Garden Maintenance in May
1. Plant out summer bedding at the end of the month.
2. Encourage customers to collect rainwater for irrigation.
3. Hoe regularly between rows on hot days to make sure the weeds dry up and die.
4. Open greenhouse vents and doors on warm days.
5. Mow lawns regularly.
6. Trim hedges (check for nesting birds first).
7. Lift and divide overcrowded clumps of daffodils and other spring-flowering bulbs.
8. Watch out for viburnum beetle and lily beetle grubs.
9. Mulching around the base of your plants will help them to retain moisture around the roots.
10. Keep pots and hanging baskets well watered using collected rainwater wherever possible.
Trees, shrubs and hedges
- Take softwood cuttings of deciduous shrubs such as Forsythia, Fuchsia and Hydrangea.
- Prune out any frost damage on evergreen shrubs.
- Cut back tender shrubs such as Penstemon and Fuchsia after the danger of frost has past.
- Trim evergreen hedges to keep them neat. Evergreens such as Viburnum tinus can also still be trimmed this month if not in flower.
- Prune spring-flowering shrubs such as Berberis, Choisya and Ribes after they have finished flowering.
- Prune overcrowded or dead stems of Clematis montana once it has finished flowering – don’t worry it will take even hard pruning very well.
- Late spring is a good time to coppice or pollard Eucalyptus.
- Tie in climbing and rambling roses as near to horizontal as possible to restrict sap flow and result in more flowers.
- Remove any reverted green shoots on variegated evergreens, to prevent them reverting to a single colour.
Lawn Care
- Mow regularly.
- Maintain a 3in gutter around the lawn edge. This will prevent grass from creeping into the border.
- Apply a high nitrogen summer lawn fertiliser to encourage a healthy-looking lawn.
- If moss is a problem, choose a combined fertiliser and mosskiller when feeding the lawn.
- A selective lawn weedkiller will kill the weeds but not the grass.
- Sowing new lawns or over-seeding dead patches can still be carried out in early May while the ground is moist.
- Molehills are often a problem in spring.
Pond Care
- Divide and plant waterlilies if not done last month.
- Thin out, cut back or divide excessive new growth on aquatic plants.
- Clean out pond filters.
- Plant any new aquatic plants you fancy this month.
- Fish will need feeding - a little and often is best.
- Remove blanket weed.
Landscaping
- Use a pressure washer to remove algae from paths. An algae killer may help.
- Remove dirt and algae from walls, paving and patios.
- Repair pergolas, arbours and arches as necessary.
- If the weather is dry you can treat fences, sheds etc with wood preservative and stain. Use a recent preservative as some of the older chemicals are now illegal (such as old creosote).
Flowers
- Put supports in place now for tall herbaceous plants or those with heavy blooms before they are too tall.
- Plant out cannas and dahlias when danger of frost is past.
- May is a good time to divide herbaceous perennials that you want to propagate or that are getting too big. Dividing will also help the plant to produce new growth.
- Bamboos can be divided in the same way.
- Divide hostas as they come into growth.
- Cut back clumps of spring-flowering perennials such as Pulmonaria and Doronicum to encourage fresh foliage. This will keep the plants size in check and flower better next year.
- Divide primroses after flowering and plant them in a nursery bed until they are ready for planting out again in the autumn.
- Remove faded wallflowers and spring bedding from beds and pots to make space for summer planting.
- Take softwood cuttings of tender perennials to propagate your favourites.
- Check pot plants for signs of being root bound.
- Deadhead tulips and daffodils but allow the foliage of daffodils and other spring-flowering bulbs to die down naturally rather than tying in knots.
- Apply a liquid fertiliser to spring bulbs after they have flowered will help prevent daffodil blindness and encourage a good display next year.
Greenhouse and house plants
- Train new stems of passionflowers over their frames.
- Apply shade paint to the outside of the glass or similar measures to prevent temperatures soaring in your greenhouse on sunny days.
- Wet the floor of your greenhouse regularly on hot days to increase humidity levels and reduce the risk of pests such as glasshouse red spider mite.
Did you know?
Attracting wildlife to a garden can help to control pests.
Plants to attract Bees and Butterflies: List of plants to attract beneficial insects
Plants to attract Birds: List of plants that will attract birds to your garden
Easy and cheap way to make a bird bath
I am a member of The Gardeners' Guild who have prepared the list of maintenance tasks for each month of the year.
t: 0845 05 33 106
e: [email protected]
w: www.thegardenersguild.co.uk
You can follow TGG updates on Twitter http://twitter.com/TGGTradeNetwork
or visit their own news page http://www.thegardenersguild.co.uk/news.html.
The Gardeners Guild (TGG) is a national trade network for qualified gardeners. Established in 2006, TGG maintains a register of certified gardeners who offer garden and grounds maintenance as part of their services. TGG provides you with greater assurance when selecting a gardener. TGG members must hold at least one government endorsed horticultural qualification equal to Ofqual Level 2 Certificate or higher and are required to abide by the terms of membership. As a client of K&M Garden Services you can be confident that you have chosen a TGG member who has been officially trained and formally assessed to meet high horticultural standards.
