Scroll down to see what you should be doing in
the garden this month:
the garden this month:
May June JulyAugust
September October
May
VegetablesSeptember October
May
f Harvest spring cabbage, lettuce, spring onions, and radish
f Plant Brussels sprouts, Cauliflower and Cabbage (Brassicas)
f Protect Brassicas against cabbage root fly – a cardboard collar placed around the base of the stem is very effective
f Continue successive sowing of beetroot, carrots, lettuce, parsnips, peas, radish and spinach.
f Thin out seedlings of beetroot, carrots, lettuce, parsnips, peas, radish and spinach. Always water after thinning
f Sow French runner beans in prepared beds, sweet corn in square groups, courgettes and outdoor cucumbers
f Earth up early potatoes
f Support peas with twiggy sticks or purpose made pea or bean netting
f Allow Runner beans to grow up 2m long canes
f Monitor for pests and diseases and treat appropriately
f Continue to prevent weeds establishing
Fruit
f Plant outdoor tomatoes at the end of the month
f Remove blossoms from strawberry runners in their first year
f Treat cane fruits such as raspberries before they flower to prevent cane spot, and treat gooseberries against mildew
Herbs
f Keep sowing parsley
f Take cuttings of rosemary, sage, and thyme
f Plant out new herb garden
Plants under Protection
f Begin to use shading, dampen down and ventilate when the greenhouse gets hot
f Harden off bedding plants raised under glass
f Plant Cucumbers, Peppers and Tomatoes in large pots or grow bags
f Give liquid fertilizer to green house plants
Lawns
f Mow regularly so that the grass is cut at the same stage and to the same height
Flowers
f Harden off annuals raised under glass or buy bedding plants ready for plant at the end of the month
f Clear tubs, boxes beds of spring bedding
f Tie back daffodils
f Sow biennials such as wallflowers and forget-me-nots for next year
f Plant dahlia tubers
f Support herbaceous plants with twiggy pea sticks
f Apply a good layer of mulch (50–75mm) around acid loving plants, dry locations in the garden and sandy soils
Shrubs
f Prune back early flowering deciduous shrubs when they have finished blooming
June
Vegetables
f Keep watering regularly
f Thin out seedlings of beetroot, carrots, lettuce, parsnips, peas, radish and spinach. Always water after thinning
f Continue to prevent weeds establishing
Fruit
f Protect strawberries from splashes of dirt by laying polythene or straw
f Remove the side shoots of tomato plants and support plants with stakes
f Sow chicory for winter salads
Plants under Protection
f Continue to use shading, dampen down and ventilate when the greenhouse gets hot
f Harden off bedding plants raised under glass
f Give liquid fertilizer to green house plants
f Sow hardy perennials like anemones, achillea, delphiniums, phlox and verbascum, for next summer.
f Remove the male flowers of cucumbers when they appear, to prevent them pollinating
f Take cuttings of fuchsia
Lawns
f Mow regularly so that the grass is cut at the same stage and to the same height
f Thoroughly water the lawn during dry spells
Ponds
f Finish planting pond plants
Flowers
f Cut back the foliage of spring flowering bulbs once flowering has finished and 6 weeks of unhindered growth has passed by
f Plant out annuals
f Apply feed and water flowers regularly
f Water hanging baskets, tubs and container grown plants daily
f Support herbaceous plants with twiggy pea sticks
f Trim back rockery plants after they have finished blooming
f Plant autumn crocuses
Shrubs
f Prune back early flowering deciduous shrubs when they have finished blooming such as Spiraea x arguta
f Remove dead flower heads from roses. Cut back the whole section to a healthy bud facing in the direction you want the shoot to grow
f Cut back suckers on roses and on lilac trees
f Start taking shrub cuttings
Hedges
f Quick growing types such as privet and Lonicera nitida will need clipping 2 or 3 times a year if they are to remain formal
July
Vegetables
f Keep watering and feeding regularly
f Feed tomatoes weekly
f Sow winter cabbage(Savoys), lettuce, radish and spinach
f Earth up leeks
f Sow French Beans
f Continue planting out broccolis, Brussels sprouts, from seed beds
f Monitor for pests and diseases and treat appropriately
f Continue to prevent weeds establishing
f See ‘Preparing your Vegetable Patch for the Holiday Season’ posting
Fruit
f Treat appropriately against woolly aphids
f Remove unwanted runners from strawberry plants and layer runners you wish to keep
f Throw away plants that have cropped 3 summers
Herbs
f Cut herbs for drying or freezing
f Sow more parsley
Plants under Protection
f Take cuttings of hardy shrubs
f Take cuttings of clematis and geraniums using sandy compost
f Feed and spray house plants with water
f Feed Cucumbers, Peppers and Tomatoes
f Remove male flowers from cucumber plants and side shoots from tomatoes
f Treat appropriately against whitefly and red spider mite
Lawns
f Mow regularly so that the grass is cut at the same stage and to the same height
f Feed the lawn before rain is forecast
Flowers
f Water flowers in tubs every day and feed regularly
f Regularly deadhead annuals to encourage a good display throughout the summer
f Collect seeds of plants you wish to propagate
f When delphiniums fade cut them back to ground level
f Sow herbaceous plant such as lupins and delphiniums
f Plant out wallflower and forget-me-not seedlings
f Keep cutting sweet peas to encourage more flowers
f Dry flowers for decoration
Shrubs
f Take cuttings of hardy shrubs
f Deadhead and feed roses
f Prune rambling roses, Philadelphia and Weigela to encourage next year’s flowering shoots
Ponds
f Make sure the water levels remain constant
Other Jobs
f Do construction Jobs while the weather holds
August
Vegetables
f Sow winter cabbage (Savoys), lettuce, radish, spinach and beetroot
f Sow onions in seed beds
f Transplant winter cabbage seedlings
Fruit
f Towards the end of the month plant new strawberry plants
f After the fourth truss has set on outdoor tomatoes, nip out the top of the plant
f Cut down raspberry canes that have finished fruiting to ground level and tie new canes to supports
Herbs
f Cut herbs for drying or freezing
f Take cuttings of bay, lavender, oregano, rosemary, and sage.
