5 Gardening jobs for May
May is here and it is an absolute belter here in the UK. We have had back to back, glorious sunshine for weeks on end now, which is wonderful for our souls! It’s wonderful for our plants in some ways - the consistently warm temperatures have meant fast growth and being able to plant out without fear of an unexpected late frost as we have experienced in some years (I remember having to fleece all my plants including my potatoes a few years ago in mid May!). However, being in the middle of a drought has meant that I’ve had to step up my watering game and think outside the box for ways to conserve water and to keep my plants and seedling hydrated.
One of the benefits about this beautiful weather is that I have been able to spend more time at the plot tending to the plants, doing some maintenance and overhauling of the infamous ‘back end of the plot’ (AKA the completely left to it’s own devices back corner that I’m always intending to tackle but never actually do!). I’ve been able to restore the woodchipped paths and have enjoyed many an evening dinner picnic or fish and chips at the plot in the warm evening sun.
So what can we be getting on with this month in our gardens and allotments? Well, here are 5 jobs that will see us through the month and hopefully through this draught!
Set up water collection systems.
Spring in the UK has been one of the warmest and driest on record. According to Met Office statistics, so far, the mean temperature for the UK this spring stands at 8.77°C, which is 0.69°C above the seasonal average. This places it as the 8th warmest spring since the series began in 1884. Alongside this we have had a significant lack of rainfall, and on top of that, when we have had rain in recent weeks it hasn’t necessarily been the downpour to refresh our crops and saturate our soil that we had hoped for. In Devon, the last rainfall was last weekend and it wasn’t really enough to permeate the surface of the soil. So what can you do to maximise water collection and retention in a drought? Well, there are a few things. I already have a water collection system set up at my allotment consisting of 2 water butts that are supplied by water collected via drain pipes and guttering attached to my shed. In addition to this I have set out several flexi buckets around the plot to collect rain water as and when it rains (if it ever does again!). You could also use a bog standard bucket, a plastic storage container or any other receptacle that you can collect water in.
I’ve also begun to make my own water systems at the allotment using terracotta pots to create my own olla’s (check out my Instagram page for my latest reel showing how to make these - I’ll also be writing a step by step instruction guide on the blog to show you how to make these). Terracotta is a brilliant material to use to make watering implements and systems as it is a naturally porous material which means it allows water to slowly seep out and into the earth.
2. Harden off and plant out seedlings.
By now, the temperatures in the majority of the UK are warm enough that we have moved past our potential last frost dates, which means we can get most of our seedlings hardened off and planted out! This is the exciting part, the part we have been waiting for, where our evenings of planning our patches comes to fruition and we create the reality of our schemes and dreams! Hardening off your plants is easy - simply bring them out of the greenhouse, polytunnel or window sill into an outdoor space during the daytime and then bring them back in at night for roughly 5 - 7 days. At the moment I’m laying my plants in a shady spot to begin with to protect them from the intense sun but as I get closer to their planting out day I am moving them into more direct sunlight to allow them to get used to being in the heat of the sun. Once you have hardened them off, they are ready for planting!
3. Thin seedlings.
If you have already direct sown vegetables like carrots, parsnips, radish, beetroot etc you will most likely have noticed that they are poking their little heads above the soil surface about now, and that they are probably surround by many of their little seedling buddies! Thinning seedlings is the practice of removing seedlings to create enough space for our vegetables to grow. This way our root vegetables grow stronger, larger and healthier and don’t get tangled up with each other (although we don’t mind wonky veg do we!)
To thin your seedlings, all you need to do its to remove some of the weaker looking seedlings to create space between each young vegetable plant. I usually thing parsnips, carrots, radish and beetroot to 2 fingers width apart initially and then in a few weeks I will thin again to create optimal space between my vegetables. This spacing depends on the vegetable so it’s always a good idea to check the recommendations on your seed packet.
4. Create support structures - flowers and veg.
Hopefully by now some of your veggies and flowers are growing at a good rate and beginning to fill out the space in their beds. If you haven’t already built their support structures then now is the perfect time to do so before they become to big and it is increasingly difficult to build a structure around them. The type of structure you can create depends on the type of vegetable of flower that you are supporting. Peas, runner beans, sweet peas and cucumbers are happy growing up tepees or arches. I also tend to grow my squash vertically to create more growing space and the infamous ‘squarch’ on my plot. Another great support structure for runner beans or mange tout is an A frame which are fairly straight forward to make and can be reused each year. Dahlias, peonies and cosmos are best supported with a cylindrical support structure which you can buy at most garden centres, or make using cattle fencing, hazel poles or canes. Some plants will only need a simple stake to support them - brassicas such as kale, kalettes and brussel sprouts can be attached to a wooden stake to help them stay upright, which is also something I use for broad beans, sunflowers and perennial kale.
Earth up potatoes
As our potatoes grow you will start to notice green shoots poking through the soil. As these grow, covering them will encourage greater growth and in turn, hopefully a better yield when we come to harvest. If you are growing you potatoes using the trench method then you will need to rake the soil from your mounds over your potatoes as the shoots appear until they begin to flower. If you are growing your potatoes in buckets or tubs, simply add a layer of soil or compost to cover the shoots as they appear. Repeat this until you bucket or tub is full and then leave to grow and flower.
Some extra jobs for May include sowing companion pants such as calendula, chives, nasturtium and marigolds to attract pollinators and deter pests from your crops. May is also a great time to mulch fruit bushes and you can do this with a layer of peat free compost or woodchip mulch. For those of us still caring for plants and seedlings, keep potting on growing plants to give the roots room to grow and establish.