1. Plant out summer bedding at the end of the month.
2. Encourage customers to collect rainwater for irrigation.
3. Hoe regularly between rows on hot days to make sure the weeds dry up and die.
4. Open greenhouse vents and doors on warm days.
5. Mow lawns regularly.
6. Trim hedges (check for nesting birds first).
7. Lift and divide overcrowded clumps of daffodils and other spring-flowering bulbs.
8. Watch out for viburnum beetle and lily beetle grubs.
9. Mulching around the base of your plants will help them to retain moisture around the roots.
10. Keep pots and hanging baskets well watered using collected rainwater wherever possible.
Trees, shrubs and hedges
- Take softwood cuttings of deciduous shrubs such as Forsythia, Fuchsia and Hydrangea.
- Prune out any frost damage on evergreen shrubs.
- Cut back tender shrubs such as Penstemon and Fuchsia after the danger of frost has past.
- Trim evergreen hedges to keep them neat. Evergreens such as Viburnum tinus can also still be trimmed this month if not in flower.
- Prune spring-flowering shrubs such as Berberis, Choisya and Ribes after they have finished flowering.
- Prune overcrowded or dead stems of Clematis montana once it has finished flowering – don’t worry it will take even hard pruning very well.
- Late spring is a good time to coppice or pollard Eucalyptus.
- Tie in climbing and rambling roses as near to horizontal as possible to restrict sap flow and result in more flowers.
- Remove any reverted green shoots on variegated evergreens, to prevent them reverting to a single colour.
Lawn Care
- Mow regularly.
- Maintain a 3in gutter around the lawn edge. This will prevent grass from creeping into the border.
- Apply a high nitrogen summer lawn fertiliser to encourage a healthy-looking lawn.
- If moss is a problem, choose a combined fertiliser and mosskiller when feeding the lawn.
- A selective lawn weedkiller will kill the weeds but not the grass.
- Sowing new lawns or over-seeding dead patches can still be carried out in early May while the ground is moist.
- Molehills are often a problem in spring.
Pond Care
- Divide and plant waterlilies if not done last month.
- Thin out, cut back or divide excessive new growth on aquatic plants.
- Clean out pond filters.
- Plant any new aquatic plants you fancy this month.
- Fish will need feeding - a little and often is best.
- Remove blanket weed.
Landscaping
- Use a pressure washer to remove algae from paths. An algae killer may help.
- Remove dirt and algae from walls, paving and patios.
- Repair pergolas, arbours and arches as necessary.
- If the weather is dry you can treat fences, sheds etc with wood preservative and stain. Use a recent preservative as some of the older chemicals are now illegal (such as old creosote).
Flowers
- Put supports in place now for tall herbaceous plants or those with heavy blooms before they are too tall.
- Plant out cannas and dahlias when danger of frost is past.
- May is a good time to divide herbaceous perennials that you want to propagate or that are getting too big. Dividing will also help the plant to produce new growth.
- Bamboos can be divided in the same way.
- Divide hostas as they come into growth.
- Cut back clumps of spring-flowering perennials such as Pulmonaria and Doronicum to encourage fresh foliage. This will keep the plants size in check and flower better next year.
- Divide primroses after flowering and plant them in a nursery bed until they are ready for planting out again in the autumn.
- Remove faded wallflowers and spring bedding from beds and pots to make space for summer planting.
- Take softwood cuttings of tender perennials to propagate your favourites.
- Check pot plants for signs of being root bound.
- Deadhead tulips and daffodils but allow the foliage of daffodils and other spring-flowering bulbs to die down naturally rather than tying in knots.
- Apply a liquid fertiliser to spring bulbs after they have flowered will help prevent daffodil blindness and encourage a good display next year.
Greenhouse and house plants
- Train new stems of passionflowers over their frames.
- Apply shade paint to the outside of the glass or similar measures to prevent temperatures soaring in your greenhouse on sunny days.
- Wet the floor of your greenhouse regularly on hot days to increase humidity levels and reduce the risk of pests such as glasshouse red spider mite.
Did you know?
Attracting wildlife to a garden can help to control pests.
Plants to attract Bees and Butterflies: List of plants to attract beneficial insects
Plants to attract Birds: List of plants that will attract birds to your garden
Easy and cheap way to make a bird bath
I am a member of The Gardeners' Guild who have prepared the list of maintenance tasks for each month of the year.
t: 0845 05 33 106
e: [email protected]
w: www.thegardenersguild.co.uk
You can follow TGG updates on Twitter http://twitter.com/TGGTradeNetwork
or visit their own news page http://www.thegardenersguild.co.uk/news.html.
The Gardeners Guild (TGG) is a national trade network for qualified gardeners. Established in 2006, TGG maintains a register of certified gardeners who offer garden and grounds maintenance as part of their services. TGG provides you with greater assurance when selecting a gardener. TGG members must hold at least one government endorsed horticultural qualification equal to Ofqual Level 2 Certificate or higher and are required to abide by the terms of membership. As a client of K&M Garden Services you can be confident that you have chosen a TGG member who has been officially trained and formally assessed to meet high horticultural standards.