Did you know that here in Wales, May averages as the sunniest month of the year, with around 170-180 hours of sunshine? Good news for gardeners, as this means you can get outside and get lots of gardening hours in the bag!
With the lengthier periods of sunshine during May, comes lengthier dry periods too. This is good for the soil in your garden as the dry weather will help it reach an ideal consistency for sowing. Nevertheless, too much dry weather may make it difficult for the new seedlings to get enough water to grow, so use a water butt to collect rainwater when it does fall. Fixing a butt to your downpipe will also enable you to collect rain from your house or shed roof.
As the soil warms up throughout the month, add general purpose fertiliser to borders, fruit and veg patches and containers, before covering with mulch.
Despite the warmer, drier weather, we are still susceptible to late frosts at this time of year, so be sure to protect tender and vulnerable plants from these and protect at night if frost is forecast.
Hoe your borders to get rid of weeds before they have a chance to take hold. Weed out dandelions, or if you don’t have time, chop off their heads before they have a chance to set seed.
Get back into a lawn mowing regime this month– lawns should be mowed weekly at this time of year and now is the time to feed established lawns if you haven’t done so already.
Don’t be tempted to plant out summer bedding until the end of the month. Summer bedding plants will be readily available from garden centres and nurseries by now, but a late spring frost will wreak havoc on them.
If you are clipping hedges during May, ensure that you check the hedges first for any birds that may be nesting in there.
Open up the door and vents in your greenhouse on warmer, sunnier days.
Slugs and snails love to munch on young shoots at this time of year. Use pet-friendly slug pellets and keep an eye out for slugs and snails on your plants. If you find them, pick them off and discard as you see fit. A carefully located flat stone makes an ideal dining table for birds to enjoy a slug-y, snail-y meal!
