May Jobs for the Garden

The night time frosts are nearly over.

Summer is just around the corner and your garden is full of new spring growth.

Here are some jobs to be getting on with this month

General gardening jobs

• Frost – be careful of plants with tender young growth, such as annuals & dahlias, being damaged or killed by night time frosts. I was always taught by my Dad that the last week of May was when the last frost occurred.

• Lawns – don’t be tempted to reduce the height of the cut yet. We’ve had little rain and the grass is not growing much yet. Allow it to thicken up.

• Annual and perennial weeds are flourishing, stay on top of them by hoeing or hand weeding your borders.

• Pond weed (Blanket weed) is still thriving as water temperatures rise. Either remove by hand and leave it at the side of the pond for any wildlife to return to the water. This year I’m trying floating a mesh bag of Barley Straw on the pond – about 50g of straw per sq m of water surface area is ideal. Add the straw in spring and remove it when it has turned black (usually about six months later). The decaying straw will deter the growth of the weed…..apparently.

• Pests and diseases will also start to thrive in the warmer conditions. Closely inspect your plants for any signs. Early prevention is best. If unsure consult your friendly local gardener.

• Keep checking under Hosta pots for slugs.

Plant Maintenance

• Don’t prune Box too early as this will reduce the risk of ‘Box Blight‘. RHS advise trimming into shape in August, once new shoots have hardened off and growth has slowed.

• Start adding supports for tall growing perennials, like Delphiniums, before they get too tall.

• Feed container plants with a balanced liquid feed every couple of weeks. Add layer of new compost as a mulch.

• Feed hedges and trees with slow release fertiliser, such as blood fish & bone, to encourage new growth.

• Remove any spring bedding in pots in preparation for replanting for summer. Save any bulbs by drying them off in trays ready for storing over winter. Clean containers and replant with summer bedding (BEWARE OF LATE FROSTS)

• Spring flowering shrubs, such as Chaenomeles, that flower on one year old wood can be pruned after flowering to encourage growth for next years flowers.

• Tidy up any early flowering Clematis (Group 1), such as montana, after flowering. They don’t need pruning, but are vigorous and sometimes need cutting back to keep them in control…..don’t we all!!!!

• As perennials continue to emerge, lift and divide any that are taking up too much space or are lacking growth in the centre of the plant…..free plants.

Bulbs/Tubors

• Leave spring bulb foliage to die back naturally. Feed with liquid fertiliser to encourage formation of new bulb offsets for next years display. Continue to deadhead flowers as they fade.

• Lift and divide Bluebells as they start going over. Re-plant ‘in the green‘ to establish bulbs for next year.

• Alliums are now in bloom, and don’t they look fantastic. If foliage looks messy, cut it back as it won’t affect the bulb.

Seeds/Propogation

• If your growing annuals from seed, prick out and transplant into pots. Grow on under cover and plant out once risk of frost has passed.

• Sow seeds of biennials, such as wallflowers & Foxgloves, for next years flowering plants.

• Time to take cuttings (basal cuttings) from Dahlias that are growing well…. Have a go…..more free plants. Harden off and plant out any tubers in growth after risk of frost has passed.

• If you’ve bought tender plants for hanging baskets, such as Trailing Pelargoniums, try taking some cuttings (softwood cuttings) from them now for extra plants this summer.

Most of all, enjoy your garden.