Top Tips for May 

 

We think it's fair to say that the good weather has finally arrived and looks like it's going to stay!

 

If you've been stood at the window yearning to get out in the garden and start digging, then now's your chance.

To help you along, here's our top tips for gardening in May:

1. Get ready. It'll soon be time to plant out summer bedding, so get out and prepare the soil in your beds/borders by forking in some good-quality compost or a small amount of general fertiliser.

2. "We will fight them at the peaches". Unless you're a pacifist, now is a good time to start the yearly war against slugs & snails. They love all of the delicate new shoots that you should be seeing come up at around this time of year.

There are plenty of pet-friendly or non-toxic slug and snail killers out there, and there's also specific grit & traps available to stop them attacking your plants. Or, if you're feeling a bit old fashioned, you can just chuck them over the hedge, and make them next door's problem!

3. Think outside the box. If you've got any box topiary or hedging that's starting to look a bit untidy, now would be a good time to give them a bit of a trim.

 

If you're feeling original, why not start working on an interesting shape (as long as it's not rude!). If not, geometric shapes are the quickest & easiest to create.

4. Give yourself a head start. Although it is warming up outside, there's always the chance of a late-spring frost, so there's no reason why you shouldn't bring summer-fruiting plants like Strawberries into a warm greenhouse to keep them safe until summer.

5. Look after your lawn. We spoke last month about caring for your little patch of green-space, and now is the time that lawn weeds such as dandelions, daisies and moss start to show their faces.

There are plenty of weedkillers available for use on lawns, but sometimes the best way to get rid of the pesky critters is to dig them out by hand. Make sure you get the whole root out, though, otherwise they'll be back to haunt you.

 

WATCH VIDEO: How to care for your lawn

 

 

Plant

- Sow seeds for: Lettuce, rocket, beetroot, watercress and other 'leafy greens'

- Container-grown roses & shrubs

- Tomatos (keep an eye out for frosts)

- Peppers