May in the garden - some jobs I will be doing in my garden in May

There is lots to do in May but keep an eye on the weather forecast and risk of frost. In the vegetable beds:

Keep cloches or fleece handy to cover young plants.

Continue to earth up your early potatoes, creating a ridge of soil around the plant which prevents the leaf getting frost damage and the tubers turning green.

Plant out young plants; leeks, kale, squashes, marrow
Plant out sweetcorn, plant in blocks rather than rows, 30 cm apart each way. Sweetcorn is pollinated by the wind and in blocks there is more chance of pollination being successful.

Pinch out broad bean tips to discourage black fly.
Plant carrot seed ,but sow as thinly as possible to avoid having to thinning out and thereby attracting carrot fly. This year I am trying seed tape for this reason.

Direct sow beetroot.
Direct so salad crops in my cold frames.

Hoe regularly to keep on top of the weeds, your plants don't want to compete for nutrients.
Remove strawberry runners so that the energy goes into to the fruit and add straw to stop the strawberries sitting on wet ground where they can go soggy or be attacked by slugs.
Plant out your runner and french beans towards the end of the month on the supports put up earlier in the year.

Keep an eye open for pests.
Open green house doors and vents on warm days.
Mow the lawns regularly.

Sow Basil in the greenhouse as a companion plant to tomatoes as it is supposed to repel insects and increase yield.
Direct sow calendula (calandula officinalis) - I like to use as a companion plant in the vegetable beds , especially near the beans , to attract beneficial insects, including ladybirds, lacewings and overfills which eat aphids. It also repels whitefly from tomatoes.
Towards the end of the month plant tomatoes in their final position in the greenhouse. Cut back early flowering perennials, which simply means cutting back finished flowers.I don’t actually plant that many bedding plants. I’ve grown Cosmos from seed this year. The garden centres are full of beautiful bedding plants at this time of year, just be careful when you plant them, make sure its during a warm spell.
Feed (not your young plants - they will get all the nutrients they require from your prepared soil beds ) and water and protect your plants, stake and support your tall perennials before they get to tall.

Enjoy the garden now the weather is getting warmer.