What to do in your garden during May

In dry continental and highveld, summer-rainfall regions do the following the garden.

Plant and Sow

Annuals

Sow all summer-flowering annuals like:

Vegetables

Sow vegetables like:

Garden Maintenance

General garden maintenance

• Stop feeding roses to prevent lush young growth from appearing; they should harden off for winter.
• Protect young and tender plants from cold winds.
• Water the lawn once a month.
• Once a week, water Azaleas, Camellias and shrubs from the winter-rainfall areas.
• Water fruit trees, vines and berries well once every three weeks.
• Plant Ranunculus and Anemone bulbs.
• Plant out container-grown trees and shrubs.
• Spray apples, pears and quinces against codling moth, and peaches against fruit fly.
• Water citrus trees well every three weeks and spray against citrus psylla; water other fruit trees thoroughly every second week.
• Keep the soil well mulched.
• Consider installing a rainwater tank. Many container-grown plants do best if watered with rainwater.
• Stake Dahlias and water and fertilize them regularly.
• Mulch roses well.
• Cut back Chrysanthemums.
• Deadhead roses regularly.
• Sow lawn seed.
• Transplant Primula seedlings.
• Prepare trenches for sweet peas.
• Feed and mulch Hydrangea, and remove the dead flowerheads from the bushes.
• Spray apricots, cherries, nectarines, peaches and plums against fruit fly; and apples, pears and quinces against codling moth.
• Water citrus trees every three weeks in dry weather, and spray with insecticide.
• Feed fruit trees after the fruit are harvested

For May maintenance tips on watering, pruning, pests and disease, fertilizing and much more visit our countrywide maintenance guide.