Tasks to Complete in the Garden this Month for Summer Readiness and Harvest Time Information
🌻 Welcome to Gardening in May! 🌻
This wondrous month in the south of England is a gardener's delight. Regrettably, we're preoccupied with space dilemmas instead of enjoying the enchanting weather. After all, the seedlings in our glasshouse and cold frames are hustling for positions, and we're eager to plant them out. But patience is key!
🌱 Expert Tips for May Planting:
- Plant Outcare: Plants grown under glass need hardening off before being planted out. Gradually increase their exposure to the elements, starting by leaving them outside during the day and bringing them inside at night. After a few days, they should be fine to be left out all night in a sheltered spot, ready to plant out. However, crops like beans may still need a covering of horticultural fleece if temperatures drop below 7°C.
- Sow, Grow, and Repeat: Sow salad seeds every three to four weeks to ensure a consistently thriving and flavorful harvest all summer long. Remember, there's no point in growing more than you can eat or share.
🌠 What's Hot in May Gardening:
- Grow Tasty Tomatoes and Climbing Beans: Get them in the ground as soon as possible for a bountiful crop, but ensure they are hardened off first to avoid any unpleasant surprises!
- Maincrop Peas: Plant them now for an excellent supply of fresh peas in the upcoming months. Prioritize sturdy supports!
🌻 Garden Maintenance Tasks:
- Sharpen Those Borders: With the borders expanding and grass growing, May is the perfect time to redefine your lawn edges using a half-moon edging tool to create a crisp line that's easy to trim in the summer.
- Weed War: Be vigilant in tackling weeds to prevent their spread and water anything newly planted during dry spells.
🌸 Garden Pop Quiz:
- Why should you do a Chelsea chop on perennials like Althaea cannabina, hylotelephium, nepeta, phlox, and symphyotrichum during May? Answer: To encourage stouter, sturdier plants.
🏡 Backyard Bouquets:
Amplify your living space with beautiful blooms! May is an excellent month to cut lilac, peonies, Viburnum opulus 'Roseum', lily of the valley, and Geum 'Mai Tai' to display indoors as museum-worthy centerpieces.
Remember, HAVE FUN with your green thumbs this May! Create your own garden masterpiece, and don't forget to share your ups, downs, triumphs, and successes with fellow garden enthusiasts.
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References:[1] https://www.bbc.com/g gardening/how-to-guides/08091121-how-to-harden-off-seedlings[2] https://www.gardeningknowhow.com/garden-how-to/sow-seed/sowing-annuals-selection-of-annuals-for-spring.htm[3] https://www.gardeningknowhow.com/edible/vegetables/potatoes/growing-and-harvesting-potatoes.htm[4] https://www.bbc.com/gardening/ plates_and_recipes/plants_to_grow_for_your_first_grow_your_own_kitchen_garden[5] https://www.bbc.com/g gardening/how-to-guides/08091121-how-to-grow-vegetables-succession-sowing
- With the enchanting weather in May, it's essential to harden off plants grown under glass before planting them out in the garden, as this helps them adjust to the elements.
- Sow salad seeds every three to four weeks during May to ensure a consistently thriving and flavorful harvest all summer long, but remember not to grow more than you can eat or share.
- To create a crisp lawn edge that's easy to trim in the summer, use a half-moon edging tool in May to redefine your lawn borders as the grass growth expands.
- To encourage stouter, sturdier plants, perform a Chelsea chop on perennials like Althaea cannabina, hylotelephium, nepeta, phlox, and symphyotrichum during May.
