Page 38 - ALG Issue 2 2015

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38
MAY
May is the last month of spring and we should begin to feel the warmer days of summer arriving by now. As the days lengthen, there is a surge of growth everywhere on the plot and there is not a moment to lose. A lot of what can be achieved during this month will be reflected in the size and quality of the harvest. The threat from frost will slowly be leaving the southern half of the country, but it is still possible to have a late frost in East Anglia in early June. The further north your garden, the bigger the danger from frost. The frost could be around until at least the end of June perhaps even later, so follow the rule above. Be guided
Fruit
by the local weather forecast and keep cloches or some fleece handy to protect the most vulnerable crops. Weed seeds will be germinating and can soon get out of hand, as they will deprive crop plants from nutrients and moisture. Hoe at every opportunity to keep the weeds under control and try not to allow them to set seed.
Fruit in season: Rhubarb, early strawberries. Use late May gooseberry thinnings to make pies.
Checklist
On sunny days the temperatures will soar so
now is the time to apply shading to the glass or to
fix blinds to cool the house down. If the air is allowed
to become hot and dry, this is the perfect condition for red
spider mite to thrive. They hate moist conditions so damp down the floors, staging and spray a fine mist into the air to maintain a buoyant atmosphere. Open the vents by mid-morning and close them by mid-afternoon to retain heat overnight. Remember that attempting to cool a greenhouse down just using the ventilators will only result in exchanging very hot dry air with hot dry air.
Order and introduce biological controls.
Check over tomato plants looking for side shoot in the leaf axils. Snap them out when they are around 2 ins/5 cms long. Never
cut side shoots otherwise you run the risk of transferring diseases between plants. When the flowers start to open, tap the backs of the trusses to assist the successful pollination of the flowers. Spray over the open flowers with a fine mist to help the fruit to set.
Vegetables
Earth up potatoes.
Support peas and water regularly once they start flowering.
Sow: In the open: beetroot, autumn cabbage, Calabrese, carrots, autumn and winter cauliflowers, chicory, dwarf and climbing French beans, runner beans, kale, kohl rabi, summer lettuce (in situ & thin out), Witloof spinach, spring onions, Swiss chard, swedes & turnips. Under protection: marrows, pumpkins and squashes, sweet corn, courgettes, ridge/outdoor cucumbers.
Plant out: Brussels sprouts, cabbage, celeriac, celery, Florence fennel, leeks and it’s the last chance to plant potatoes.
Runner beans after the danger of a late frost has gone. French beans are slightly hardier and should be planted out first, but not if a hard frost is forecast.
Produce in season: Asparagus, early broad beans, sprouting broccoli, leaf beets, spring cabbage, winter cauliflower, lettuce, early peas, radish, spinach, spring onions.
Pests and Diseases
Net strawberries to protect them from birds and squirrels. On warm days, lift or remove protective netting
covering fruit to allow access for pollinating insects.
Put the netting back in place by the evening.
Most fruit is surface rooting. Water well during hot spells and don’t allow the surface of the soil to dry out. Remove blossom from newly planted top fruit and soft fruit.
Greenhouse
Only use spray controls in the cool of the evening when beneficial insects are not active.
Vegetables: Carrot fly, blackfly, greenfly, flea beetle and onion fly. Fruit: Start apple sawfly, aphids, capsid bug, scab & mildew control.