Gardening Jobs in May
What gardening jobs are there to do in May? Where I live, April has been unusually cool and wet. I didn’t get all my April jobs done, and my ‘gardening jobs agenda’ for May is rather full. The wheel of the year is turning, and the garden does not wait.
Potatoes
If you planted all your potatoes in April, they are probably developing their first leaves by now. It’s time to earth them up now. Cover the leaves with soil, and only let the tops peek out. Repeat this process regularly as the plants grow and develop.
Sweet Corn
If you are planting sweet corn, you can now sow them in deep pots indoors. That will give them a head-start. Transplant them to a sunny spot in June.
Beans
Once there is no more risk of late frosts, you can sow all kinds of beans outside (runner, broad, dwarf). They like a sunny spot, but not too hot. Protect them from the slugs and snails—young bean shoots are their favourite snack. If slugs are a big problem, start the plants in seed trays and transplant them only once they are strong enough to withstand a slug attack.
Warmth-loving plants: Tomatoes, Peppers, Courgettes, Aubergines
Your tomato, aubergine and pepper plants are probably growing fast now. There comes a point when they seem to yell, ‘Get me out of here and plant me into the garden!’ Resist the temptation unless there is no more danger of late frosts in your growing zone. But, to appease them, you can harden them off. Take them outside during the day, but bring them back in at night until night temperatures are reliably around 10 °C.
You can also still sow cucumbers and melons—but keep them warm and protected for now.
Salad Veg and Greens
Sow batches of salad vegetables like radishes, lettuce, Swiss chard and Arugula/Rocket, to ensure a continuous supply.
Root crops
You can still sow root crops such as carrots, beetroots, leeks and turnips.
Winter Veg
Sow Leeks and brassicas for overwintering. It is best to start them off indoors to protect them from slug- and insect attacks.
Kitchen Herbs
It is also the perfect time to sow warmth-loving herbs such as basil and coriander. Protect them against attacks from ravenous slugs.
Weeds
May is lush! Everything sprouts and grows – including the weeds. But no need to curse them – if you can’t beat them, eat them! Check your garden weeds to see if they are edible and could go into a ‘foraged’ dinner. Bishop’s Weed, Stinging Nettles, Ground Ivy, Wild Garlic and Dandelion are all excellent in the ‘wild food cuisines’.
Flowers
Sow annuals like Californian Poppies, or nasturtiums in any gaps in your borders for extra colour in the summer. The bees and insects will thank you.
Maintenance Jobs
There are always maintenance jobs that need to be taken care of:
- If you have a pond, check for pondweed and algae and clean it out if necessary.
- Build supports for climbing plants.
Keep bird feeders and birdbaths clean.
Happy Gardening!
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