MORE JOBS FOR MAY (From St Albans & Harpenden Review)

MORE JOBS FOR MAY

9:28am Monday 16th May 2011

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I hope you are all enjoying this lovely weather, a bit cooler than last month, but great to get out in the garden. I have now planted my summer hanging baskets and pots. But as frost can be a hidden enemy for a little while yet I will be ready to cover them over if necessary.

Dare I mention the dreaded ‘weed’ word? But they really are great survivors and to stay in control they need to be dealt with as soon as possible. Given even the smallest chance they go all out to get the upper hand and take essential nutrients and moisture from our precious cultivated plants. This not only reduces flowers and crop yields it provides a perfect breeding ground for diseases and pests. One of the easiest ways to tackle the problem is to look out your favourite hoe and get busy whilst the weeds are young. Unfortunately it isn’t always possible to get on with the jobs that we would like to tackle and if the weeds in your garden are already out of control the next best thing is to pull them out by hand before they have time to flower and seed. The most important thing is to stop the seed from spreading as it just isn’t worth having a new generation of weeds to cope with.

If you are lucky enough to have a greenhouse you will have been able to leave the doors and windows open all day during the past few weeks. The midday sun can be really fierce so some kind of protection may be needed to prevent scorching. If you are growing tomatoes in your greenhouse these can be potted on into growbags or directly into the soil, depending on the system you use. If you favour taller varieties they will need some kind of support so be ready. Pinch out side shoots where necessary, give a weekly feed as soon as the first fruits have set and, most important, water regularly.

Enjoy your garden but listen to the weather forecasts just in case a frost is threatened.

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