Gardening Tips for the month of MAY – Late Spring
Most everything is now growing strongly
WEED
OK to buy and plant any hardy plants in the garden
Watch out for emerging pests – Aphids indoors or undercover
White flies are about – Be vigilant
Check your seedlings – If ready, start pricking out
Check your pond
Mow the lawn – Feed as per brand instructions
Espalier, cordon and fan-trained apple pear trees need tidying – Tie in new shoots and remove any unwanted
Watch out for signs of mildew, especially under cover
Prepare beds and borders for summer bedding
Train your roses – Ramblers and climbers need tying in
Sow sunflowers outside
Slugs and snails are becoming active
Pond – Divide water lilies – Watch out for early growth of blanket weed
Ventilate greenhouse when necessary – Difficult month to get ventilation and humidity right
Feed plants now
Keep your eye on the watering – Water if dry spell – Especially pots and containers
Careful watch for Lily beetles
Mulch the borders if not already done
Prune actively growing hedges into shape
Turn the compost
Plant up containers and baskets under cover – Warm greenhouse – Place outside on warm days
Prune and tidy climbing plants – Ivies in particular
Plant seedling celery
Re-pot any containerised shrubs and small trees
Watch out for carrot fly
Propagate your favorite Clematis
Sow climbing, dwarf and runner beans outside
House plants – Water and Check for pests
Grow peppers and chillies outside in containers
Sow courgette seeds
Plant out any courgettes and squash young plants started earlier
Plant up any containers for the patio – Geraniums, Fuchsias etc
Plant out sweetcorn
Thin out gooseberries – reduce fruit be about 50%
Prune any early flowering Shrubs that have finished flowering
Cut back herbaceous perennials, especially early flowering types
Plant out tomatoes
Check for vine weevils – Check for grubs in pots and beetles on leaves of known hosts
Feed your irises
Try layering any strongly growing plants for increased numbers
Sow biennials
Gardening Ideas for the month of MAY
Create a herb garden
