May Gardening Jobs
Monthly Jobs: May
Lots of plants should be thriving and in bloom this month, but there’s still plenty to do to keep your garden in tip top shape.
Take a look at our gardening tips for the month below…
Trim topiary
This month is a good time to neaten up any hedging or topiary. Not only will it look better, but a bit of trimming back promotes continued healthy growth.
Tidy new climber shoots
Clematis, Honeysuckle and Wisteria grow well at this time of year, so it is important to train new shoots. Whether you have chosen to grow your climbers up bamboo, trellis or another structure, keep on top of new growth now to ensure you get the desired result!
There are lots of ways to do this, some shoots may be able to be weaved through trellis by hand if they are long enough. For extra support and sturdiness during wind, try using twine or plant rings as pictured above.
PVC Coated Plant Rings (pictured) and Natural Jute Twine both available from £2.99 each.
Remove Strawberry runners
If you are a fruit and veg gardener, you will be familiar with the shoots that strawberry plants throw off to produce new plants. If you are a first time strawberry grower, watch out for these shoots this month!
‘Runners’ are long, leafless shoots that grow along the surface of the soil. You may be able to spot small roots developing at the end of the shoots.
If you are looking to grow new strawberry plants for next year, these runners can be very useful. However, they do take energy from the main plant and may reduce the quality or quantity of the fruit it produces.
For best results, remove them so the plant focuses more energy on fruiting.
Make your own compost
Use food waste, garden waste, cardboard and other waste to make your very own compost!
Gardener’s World has a great guide to help you get started.
Be mindful of nesting birds
Lots of birds are nesting this month, so it is important to watch out for them when maintaining the garden.
Before trimming back any hedges or shrubs, have a quick check for nests.
All of our centres have had nests appear in unusual places – including in some topiary which was swiftly taken off sale!
Plant Summer flowers
Cosmos, Dahliettas, Surfinias, Million Bells – there are lots of choices for seasonal colour this month.
Take a look at our plant multi-buy offers in store, including 4 for £14 on bedding trays.
Have frost fleece to hand
Don’t let any late frosts catch you out! Many plants that bloom in May are tender and may need protection if the temperature drops.
Frost fleece can be reused multiple times and starts from only £1 in store.
Sow Runner & French Beans
Sow runner, climbing and dwarf beans outside this month!
You could be harvesting your own produce from as soon as July.
*All products mentioned in the blog were available at the time of writing