Plants under Protection
f Arrange for family, friends or neighbours to care for greenhouse or house plants if you are away on a summer holiday
f Keep greenhouse ventilated and shaded in the heat
f Keep watering and feeding house plants
f Keep watering and feeding Cucumbers, Peppers and Tomatoes
f Treat appropriately against whitefly and red spider mite
f Sow lily bulbils (from leaf axils of some lilies)
f Take cuttings of geraniums and pelargonium using sandy compost
f Pot out young primulas and violas
Lawns
f Mow regularly so that the grass is cut at the same stage and to the same height
f Apply fertilizer on the site of new lawn/patching up to be grown next month
Flowers
f Water flowers in tubs every day and feed regularly
f Regularly deadhead annuals to encourage a good display throughout the summer
f Keep cutting sweet peas to encourage more flowers
f Dry flowers for decoration
f Plant out wallflower and delphiniums seedlings
f Take cuttings of alpines
Shrubs
f Deadhead and feed roses
f Prune old flowering shoots of rambling roses back to their base and train young shoots to encourage next year’s flowers
f Prune shrubs when they finish flowering
f Take cuttings of hardy shrubs
f Take heather cuttings
September
Vegetables
f Continue sowing winter cabbage (Savoys), lettuce, radish, spinach and beetroot
f Thin out early sowings
f Continue to prevent weeds establishing
Fruit
f Continue to plant new strawberry plants
f Take hard wood cuttings from this year’s wood of blackcurrant, gooseberry and red current bushes
f Cut down blackberries, raspberries, loganberries etc. canes that have finished fruiting to ground level and tie new canes to supports
f Collect up unripened tomato fruits, place a paper bag in a draw leave till ripened
f Towards the end of the month pull up your tomato plants
Fruit Trees
f Prepare the ground where you will plant fruit trees by digging in manure or compost
Plants under Protection
f Plant spring bulbs to force in doors
f Sow sweet peas now or in October for early summer flowering
f Reduce watering and feeding of house plants
f Continue taking shrub cuttings
f Remove all plants from the greenhouse and wash with Jeyes fluid.
f Continue taking cuttings of geraniums and pelargonium using sandy compost
f Take cuttings of impatiens and fuchsias
Lawns
f Rake your lawn to rid it of dead grass and moss
f Apply an autumn lawn fertilizer and aerate it.
f Repair damaged patches and sow a new lawns were required
Flowers
f Regularly deadhead annuals to encourage a good display
f Dry flowers for decoration ie Hydrangeas
f Collect seeds of plants you wish to propagate
f Plant spring flowering bulbs
f Plant lily bulbs, particularly, L. candidum which cannot wait till later
Shrubs
f Deadhead and feed roses
f Prune shrubs when they finish flowering
f Take cuttings of hardy shrubs
f Take heather cuttings
Ponds
f Feed fish in the pond
Other Jobs
Complete any maintenance jobs before winter sets
October
Vegetables
f Sow lettuce in seed beds or frames
f Plant out spring cabbage seedlings
f Blanch the leeks by gently drawing up dry soil around the stem in stages, but try not to allow soil to fall between the leaves
Fruit
f Prune and take hard wood cuttings from this year’s wood of blackcurrant, gooseberry and red current bushes
Fruit Trees
f Put grease bands on large apple and cherry trees to reduce attacks of winter moths
Herbs
f Take cuttings of bay and lavender
f Divide clumps of chives
Plants under Protection
f Bring pelargoniums indoors
f Keep planting spring bulbs in pots and bowls
f Disinfect seed boxes and stakes with Jeyes fluid for the spring
f Bring indoors rooted mint plants can enjoy fresh mint throughout the winter
f Pot up rooted cuttings of geraniums and shrubs taken in July
f Sow sweet peas in pots
Lawns
f Rake your lawn to rid it of fallen leaves
f Lay turf lawns
Flowers
f Plant out wall flowers and forget-me-nots
f Clear beds and tubs of all summer annuals
f Keep planting spring flowering bulbs outdoors
f Tulips must be planted by the end of the month
f Dig up dahlias and begonias and store tubers in a cool, dry frost protected place
f Plant lily bulbs
f Cut back dead and dying stems of herbaceous plants
f Move plants in tubs away from cold winter winds and frost pockets
Shrubs
f Prepare the land for planting shrubs, dig in well rotten manure and compost
Trees
f Prepare the land for planting trees, dig in well rotten manure and compost
Ponds
f Clean the bottom of the pond
f Place a net over the pond to catch fallen leaves
Other Jobs
f Complete any maintenance jobs before winter sets in
