Gardening jobs for May

Hello May! 

Find out what to do in your garden, allotment and greenhouse in May, with our handy 'Simon Says'. 

• If you haven’t already hung your fruit maggot moth traps, then you’ll want to do it now.  Watch out for the little critters and prepare to spray if the numbers build.

• Remember to ventilate greenhouse during the day.  Check the temperature on the floor before opening the vents.  Remember to keep the thermometer in an airy, shady place for a correct reading.

• Prune Forsythia and Chaenomeles now to keep the shape nice and compact, plus encourage lots of fresh growth that will become the host for next year’s flowers. 

• Carefully tie in climbing plants as they grow.

• Apply fish, blood and bone to encourage the overall health of trees and shrubs.

• Sow sweetcorn in pots, in a warm environment.

• As the soil has eventually started to warm up, sow beans outside where they are to crop.

• As you remove tasty rhubarb stems from the plant, remember to feed the plant to encourage more growth.

• Keep planting batches of mixed salad leaves for a continuous crop.

• Start feeding Tomato plants when the fruits start to set on the first truss. 

• If the weather continues to be dry, soak newly additions to the garden occasionally to encourage them along.

• Prepare supports for herbaceous perennials as they burst into speedy growth.

• Continue to plant trees and shrubs that have been grown in containers.  Don’t forget to not let them dry out.

The beginning of May is National Gardening Week (2nd May - 8th May)! Simon has put together a few jobs that you can do to get the joy out of gardening during that week. 

• Get a free upper body workout with a bit of hoeing!  Weeds soon get out of control at this time of year and a weekly scratch about will keep them at bay!

• Get motivated by planting out fast-growing, seasonal bedding plants now.  Harden off and use fleece to prevent frost damage.

• Conjure up happy memories with a sniff of the beautiful Philadelphus flowers!!

• Sit and watch the blue tits trying to keep the aphid numbers down.  If the aphid population build too much, spray plants with Doff Universal Bug Control Pesticide Free to promote healthier growth.

• Enjoy a balmy evening with your favourite drink in one hand a hosepipe in the other.  Be careful what one you put to your mouth though!!  Watering first thing in the morning and later in the evening, increases the amount of water that makes it down to the roots, as there’s less evaporation.