What To Do in the May Garden

Many perennials are now in bloom in May as well as the last spring bulbs.

Late flowering trees such as crab apples are also in bloom, and the pastel colours of the Wisteria hang heavily from their supports.

May is the prime month for Rhododendrums. This is the month to seek out new varieties to add to your garden. Heavenly scented Lilacs are another shrub that flowers in May

There are many things to do in the garden in May like setting up supports for tall plants, pinching leggy growth, transplanting, weeding & taking care of lawns. Late this month is the time to make your own June to September Hanging Basket of annual flowers to brighten your deck or patio this summer.

Perennials & Tubers

Pinch out growing tips of chrysanthemums and asters to promote bushy growth

Plant out dahlia tubers - to avoid damage to tubers, position support stakes in ground first.

Stake tall perennials such as delphiniums.

Perennial Garden Plant Selector Tool

Annuals

Plant out bedding plants after the last danger of frost (usually last full moon of the month)

Thin out seedlings retaining the best and strongest.

Annuals - Plant Selector Tool

Vegetables, Fruit & Herbs

Continue sowing rows of lettuce, carrots, spinach, radishes, bush & pole beans, peppers and potatos

Start crops of cauliflower, broccoli, brussels sprouts, cabbages and pumpkins. Start main crop of potatoes. Plant asparagus.

Feed tomato plants, remove side shoots. Plant out store bought plants after last frost. Also plant out peppers, eggplants and squashes including zucchini.

Sow corn, cucumber and squash. Plant corn in blocks for better pollination.

Keep garden well weeded and watered looking for sign of pests and diseases. Slugs are a problem for tender seedlings.

Cut off strawberry runners.

Take cutting of rosemary, sage and thyme.

Bulbs

Tie back fading bulb leaves, or dig up and relocate to an area where they can die back.

Feed daffodils with fish fertalizer to flower well next year.

Trees & Shrubs

Train or tie new shoots of climbers to grow as desired to cover space evenly. After flowering, prune down the tangled clematis growth in .

prune deciduous shrubs after flowering

remove seed heads from rhododendrons and azaleas.

Apply a light mulch aroung outer area of rootball with well aged compost, and to shallow rooted evergreens too such as camellias.

Lawns

Keep newly turfed or sown lawns well watered.

Continue maintenance on existing lawns

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