May in the Garden: What to Get Stuck Into This Month

May is usually the month that everything in the garden seems to burst into life but, with the lovely warm March and early April, the garden seems to be springing into blossom and bud already!  The days are noticeably longer and the chance of a frost is much reduced so May is a month for getting jobs done in anticipation of the summer days to come.

There’s loads to do, but don’t panic: it’s the good kind of busy.  Whether you’ve got a sprawling plot or just a few pots to play with, here’s our rundown of some key jobs to get stuck into this May.

Harden Off and Plant Out

By now, the threat of frost here in the south is minimal, especially towards the end of the month.  Keep an eye on the forecast, of course, but it’s going to be fairly safe to start hardening off and planting out any tender plants. Think summer veg -  like tomatoes, courgettes, cucumbers, beans and chillies – and summer bedding - geraniums, petunias, lobelias.  If you started seeds indoors, gradually get them used to outside temperatures before you plant them out properly.

Feed Like a Pro

Your plants will be waking up hungry this growing season so it’s time to start feeding. Give your roses a boost with a rose feed, sprinkle some general-purpose fertiliser around your beds and borders and, if you’ve got pots or containers, a liquid feed every couple of weeks will do them wonders.  You can make your own feeds if you fancy giving that a try but, of course, we stock many different varieties of feeds so you can pick something to suit whatever you are growing.  At this time of year, you’ll probably want to select something that is fairly high in both phosphorus and potassium.  Phosphorous encourages strong root development and flowering while potassium is good for general plant health.

While you’re at it, mulching is a brilliant way to lock in moisture (especially if we get one of those dry spells), keep weeds down, and generally make your beds look neat and tidy.  Bark chips, compost, well-rotted manure or whatever natural materials you’ve got to hand will provide that protective layer.

Watch out for Pests

With the warmer weather comes the munching brigade: aphids, slugs and snails to name just a few.  While it is important to encourage a diversity of wildlife in your garden, an infestation that munches on your seedlings is not so welcome!  Keep an eye out for unwelcome visitors and deal with them early.  Hanging bird feeders will encourage the local wildlife on to your plot and they will help catch some of them for you.  Otherwise, slug pellets (wildlife-friendly ones), beer traps, copper tape, egg shells or just a good old dusk patrol with a torch and a bucket can all be brought into play.

Keep on top of the Weeds

The warmer weather doesn’t just wake up your flowers, the weeds are having a field day too.  Keep on top of them now and you’ll save yourself time and effort later. Little and often is the trick; that is, pull them up while they are little and before their roots have set too deep!  A quick hoe around on a dry day works wonders and pulling them up by hand while you're pottering about is strangely satisfying.  It also means you are less likely to have to resort to chemical weed killers later because they’ve got too big to pull, which a good thing.

Support Your Climbers

An English garden wouldn’t be complete without some climbers.  Clematis, climbing roses, sweet peas and more all artfully drape wherever they can reach to bring beauty and, often, fragrance to our summers.  They are all starting to climb now so it’s good to start putting some supports in place now, before the plants get too big and floppy.  Whether you prefer canes, wigwams or trellis, put them in position now.  Tie the stems loosely in place to help keep them upright.  (And there is no harm in a little, gentle trimming if you need to now, just to encourage things in the right direction!)

Give your Lawn some Love

Like all the other plants in your garden, your lawn should be growing nicely by now.  It’s important to mow it regularly, not only to keep it looking good but to keep it healthy.  (Lawn grass that has been allowed to grow too long will be weakened when it’s cut.)  So keep it trimmed but don’t scalp it!  You’re aiming for that lush rugby pitch look not a dusty cricket pitch.  Particularly if the weather has been dry, raise the blades on your mower a notch to keep the grass looking fuller and to help trap moisture in the soil.  And remember to trim your edges!

If your lawn is looking a little patchy, you can fill them in with seed or turf now.  Just remember to keep those patches well-watered and leave them unmown while they establish.  And don’t feed new seed or turf yet.  You need the roots to develop properly first, and lawn food is likely to encourage the leaves to grow too fast while the plants are young.

Enjoy It!

Finally, remember that all your hard gardening is done for a reason: so you can enjoy your garden!  With two bank holidays this month, there should be plenty of time to pour yourself a cuppa (or a cheeky G&T!) and take five in the sunshine. After all, that’s what it’s all about.

May is a busy month, but it’s also one of the most rewarding. Plants are growing, flowers are blooming, and summer is just around the corner. Get out there and enjoy it!

(If you missed April's garden jobs, you can find them here!)