May Garden Tips

Pheromone traps can be hung in fruit trees now to catch Plum or Codling moths.

Keep recently put in plants well-watered this is the most important thing when establishing new plants and preventing them from getting checked in growth.

If you have a pond make sure wildlife can get out by having a sloping side or a ramp as young Frogs and Newts will be leaving the pond soon.

Early flowering Clematis such as montana, alpina and macropetala can be tidied or pruned to fit their space after flowering has finished.

Early flowering alpines and perennials such as Alyssum and Aubrieta should be trimmed back after flowering to keep plants compact and promote new growth.

May is a good time to trim evergreen hedges such as Buxus (Box) or Taxus (Yew), but check no nesting birds will be disturbed before doing so.

 Half-hardy plants started off inside should be gradually hardened off ready for planting out towards the end of the month when the danger of frost has passed.

Newly planted lawns from seed or turf will need watering in dry spells and should not be allowed to dry out.

Top dress with new compost and feed with a slow release fertilizer any permanently planted containers..

Runner and French beans can be planted out at the end of the month if the weather is suitable, but it’s better to be a little late rather than too early as plants damaged by cold always struggle.

Deadhead spring bulbs as the flowers fade then give them a high potash feed to build up the bulbs for next year.