Jobs to do in May
Its May already how time flies, all of the trees have now come in to full leaf. I love seeing the lush green leaves, so soft and bright. This is one of those busy months, lots to do in your garden.
Garden Jobs
1) Continue to support with stakes tall perennials such as Delphinium, Paeonia etc also tie up climbers that continue to grow eg Clematis
2) If you are lucky enough to have a green house, now is a good time to fit blinds or apply shade paint to help reduce some of the heat when summer comes.
3) Once the risk of frost has gone, start planing out your summer bedding plants. You can cover with horticultural fleece if the threat of frost is imminent.
4) Keep on the Lilly beetle hunt, they are still around stronger than ever! Get them early will definitely pay off!
5) Don’t forget to cut your lawn once a week, and give it a high nitrogen feed. This helps to keep it green and healthy. Well unless you have Chafer Grubs.
6) Prune spring flowering clematis after they have flowered to help control their size.
7) Water any newly planted trees or shrubs with watering cans or buckets.
8) Start to liquid feed your container plants.
Veggie Plot To Do List
1) Weed your veggie plots, you don’t want pesky weeds taking all the light and nutrients from your precious veggies! You can either hoe or pull depending on how many their are. Don’t hoe perennial weeds eg Dandelions as they will root from any roots you leave in the ground. Don’t put perennial weeds in your compost bin either.
2) Its Asparagus season, if your lucky enough to be able to grow these then now’s the time to harvest. Cut below the soil level.
3) Protect your ripening strawberries with straw or propriety matting, this helps to keep the fruit clean and reduces the risk of botrytis from contact with the damp soil, also net if you have hungry eager birds watching your strawberries.
4) In your veggie plots start to sow cauliflowers, sprouting broccoli and leeks for harvesting next winter.
5) Once the risk of frost has gone you can plant out your tomatoes, courgettes and pumpkins.
6) If you have planted your potatoes don’t forget to earth them up once foliage starts showing.
7) Start to sow lettuce, beetroot, spinach and radishes successionally in short rows.