What to do in your garden during May

In temperate summer-rainfall regions do the following in your garden during May.

Plant and Sow

Annuals

Sow all summer-flowering annuals at the beginning of the month like:

Vegetables

Sow vegetables like:

Garden Maintenance

General garden maintenance

• Deadhead annuals to prolong flowering.
• Cut back regal and zonal Pelargoniums, and make cuttings from the pruned branches.
• Look out for amaryllis-borer caterpillar on Nerines, Amaryllis and Clivias.
• Guard Hostas against snail infestation.
• Divide hardy summer-flowering perennials that have become overcrowded.
• Keep the soil well mulched.
• Prepare trenches for sweet peas.
• 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.
• Water citrus trees well every three weeks and spray against citrus psylla; water other fruit trees thoroughly every second week.

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