check any filters or pumps and clean out as needed.
3. Add new floating plants to your pond and divide any overgrown plants.
4. Feed your fish throughout the month. Add any new fish to your pond as desired.