Garden Calendar - May

May is one of the most beautiful months in the garden. At the beginning of May, most trees are still covered with abundant flowers and young leaves have a fresh green color. Spring is in full swing in the garden, which most gardeners and growers take full advantage of. The only thing that worries them is the threat of ground frosts, which could completely destroy all that beauty and the work done so far. A relatively safe period when ground frosts should no longer occur is considered to be mid-May, specifically the period after the famous trio of Ice Saints - Pancras, Servatius and Boniface. Unfortunately, weather cannot be controlled and frost can easily occur even later.

May is a lottery for gardeners - will there still be frost or not???

In the following article, you will learn what seeds to sow in May and what garden tasks not to forget. You will find out that diseases and pests must be fought early - May is often the ideal time. In May, it's time to plant ornamental flowers in beds and window boxes. You shouldn't forget about houseplants and cacti and succulents either. Although May tempts you to spend time outdoors, these plants also deserve attention. At the end of the article, an interesting tip awaits you related to the most burning question of May - will there be frost or not anymore.

What seeds to sow in May?

In May, many seeds have already successfully germinated and are growing vigorously. However, there are also many other plants for which sowing in May is absolutely ideal. These are mainly direct sowings of seeds of more heat-loving plants. If you didn't have the opportunity to pre-grow your own cucumber seedlings, you can remedy this without regrets at the beginning of May. You can sow pickling cucumbers and field salad cucumbers in beds. Be careful with cucumbers about which variety you're sowing, choosing the right one requires some experience. In mid-May, a close relative of cucumbers is usually sown - zucchini. Young zucchini plants cannot tolerate ground frosts, so watch the weather forecast carefully before planting them in the bed. Frost has a deadly effect on young bean plants and popcorn corn, so they are sown only after frosts have passed. In addition to these "heat-loving" plants, re-sowings of ungerminated seeds are carried out and later varieties of carrots, beetroot, lettuce, broccoli, kohlrabi, peas and many others are sown.

Tip for non-traditional May sowing: sow chicory intended for forcing shoots.

Chicory intended for forcing shoots needs to be considered as early as May.

What Garden Tasks Not to Forget in May?

May is the month for planting in beds. In mid-May, after the Ice Saints, all heat-loving plants that are sensitive to ground frost can be planted in beds. Throughout May, pre-grown seedlings of tomatoes, cucumbers, peppers, courgettes, aubergines and many other treasures still hidden on windowsills or in greenhouses are planted in beds. Adapt the planting time to the current weather forecast and climatic conditions of the area where you are located.

In addition to planting in beds, don't forget to care for previously planted plants during May. Hoe them, pull out emerging weeds, and regularly hill up soil around potatoes. In dry weather, don't forget to water - freshly planted seedlings, flowering strawberries, and trees and shrubs planted in autumn or spring will appreciate it. Many faded bulb flowers remain in the beds and need to be removed so they don't unnecessarily exhaust the plant. Moreover, untrimmed stems with flowers look unsightly and give the impression of an unkempt garden. You should also trim heathers that bloom in late autumn. Hedges are already in full growth in May, so their first trimming should be carried out to make them denser. The lawn is also in full growth, so the season of regular mowing begins. The lawn will appreciate light fertilisation in May.

Plant courgettes in beds only after St. Pancras, St. Servatius and St. Boniface.

Fighting Diseases and Pests is Necessary All Year Round - What to Do in May?

In May, the first generation of hated slugs begins to appear in the garden. Measures against them must be taken before they manage to destroy freshly planted seedlings. You can collect slugs, lure them with beer, or use special pellets designed for slug control. You can hang traps on fruit trees to catch potential pests - for example, the codling moth. Sucking and chewing pests (aphids, whiteflies and spider mites) are also active during this period - fight them with spraying or ecologically with the ROCK EFFECT preparation, which you can also find in our range. In warm and rainy weather, it's worth carrying out preventive treatment of gooseberries against mildew and currants against anthracnose.

The first aid in fighting diseases and pests isn't always just spraying - try ecological preparations and biological predators such as seven-spot ladybirds

Take care of ornamental plants in May too.

If you have pre-grown seedlings of ornamental plants at home, May is the perfect time to plant them in flower beds or decorative planters. During May, you can finally plant dahlias and gladioli. At the end of the month, delphiniums, asters and other pre-grown plants are planted in flower beds. Plant geraniums, surfinia, petunias and lobelia in window boxes and hanging containers. Let your imagination run wild when planting - the final result may pleasantly surprise you. In May, move your fuchsias to their summer location as well. Remember that fuchsias don't like direct midday sun.

Think ahead: don't forget to sow ornamental biennials - hollyhocks, sweet william and foxgloves

What to do with indoor plants during May?

Indoor plants shouldn't be forgotten during May either. There's finally plenty of daylight and plants are starting to grow vigorously again. It's a good time to fertilize or repot plants into larger pots if you haven't done so yet. At the end of May, you can start moving plants to their summer locations. Remember, however, that indoor plants must be gradually accustomed to increased sunlight, otherwise they risk getting sunburned.

Ladybugs are valuable helpers in the garden - they can fight pests ecologically.

Cacti and succulents also follow the calendar - what benefits them in May?

By May at the latest, the summer growing season should begin for all cacti and succulents. Plants grown indoors can be moved to a bright summer location earlier, but only move plants to cold frames and unheated greenhouses when there's no risk of temperatures dropping below freezing in these spaces. Don't forget about shading - cacti moved from a dark room are very sensitive to burning from strong spring sunshine. At the beginning of the warmer period, water cacti and succulents for the first time with lukewarm water. The cacti will drink and the first buds will soon appear. You can support the growth of cacti and succulents with fertilizing.

If you discover pests on cacti and succulents, wait with spraying until they are in full growth, otherwise there is a risk of the cacti dying!!!

What else is good to know in May?

In May, growers most often deal with weather - specifically ground frosts. You'll definitely find a few tips on how to protect plants against potential frosts useful. A very simple method is to throw non-woven fabric over beds and containers, but you can also make various foil tunnels, hotbeds, plastic or paper covers... Flowers and small fruits on fruit trees are also sensitive to frost. Small trees can be wrapped with non-woven fabric to protect against frost, larger trees can be protected by spraying - tiny water droplets will form an ice crust on the branches, which protects the flowers and small fruits from freezing. When temperatures drop below freezing point, spraying must be continuous for this method to be effective.

Good luck with your growing!