May
Reflect on your garden and plan for any changes. This is good time to think about all the changes you want to make and plan to do them in the next few months.
Always choose the freshest looking plants from your garden centre or supplier. Root bound, stunted or stared looking plants should be avoided. Bare rooted deciduous trees and fruit trees require special attention. As soon as possible remove the packing material and plant it in a temporary position if you have not decided where to plant it. Remember 5 minutes on the sun or wind will dry out the roots enough to kill the plants or give it a severe setback.
Flower garden
Edible Garden
Glasshouse
Fruit trees
Indoor Plants
Other work
Always choose the freshest looking plants from your garden centre or supplier. Root bound, stunted or stared looking plants should be avoided. Bare rooted deciduous trees and fruit trees require special attention. As soon as possible remove the packing material and plant it in a temporary position if you have not decided where to plant it. Remember 5 minutes on the sun or wind will dry out the roots enough to kill the plants or give it a severe setback.
Flower garden
- Trim back perennials and lift and divide those perennials that have become too big or are starting to decline in vigor because they are to cramped.
- Finish planting annuals for spring display. Violas, stock, pansy, polyanthus, wallflowers, cinerarias, Schizanthus, Primula, calendula, iceland poppies, and Sweet William.
- Plant liliums and nerines in new positions. Lift, plant and divide liliums in one operation.
- Manure Heliborus with liquid fertiliser until flowers show or apply a short term slow release fertiliser.
- Prune dead heads off hydrangeas.
- Spray plants for scale insects using all seasons spraying oil.
- Transplant trees and shrubs to new positions, do this before you go out and buy new ones.
- Start planting new trees and shrubs in there permanent positions.
- Sow sweet peas
Edible Garden
- Sow broad beans, be careful with timing as they need to be in flower when bumble bees are flying.
- Continue succession planting of winter lettuce, cabbages, cauliflower's broccoli and silver beet.
- Plant green crops in the garden to protect the soil and provide future green material to dig into the ground.
- Plant strawberries in beds.
- Plant shallots
- Harvest the last of the garlic carefully with no bruising. Let the dry and store on a cool, dry, airy frost free place.
- Prune, lift and/or divide herbs.
Glasshouse
- Remove old tomato vines and clean out all the old leaves and material that might harbour pests and diseases. Cultivate the ground.
- Clean the glasshouse with Jeyes fluid
- Sow a green crop of mustard
Fruit trees
- Provide shelter for those unable to withstand frost or long periods of cold. Citrus in particular.
- Harvest late crops like feijoas, kiwifruit, tamarillos
- Start pruning apples, pears, apricots, peaches, nectarines, plums, cherries, gooseberries and currents.
- Remove all dead leaves and mummified fruit to the rubbish bin (not the Compost bin)
- Plant new fruit trees during winter.
- Spray pruned and cleaned up fruit trees with All Seasons Spraying Oil to prevent pest and disease buildup.
Indoor Plants
- Reduce the amount of water given to pot plants. If frosty shift susceptible plants away from the windows to the centre of the room.
Other work
- Oil outdoor furniture to protect it from the elements
- Clean garden tools and service motor driver tools.