May Garden Jobs

Hopefully we have seen the last frost and can dare to use the word Summer now! Below we’ve listed some key tasks for this month.

Here’s a summary, but scroll down if you want more information on any of these jobs!

In the vegetable plot

Get tomato plants out

Think about getting your tomatoes out. As the weather warms up and the risk of frost has passed, take your small tomato plants from inside and start to plant them out. Find them the sunniest spot you can as this will help them thrive and help maximise crop production.

Earth up Potatoes

Pull soil up around the bottom of your potato plants to stop your new tubers turning green and poisonous. Pull a rake or fork along both sides of the rows of young plants, making a mound of mud around the plant to ensure the tubers aren’t exposed to sunlight.

In the flower beds

Check roses for Blackspot

Keep an eye on the foliage of your roses for this fungal disease, aptly named as it causes black spots on the leaves. If you spot any, treat with a systemic fungicide, as left unchecked, it can cause your roses to completely defoliate.

Prepare for summer bedding

Spring flowering plants will be coming to the end of their flowering period now and will need clearing ready for summer bedding. Take out the old plants, dig out the weeds and add some fertiliser to the soil ready for the new batch.

Cut Perennials

Known as the Chelsea chop as it needs doing around the same time as the Chelsea flower show, lower the height of your late flowering perennials to stop them leaning. Pinch out Asters, Helenium and Eupatorium at knee height and they will re-branch to provide you with stockier plants.

Around the garden

Tie up your climbers

With fresh growth really getting underway now, it’s time to tie the shoots of your clematis and other climbers to your walls or trellis. Do the same with climbing and rambling roses, tying them up horizontally to encourage side shoots which will produce more blooms over the coming months.

Feed and water containers

Make sure you regularly water and feed your pots and hanging baskets. Giving them a balanced liquid feed every two to four weeks will help to promote health growth.

Top dress pots

Now is also the time to top-dress permanent pot plants to refresh the compost.

For the wildlife…

Bird food

A birds natural diet of berries diminishes in spring, now they are on the hunt for insects – leave out mealworms and seed mixes.

Shrubs & plants

Plant wildlife friendly shrubs and plants this month.

Bird boxes

Birds are nesting and breeding – put up and bird box to try and encourage some birds into your garden.

What To Plant In May