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.