05
Late spring
What to plant in May
The hawthorn flowers — the old signal that frost has truly passed. Tender plants finally get to stretch their legs.
Sow indoors
- French beans (early month)
- Late tomatoes
- Basil
Sow outdoors
- French & runner beans (after mid-month)
- Sweetcorn
- Courgettes
- Beetroot
- Carrots
- Salad leaves
Flowers to plant
- Foxgloves (for next year)
- Wallflowers
- Honesty
- Cosmos plant-out
- Dahlias outdoors
Herbs to grow
- Basil outside (after frost)
- Dill
- Parsley
- Coriander
Beginner tips
- ✦Wait for the May full moon before planting tomatoes outside in most of the UK.
- ✦Pinch out the tips of sweet peas — you'll get bushier, more flower-laden plants.
Common mistakes
- ✕Planting out tomatoes the first warm weekend — a late frost still happens.
- ✕Skipping the hardening-off — a week outside in the day pays off all summer.
Small garden & pot options
- · A 40-litre tub with a 'Sungold' tomato and basil at its feet
- · Strawberries in a window box
Raised bed suggestions
- · Tomatoes 50 cm apart, supported
- · Courgettes — one plant per square metre
- · A wigwam of runner beans
Plant this month
If you only do one thing in May…
- →Tomatoes (outside)
- →Courgettes & pumpkins
- →Dahlias
- →Tender herbs
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