May arrives with a vibrant call to step outside, as spring’s floral display reaches its peak and the warmth of summer begins to stir. The garden bursts into life, offering plenty of satisfying tasks. Here are our 15 essential gardening tips for May:
Nurturing Future Blooms
- If your dahlia and canna tubers have been cosseted in pots, now is the time to gradually introduce them to outdoor conditions – a process known as hardening off – in preparation for planting them in their final positions towards the month's end.
- For a vibrant summer show, sow hardy annuals such as cornflowers, Nigella, and poppies directly into garden beds. Get young gardeners involved by planting sunflowers and nasturtiums outside or in containers.
- Indoors, sow seeds of pumpkin, courgette, and French beans in pots, giving them a head start before they are planted out next month.
Protecting and Harvesting
- Once the first broad beans appear, pinch out the growing tips of the plants. This simple action helps to deter blackfly infestations, which are often attracted to the tender new growth.
- Continue to harvest rhubarb, but be mindful to take only about one-third of the stems from each plant to ensure its energy reserves for a bountiful harvest next year.
- Keep earthing up your potato plants. This practice not only encourages a larger yield but also prevents sunlight from reaching the tubers, which can cause them to turn green and produce harmful toxins.
Preparing for Summer Colour
- Get a head start on summer by filling pots and hanging baskets with colourful bedding plants such as begonias and geraniums. Just be sure to watch the weather closely and wait to plant them outside until you're certain the danger of frost has passed.
Sowing for Flavour and the Future
- For easy germination, sow basil seeds in pots placed on a sunny windowsill. Be sure to space the seeds sparingly to avoid overcrowding.
- While summer is on the horizon, it's an opportune moment to think ahead to your winter vegetable supply. Sow kale in pots within a greenhouse, and plant parsnips and Brussels sprouts directly into your vegetable beds outdoors.
- Begin the process of hardening off your tomato seedlings to prepare them for transplanting next month.
Caring for Established Plants
- Once the foliage of your spring bulbs begins to yellow, cut it back. This is also an ideal time to lift and divide any overcrowded clumps of spring bulbs, as you can still easily identify their location.
- Prune early-flowering (Group 1) clematis varieties, such as Clematis armandii and Clematis montana, immediately after they finish blooming to manage their size.
- Prune spring-flowering shrubs like forsythia once their floral display is over, allowing ample time for new flower buds to develop for the following year. Cut back the spent flower shoots to strong buds situated lower down on the stems.
Maintaining a Healthy Garden
- Stay vigilant with weed control. On dry days, use a Dutch hoe to tackle annual weeds in your borders and vegetable beds, being careful not to disturb the roots of your desired plants. Dig out persistent perennial weeds using a hand fork or daisy grubber. Prevent annual weeds from setting seed whenever possible, remembering the adage: "One year's seeding makes seven years' weeding"!
- Mow your lawn regularly, but consider leaving a designated area unmown this month to provide a valuable habitat and food source for pollinators and other beneficial garden wildlife.
Transform your garden into a thriving oasis this May with a visit to our Carpenters Nursery. Our extensive selection of plants, seeds, and tools ensures you'll discover everything you need to bring your gardening visions to life!
