
May is usually one of the busiest months
The soil is warm and the plants growing well. But watch out for a sneaky late frost.

Fruit Trees & Bushes
Vegetable Jobs
Sowing in May
Harvesting
Jobs on the Plot
Video
Fruit Trees & Bushes May
Fruit jobs in May
Fruit & Nut Trees
- Net fruit trees with developing fruit to protect from birds.
- Give fruit trees a good watering when in flower.
- Remove bloom from new trees to help them establish.
Soft Fruits
- Net fruit trees with developing fruit to protect from birds.
- Give fruit trees a good watering when in flower.
- Remove blooom from new trees to help them establish.
- Tuck straw under plants to stop rain splash and slugs.
- Remove unwanted runners to help energy going into plants.
Vegetable jobs in May

Vegetable jobs in May
Sowing and Planting
- Transplant self-blanching celery
- Harden off and transplant seedlings sown last month.
- If risk of frosts gone plant out tomatoes.
General care
- Keep earthing up potatoes.
- Water when dry.
Sowing in May

Seeds to Sow and things to Plant Out in May
What to Sow
- Plant out asparagus crowns in well prepared permanent beds.
- Plant out chitted seed potatoes approximately 10-15cm below the soil surface or in potato planters on the patio.
- Plant out onion sets, shallot sets and garlic cloves for crops this summer. Now is your last chance to order onion, shallots and garlic for spring planting.
- Plant out pot-grown fruit trees and bushes.
- Continue to plant raspberry canes and blackberry canes before hotter weather arrives.
Sowing Outdoors
- Globe Artichokes.
- Beetroot seeds.
- Winter Cabbage
- Brussels sprouts, calabrese and broccoli directly into seed beds outside.
- Cauliflower seeds.
- Carrots in rows outdoors, keep soil moist for good germination.
- Spinach.
- Spring Onions
- Parsnips
- Radish
- Kale
- Swede
- Sweetcorn
- Runner and French Beans end of month best
Seeds to sow indoors under cover:
- Celery
- Celeriac
- Start sowing Courgettes, squashes, marrows, Pumpkins etc
- Cucumbers and gherkins
- Runner and French Beans.
- Carrots.
- Sweetcorn.
- Lettuces.
- Radishes (summer).
- Asparagus pea
Harvesting in May
Ready for Harvest in May
- Lettuce
- Spring cabbage
- Rhubarb
- Salad leaves
- Radishes
- Asparagus
- Broad Beans
- Spring Cabbage
- Celeriac
- Endive
- Autumn sown Peas
- Rocket
- Summer Spinach
- Spring Onion
- Swiss Chard
- Turnip
Jobs Around the Plot in May
Jobs in May
Shed Repairs & Maintenance
- Check guttering etc to save valuable water!
- Does that shed need another coat of preservative?
General jobs
- Keep hoeing for dear life!
- Thin out seedlings.
- Keep potting on, hardening off and transplanting.
- Water young plants regularly.
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