- The Ice Saints
- Sowing and planting in May: what is going to be sown now?
- May Harvest: What is ripe now?
- These plants flower in May
- Care for fruit trees and berry bushes in May
- Lawn Care in May
- Pests and beneficial insects in May
- More gardening in May
- Balcony plants for May
Help the development of the site, sharing the article with friends!
Just before summer really starts, it's time to prepare the garden for the great heat. In our overview, we show what gardening work is due in May and what can be planted or harvested now.
In May things are finally really starting in the garden! After all, it is not for nothing that the saying goes: “May makes everything new”. Much can now be sown and planted again. Some things are already ripe and ready for harvest. So there is enough to do. We have summarized for you in this article which garden work is due in May.
The Ice Saints
While the list of chores to do in the garden in May is long, don't rush things. Because the famous ice saints fall in the merry month. Although the days are often warm and sunny in May, the summery weather can hide the fact that frosts at night are still possible in May. Night and ground frost destroys cold-sensitive plants and can throw even the most seasoned gardener out of crop planning. That is why it is often necessary to wait until after the ice saints to sow and plant plants. These mark a turning point in the gardening year. You can only be really sure that there is no more frost after the “Cold Sophie”, the last of the Ice Saints on May 15th. After that you can grow almost anything in the garden to your heart's content.
Sowing and planting in May: what is going to be sown now?
As soon as there is no longer any frost to be expected in the garden, plants grown on the windowsill can be moved outdoors and vegetables can also be sown directly in the bed.
The following vegetables will be sown and planted in May:
- Sowing on the windowsill: Broccoli (Brassica oleracea var. italica), cauliflower (Brassica oleracea var. botrytis), Kale (Brassica oleracea var. sabellica), Kohlrabi ( Brassica oleracea var.gongylodes), Pumpkin (Cucurbita), Brussels Sprouts (Brassica oleracea var. gemmifera),White cabbage (Brassica oleracea convar. capitata var. alba), zucchini (Cucurbita pepo subsp. Pepo convar. giromontiina), sweet corn (Zea mays).
- Sowing directly outdoors: French beans and runner beans (Phaseolus vulgaris), peas (Pisum sativum ), pumpkin, chard (Beta vulgaris subsp. vulgaris), beetroot (Beta vulgaris vulgaris var. conditiva), carrots (Daucus carota subsp. sativus), Sweetcorn, Parsnip (Pastinaca sativa), Onion (Allium cepa), Chicory (Cichorium intybus var. foliosum), Nasturtium (Tropaeolum).
- Plant preferred plants outdoors: Cucumber (Cucumis sativus), kohlrabi, pumpkin, pepper (Capsicum ), tomato (Solanum lycopersicum), celery (Apium graveolens), white cabbage, artichokes (Cynara cardunculusvar. scolymus), Eggplant (Solanum melongena), Zucchini, Basil (Ocimum basilicum ).
Tip: Our peat-free Plantura organic tomato & vegetable soil provides the ideal basis for a rich harvest of aromatic vegetables.
Of course, not only vegetables grow and thrive in the garden in May, now is also the time to sow lots of beautiful summer flowers or to plant flower bulbs.
You can sow and plant the following flowers outdoors in May:
- Flowers and bulbs: Dahlias (Dahlia), Gladioli (Gladiolus), Freesias (Freesia), buttercup (Ranunculus), daylily (Hemerocallis) or tuberous begonias ( Begonia).
- Summerflowers: Tagetes (Tagetes), Asters (Aster), Chrysanthemums ( Chrysanthemum), Hourly Flower (Hibiscus trionum), Marigold (Calendula officinalis), Poppy ( Papaver), Morning Glory (Ipomoea), Cornflower (Cyanus segetum), Snapdragon (Antirrhinum ), Lupins (Lupinus), Sunflower (Helianthus), Columbine (Aquilegia).
May Harvest: What is ripe now?
In May you can already harvest a lot from your own garden.
The following vegetables and fruits are in season in May:
- Harvest in the bed: Leek (Allium porrum), Radish (Raphanus sativus var .sativus), spinach(Spinacia oleracea), Asparagus (Asparagus officinalis), Sugar snap peas (Pisum sativum), Spring onions ( Allium fistulosum), turnips (Brassica rapa subsp. rapa var. majalis ), Lettuce (Lactuca sativa var. crispa), Rhubarb (Rheum rhabarbarum), Strawberries (Fragaria), Elderflowers (Sambucus).
