May
Gardening Calender
KITCHEN GARDEN
Vegetables
• Garlic bulbs will
be available to plant in late May. Plant amongst
your roses to deter aphis.
Prepare the soil prior to planting with
an application of General Fertiliser
and a handful of
Superphosphate. Break the bulb
into individual cloves and plant 5cm deep
with the point facing upwards. The plants
will produce leafy growth through the cold
weather. Use some of these leaves to add a
sweet garlic flavour to stir-fries but not
too many as the bulb will suffer.
During spring water regularly with Thrive
Flower & Fruit Soluble Plant Food.
Do not give garlic too much nitrogen as this
will promote lots of leaves but not fat bulbs.
The bulbs will mature in the summer when
the tops begin to yellow and die back. Improve
bulb development by bending the tops over
as soon as the leaf tips start to discolour.
Pull out the plants when the leaves have
turned completely yellow and hang them in
a dry, airy place for a few weeks.
Also in May:
• Plant - broad beans, broccoli, carrots,
savoy cabbage, cauliflower, lettuce, mizuna,
parsley, peas, onion, radish, silver beet
and spinach
• Lightly cultivate developing winter
crops and water on a liquid manure if the
soil is dry or a foliar fertiliser spray if
the soil is too wet
• Spray celery, cabbages and cauliflower
with Bravo or Champion Copper
to check fungus diseases and leaf spots
• Sow vacant areas of garden with a
green crop of mustard or blue lupin that can
then be dug into the soil in spring
• Dig in compost
• Feed compost by sprinkling each layer
with sheep pellets or a light sprinkling of
Garden Lime or
Dolomite Lime
Fruit
• Feijoas – Spray with Conqueror
Oil to protect against hard
wax scale
• Citrus – Spray with Champ
DP and Conqueror
Oil to prevent verrucosis, kill
scale and destroy insect eggs
.
ORNAMENTAL GARDEN
General
• Begin to water hydrangeas with ‘Blueing
Tonic’, re-applying every
two to three weeks right through to flowering
time. This tonic not only keeps your blue
hydrangeas blue it will help grow stronger
and more vigorous plants. It can also be used
to boost other acid loving plants such as
azaleas and camellias
• Lightly prune proteas after flowering
for blooms next year. If the bush needs severe
pruning to keep tidy this will result in a
loss of flowers for two to three years
• Lift dahlia tubers and gladioli corms.
Dust with Flowers of Sulphur before
storing in a dry place.
• Cut back the top growth of daisies
and geraniums
• Cut off the old foliage from Helleborus
orientalis to let in light and promote flowering
Bulbs
• Plant lily bulbs.
Read more about planting and care of lilies
here >>
LAWNS
• Keep clear of fallen autumn leaves
Read
more about heirloom and unusual vegetables
click here >>
Read
more about how to rid your garden of pests
and diseases here >>
