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Your vegetable garden in May 2013

Why not have a go at growing in a pot this year? You’ll find lots of helpful advice on the One Pot Pledge growing cards. A great way of adding to your growing space. A tray of salad on a windowsill, for example, can give you some fresh greens in just a few weeks. http://www.onepotpledge.org/pdfs/mixed_salad.pdf

May is the month of the infamous 'Hungry Gap'. Sowing and planting of vegetables is reaching its height - but pickings are rather slim. Ideas and tips to avoid disappointing gaps during this period can be found in our  'Banishing Gaps and Gluts' factsheet.

The weather in May could do almost anything. Your local weather may well be different to ours at Ryton Gardens. Keep some fleece (or net curtains, sheets of newspaper or whatever) to hand to pop over plants to protect them overnight if frost is forecast. But remember to ventilate (and water) greenhouses, tunnels and cloches if it turns hot.

And don’t be tempted to put tender plants such as French beans and cucurbits out too early, better to wait until all risk of frost is past rather than lose them.

One pot pledge

Contents

General activities

Frost damaged potato foliage
Frost damage on potato leaves

Local grown plant supports
Local grown plant supports

cabbage undersown with 
yellow trefoil
cabbage undersown with
yellow trefoil

The information on sowing and planting given here is for everyone from the south of England to the north of Scotland.
Growing conditions can vary dramatically across the country, and also even within a locality. If you are new to growing and are unsure about exactly what to do when, try asking other vegetable growers nearby. And be guided by the weather and soil conditions.

Sowing and Planting

Do you know your seedlings? Test your knowledge with our mini quiz

Lots of places sell veg plants these days, so you don’t have to grow your own. Delfland Nurseries sell organic, peat free plants on line, including a range of our Heritage Seed Library tomatoes. A donation goes to Garden Organic for every pack sold. Last delivery - early May.

Pest and disease watch

back to - What to do in your garden now

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