- Fresh herbs: Chives (Allium schoenoprasum), wild garlic (Allium ursinum), Parsley (Petroselinum crispum ssp. crispum), Borage (Borago officinalis), Dill ( Anethum graveolens), Chervil (Anthriscus), Lemon Balm (Melissa officinalis ).
- Greenhouse or polytunnel: Chinese cabbage (Brassica rapa subsp. pekinensis), Kohlrabi, chard, rocket, lettuce, fennel (Foeniculum vulgare).
If you would like to find out more about when which fruit and vegetables grow, we recommend that you take a look at our seasonal calendar.
These plants flower in May
In May it's already green and blooming everywhere. Not only the magnificent peony opens its flowers this month, many trees and shrubs are also blooming now.
These flowers, fruit trees and shrubs bloom in May:
- Some flowers in May: Peonies (Paeonia), Bleeding Heart (Lamprocapnos spectabilis ), Lungwort (Pulmonaria), Forget-Me-Nots (Myosotis), Cranesbill (Geranium), Wood Anemone ( Anemone nemorosa), Horned Violet (Viola cornuta ).
- Flowering fruit trees in May: plum (Prunus domestica), sour cherry (Prunuscerasifera), Sweet Cherry (Prunus avium), Mulberry (Morus), Orange ( Citrus x sinensis), Lemon (Citrus x limon), Nashi Pear ( Pyrus pyrifolia), Mirabelle plum (Prunus domestica subsp. syriaca), Apple (Malus domestica), Pear (Pyrus communis), Kiwi (Actinidia), Indian Banana (Asimina triloba ), Quince (Cydonia oblonga), Pear (Amelanchier).
- Flowering trees and shrubs in May: Maple (Acer), Blue Fir (Abies procera ), Hemp Palm (Trachycarpus fortunei), Mountain Ash (Sorbus aucuparia), Walnut Tree (Juglans), almond tree(Prunus dulcis), Ash (Fraxinus), Beech (Fagus sylvatica), Spruce ( Picea), Juniper (Juniperus), Cherry Laurel (Prunus laurocerasus), Black Locust (Robinia ), Magnolia (Magnolia), Japanese Cherry (Prunus serrulata).
Care for fruit trees and berry bushes in May
Even if the time for the big pruning in May is already over, there are still some care measures for fruit trees and shrubs.
What is there to do for pruning and care of fruit trees and berry bushes?
- Tie down side shoots on young fruit trees
- Pruning back side shoots on espalier fruit
- Shorten new shoots on kiwi trees
- Thin plums
- Fertilize raspberries (Rubus idaeus)
- Mulch berry bushes
- Mulch strawberries
Lawn Care in May
For many, a he althy, green lawn is a must in the garden. In order for the lawn to remain vital, special attention should be paid to lawn care in May. Especially in May, when the temperatures rise significantly and it is sufficiently damp, the lawn grows particularly vigorously and the foundation is laid for a dense grass surface all year round.
Scarify the lawn: Matted and moss-covered lawns are not uncommon, especially with an unfavorable soil structure. If you want to take on this problem, you should use May quickly. In fact, the beginning of May is the last date in spring for scarifying the lawn - after that it is often too warm and dry for the turf to close again without additional action. Scarifying removes thatch and improves the tillering of the grass, ultimately making the lawn denser again.
Reseed the lawn: Over the winter, frost causes thinning spots or bare patches in the lawn. In order to get a more even picture, it is worth overseeding the lawn in May. In particular, lawn seed with the fast-germinating lawn type Lolium perenne, as contained in our Plantura lawn re-seeding, ensures that thin lawn areas are quickly filled. The warm temperatures in May ensure good growth of the lawn seeds and thus help to quickly close the thinned areas.
Mowing lawn:In May, the lawn often gets a growth spurt. To keep it from getting out of hand, regular lawn mowing is the order of the day. You can find out which cutting height you should aim for depending on the type of lawn in our special article on the subject of lawn mowing. However, the rule of thumb for any lawn is that no more than 1/3 - maximum half of the stalks - may be shortened. The growth rate of the lawn thus determines the frequency of cuts.
Pests and beneficial insects in May
In May there's a lot of crawling and crawling in the garden. That's why there is now a lot to do to promote beneficial insects and put pests in their place.
