May

 Kitchen Garden Calendar:

JAN / FEB /  MAR / APR / MAY / JUN / JUL / AUG / SEP / OCT / NOV / DEC

Eating seasonally
Fruit	Vegetables	Meat	Fish
Apricots  Cherries (coming into season)  Kiwi fruit	Asparagus  Aubergines   Carrots  New potatoes  Peas  Peppers  Rhubarb  Rocket  Spinach  Spring onions  Watercress	Lamb  Rabbit	Crab  Pollock Salmon  Sardines  Tuna

1. This is the prime planting month for just about anything! Lilies and other summer bulbs can be set out. Incorporate perennials into bulb beds for an interesting contrast such as Foxglove with Narcissus bulbs.
2. Early flowering shrubs such Azaleas and Rhododendron should be pruned after blooming and can be fertilised at the same time.
3. Fertilise and spray roses for insects and diseases staring this month. A continuous rose maintenance program throughout the summer will ensure a beautiful display all season long.
4. In late May, after the soil temperature has warmed, plant summer blooming bulbs such as Caladiums, Gladiolus, Daylilies and Dahlias.
5. Mulch flower beds, shrubs, and trees with a fresh cover.
6. Instead of a daily sprinkle, water plants deep and slowly several times a week.
7. Prepare beds for annuals by tilling and adding rich soil and compost.
8. If you noticed holes eaten in your hosta leaves, the culprits are probably slugs. Use slug bait or pour beer in a jar lid to trap them and eliminate the problem.