Flower Land

May

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As summer nearly arrives with its hot and long days, gardens need lots of attention. Be ready with the hose pipe and plant food to ensure lots of blooms and colour all summer long.

Ideas for growth in May

Week One

This is the First week of the May month

Week Two

	Time Saving Tip: Sharpen garden tools, including the spade and hoe. They will be easier and quicker to use.
	Money Saving Tip: Container grown plants,such as hostas,which are prone to slug damage may be protected by coating the rim of the pot with vaseline. The slugs won’t crawl through it.
	Water plants growing at the base of walls where the soil tends to remain dry even when it is raining
	Where there are mature ash,beech and sycamore growing, seedling trees will appear all over the garden. Remove them as soon as you see them as they quickly grow to an unmanageable size.
	Hardy fuchsia will soon be producing new shoots from the base.Water and apply a balanced fertilizer to help them grow away quickly.
	Erect fine mesh or fleece screens around young carrots to keep the carrot fly from laying its eggs close to the crop.
	In areas of shrubs infested with bindweed insert bamboo canes. The weed will twist its way up the cane where it may be sprayed with weed killer without damaging the nearby plants.
	Ground cover plants such as lamium and vinca can be clipped over to remove the old, tired foliage. The new growths will look better.

Week Three

	Time Saving Tip: When potting and repotting plants leave 5 cm (2 in ) at the top of the container free of compost for a good application of water.
	Money Saving Tip: Beds of old heathers may be rejuvenated by spreading a 10 cm (4 inch) deep layer of peat over the surface and washing it down to soil level with a hose.The heathers will reroot up the stems into the peat.
	Start spraying roses to control black spot and mildew.
	As potato shoots appear earth up the soil around them.
	During warm days open the greenhouse ventilators, closing them before evening
	There is still time to sow sweet corn and cucumbers for planting outside in a sheltered site in mid June.
	Feed bush and cane fruit with a high potash fertilizer.
	Patches in the lawn can be oversown with grass seed.Loosen the surface of the soil and cover the seed with clear polythene to hasten germination.

Week Four

	Time Saving Tip: After scarifying the lawn by rake or machine use the lawn mower, set high, to collect the debris for dumping or composting.
	Money Saving Tip: Where you need privacy to sit out in the garden in summer grow a line of Jerusalem artichoke. They quickly grow to 2-3 metres(7-10 ft) high, forming a screen. The tubers make a wonderful soup.
	Give the spring bulbs which have finished flowering a feed of general purpose fertilizer to build up their strength for next year.
	Sow carrots and parsley thinly to avoid having to remove crowded seedlings. It is the smell of crushed foliage which attracts carrot fly.
	Clear weeds from around bush fruit and strawberries to allow a movement of air.
	Remove the dead flower heads from hydrangeas to allow the new shoots to take their place.
	Grow some extra basil in pots which can be used in the greenhouse to attract white fly. They prefer basil to tomatoes. When covered in the pest the basil may be dumped or burnt.
	Any peach leaves infected with peach leaf curl can be removed and burnt



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