Jobs for May

In the greenhouse

• Continue to sow quick growing annuals like Alyssum and French / African Marigolds. Start to move bedding plants to the colder parts of the greenhouse and move to cold frames to harden plants off.

• Pot on tomatoes/ Peppers.

• Open the door/ windows on hot days and spray the floor with water to ensure a damp atmosphere that will deter whitefly. Remember to close both at night as the nights can still be cold! (Also watch for frosts and protect plants overnight!).

In the garden

• Once the danger of frosts has passed, plant out ‘hardened’ bedding after preparing the ground. If growing plants in pots it is best to mix multi-purpose compost with John Innes no.2 at a ratio of 1:1. It does increase the cost, but modern multi-purpose composts used on their own can dry out very quickly and plants can die / stop flowering earlier in any hot spells. Also mix in slow-release fertilizer and water retaining gel. To be on the safe side, keep some fleece to hand in case of a late frosty night!

• If you have been growing bulbs in pots continue to water and feed with tomato feed and let the bulbs die down for replanting next year. Alternatively plant them in your borders but keep them watered/ fed until they start to start to die back.

• If you have grown bulbs in the garden, then it may be time to split large clumps to encourage better flowering next year; water after splitting.

• DO NOT cut off or tie daffodil bulb leaves back – yes they are untidy but if you want flowers next year let them die back naturally!

• Keep on top of the weeding by hoeing

• Continue to lower the height of the blades on the lawn mower and start cutting weekly. Edge the lawn and, if available, put down lawn feed (READ the instructions!!) There is still time to re-sow any bare patches on the lawn, but you’ll need to water regularly in warm spells.

• If you are taking part in ‘No mow May’ then, clearly, you can forget cutting the grass for the month!

• Finish pruning Hydrangeas, and, when they’ve finished, flowering Forsythias and Ribes (flowering currants), Camelias and Magnolias. deadhead Rhododendrons and cut back Aubretia and Penstemons.

• Watch out for garden pests and deal with them as appropriate – especially aphids, Lilly Beetles and slugs/snails.

• In hot spells water in the morning or at night. It is better to give plants the border a thorough watering once a week than water daily, as it encourages the roots to go deeper into the soil and cope better with hot conditions. This is especially true for any perennial plants or shrubs/ trees bought from the garden centre online.

• You may find offers on Dahlias tubers and Cannas rhizomes (make sure they are not soft!). there is still time to plant them.

• Around the third week in May give the ‘Chelsea Chop’ to sedums (Ice plant). It stops the plant ‘flopping’ over later in the year.

Veg beds

• Earth up potatoes

• The following seeds can be sown directly into shallow drills … Swedes, Parsnips, Salad Onions, Carrot, Beetroot, Lettuce, Spinach early Peas and Broad Beans

• The following plants don’t like the cold and sown in individual pots and then planted when the last frosts have passed. French beans (dwarf and climbing types), Runner beans, Courgettes, Pumpkins/ Squashes and Sweetcorn

• Watch out for weeds and pests