May is a busy month. The weather should hopefully improve, the world is getting greener and feels full of energy. Always be guided by the weather and soil conditions when sowing seeds, as conditions can vary greatly across the country. Usually by mid-May most vegetables can be sown outside. Make sure to check when the last frost is in your area when sowing French beans, sweet corn and squash directly as they are very temperature sensitive.
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Asian Greens Seeds (7)
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Aster Seeds (1)
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Beans (12)
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Bee Mixture Seeds (1)
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Beetroot Seeds (6)
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Broccoli Seeds (6)
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Brussels Sprouts Seeds (1)
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Cabbage Seeds (5)
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Calendula Seeds (3)
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California Poppy Seeds (2)
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Carrot Seeds (4)
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Cauliflower Seeds (1)
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Chard Seeds (6)
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Coriander Seeds (1)
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Cornflower Seeds (5)
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Cosmos Seeds (6)
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Courgette Seeds (6)
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Cucumber Seeds (3)
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French Marigold Seeds (3)
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Kale Seeds (7)
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Kohlrabi Seeds (2)
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Leek Seeds (4)
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Lettuce Seeds (19)
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Nasturtium Seeds (3)
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Nigella Seeds (6)
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Parsley Seeds (2)
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Pea seeds (7)
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Poppy Seeds (9)
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Radish Seeds (4)
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Rocket Seeds (2)
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Spring onion seeds (2)
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Squash and Pumpkin Seeds (9)
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Sunflower Seeds (6)
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Sweetcorn Seeds (1)
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Turnip Seeds (2)
May is a busy month in the garden, a culmination of months of planning, sowing and bed preparation. Plant growth is really beginning to take off with the extra warmth and longer days and many of your seedlings will now be ready to go outside.
Here are some jobs to keep you busy this month:
- keep preparing your beds, sowing, planting, weeding…
- It’s time to plant your tomatoes, aubergines, cucumbers, chillies and peppers – it’s a good idea to install your stakes/strings at time of planting so they’re ready as the plants grow. For tomatoes we use jute so we like to do a bowline knot at the base of the stem
- Direct sow dwarf and climbing french and runner beans outdoors after the last frost
- Don’t forget to ‘harden off’ your seedlings that were sown indoors before you plant them outside
- Sow your winter brassicas – brussel sprouts, winter cabbages, cauliflowers and kalettes all benefit from a long growing season
- Sow companion flowers to plant between your crops – things like french marigold, calendula and nasturtium work well to attract beneficial insects
- Water in dry weather. Make sure to keep the soil of new sowings, seedlings indoors and outdoors moist. Do not over-water, especially chillies, aubergines, zinnias
- Pest and disease prevention can be an issue in May. Good growing conditions and soil health can protect plants from many pests and diseases. Use organic methods and leave wild spaces in your garden that will make homes for predatory and beneficial insects to ensure a balanced ecosystem in your garden