In Irish mythology, the beginning of the summer season started with the Fire Festival of Bealtaine. A time to celebrate and to hope for a good harvest at the end of the season!
The days are lengthening, the soil is warming up and it’s getting busy in the garden! So far this year the weather has been particularly dry so its important to water early in the morning and later in the day, for optimum results. Water butts are a great way to save water and there are more ideas on our water conservation page.
Other jobs to be getting on with are:
- May is a good time to feed plants, especially plants in containers.Add in compost if there’s room, and add fertiliser.
- Sow perennial herbs, such as rosemary, sage, thyme, comfrey, lovage and lemon balm under cover.
- Direct sow nasturtiums, poppies,sunflowers and cornflowers.Some people sow marigolds into the veg patch also to help deter slugs.
- Plant summer bedding plants nearer the end of May.
- Make supports for your runner beans out of bamboo or sticks.
- Lift and divide overcrowded clumps of daffodils and other spring-flowering. It’s better to let foliage die and break down on its own and add then add liquid fertiliser all around the clumps, so they will grow back even better next spring.
In the vegetable garden
- Sow direct once the soil is warm enough:aubergines, beetroot,borlotti beans, french beans, cabbages, cauliflower, chard, courgettes, carrots, cucumbers, globe artichokes, kale, lettuce, rocket, runner beans, sprouting broccoli, and peas.
- Plant tomatoes in grow bags or under cover.
- Or sow vege seeds into seed trays until big enough to transplant and to give them a good start away from slugs!
Fruit
- Protect strawberries with straw to control weeds and lift the berries off the ground.
- Cover currant bushes with netting or horticultural fleece to protect them from bugs and birds.
- Harvest rhubarb, picking only one-third of the total amount of stems.
- Keep young fruit trees well watered.