Which pests and beneficial insects should I look out for in May?
- Promote ladybirds against aphids
- Keep away cherry fruit fly with yellow panels
- Protect cabbages with nets against pests
- Check young vegetables for caterpillars
- Plant chervil to protect against snails
Note: The voracious box tree moth is also active in May and can cause major damage to box trees. Here we will show you how to recognize a borer infestation. Biological sprays such as our Plantura Zünslerfrei XenTari® are particularly suitable for combating the box tree moth. This is not dangerous to bees, but is effective against the caterpillars of the box tree moth. In this article you will find out how to use the remedy and fight the box tree moth biologically.
We tell you even more about small, useful helpers in the garden in our article on the 10 most important beneficial insects in the garden.
More gardening in May
Hard off young plants: To make it easier for young plants to move from the windowsill to the outside, you can harden them off. Otherwise, the shock of suddenly being able to cope permanently with solar radiation, wind and changing temperatures is too great for the young plants. To do this, place the plants outside on the terrace or in the garden during the day and bring them back inside at night. After a few days, the plants are ready to go outdoors permanently.
Chop vegetable beds regularly: If one or two vegetables are already growing in the bed, you can chop them regularly. This has several advantages: hoeing removes unwanted weeds, the soil is loosened and can therefore water betterrecord, tape. In addition, regular hoeing stimulates mineralization in the soil and makes nutrients more readily available for the plant.
Mulching: Mulching is a popular practice in permaculture. This involves spreading organic material over beds or under bushes and shrubs. This protects the soil from drying out, suppresses weeds and also provides the plants with nutrients from the organic material. A mulch layer made of pine bark, for example our natural Plantura organic pine bark, combines the advantages of mulching with an extremely decorative look.
Thin out row seeds: If vegetables were sown in rows directly into the bed before May, now may be the time to do this to thin out Carrots, radishes or parsnips must be thinned out so that the individual plants have enough space to develop well.
Turn the compost: May is a good time to turn the compost. As soon as the temperatures rise again in spring and it gets warmer, the microorganisms start their work again after the hibernation. The decomposition processes in the compost are faster. The mature compost can be used to create new beds or to fertilize plants with high nutrient requirements.
Fertilize young plants: Speaking of fertilizing: Young plants that have already been sown or planted can tolerate fertilization in May. This helps the plants grow and ensures a rich harvest. Our Plantura fertilizers are the ideal companions for you in the garden, because they are sustainable and environmentally friendly.
Put potted plants outside after the ice saints: If no more frosts are to be expected, your potted plants can also move from their winter quarters to the garden.
Create a flower meadow: If you've been thinking about creating a flower meadow in your garden for a long time, May is the best time to do so. To do this, the selected area is dug up and finely raked. Then spread flower meadow seeds over the area and keep them moist until the seeds germinate. The Plantura beneficial insect magnet, for example, is ideal for this. Soon you can look forward to colorful flowers and a real magnet for insects and beneficial insects.
Of course, not only in May do you have the opportunity to see biodiversity into promote and maintain your garden. In our special article we explain why biodiversity is so important and what you can do about it in your own green.
Balcony plants for May
In May, the balcony season is finally starting again. But that doesn't just mean that in May you can finally enjoy the days on your balcony again - instead, plants that give the balcony its charm also need special attention in May. This is the only way to preserve its beauty and the balcony will be transformed into a small piece of paradise in May.
Blossom wonders in May: In May you can finally look forward to boxes full of colorful balcony flowers again: In addition to classics such as geraniums (Pelargoniums) , petunias (Petunia) and busy Lizzies (Impatiens walleriana) are also presented by Cinderflower (Pericallis hybrids ), Sweet Stone Iris (Lobularia maritima) and Magic Bells (Calibrachoa).
Off to the balcony: gladiolus (Gladiolus), dahlias (Dahlia) and other bulbs, which only bloom in summer, often spend the winter indoors to escape the icy cold. From mid-May, however, the balcony flowers can slowly move back to their usual place on the balcony.
Create a snack garden: Not only flowers deserve a place on the balcony - balcony strawberries (Fragaria) are also a great addition . Everbearing strawberry varieties with a hanging growth not only invite you to snack in between, but are often also particularly decorative.
If you want to start preparing for the next month, you can read here about the garden work that needs to be done in June.