Garden job you should do in May for flowers to 'thrive' including removing one thing

If the nice weather has got you feeling motivated to do some gardening in May, then one expert has shared that there are certain jobs you should focus on.

Gardener @therosetintedgardener shared tips for beginners during this month, writing as part of her caption: “To me, May always feels like a transitional month as the tulips have died back and my summer flowering plants are still a month or two away from blooming. 

“So it’s a good chance to take stock and get everything ready for a summer full of colour and flowers”.

First, she recommended that the tulips in your garden will probably be past their best. “Deadhead these as they start to fade and let the leaves die back before lifting the bulbs to make way for summer plants,” she shared.

She then said it’s important that you “get your seedlings used to conditions outdoors by moving them outside for a few hours each day, increasing steadily until they can stay out overnight”.

“I like to wait a few more weeks until I plant things out so they’re stronger and more resilient when they go in the ground,” she explained.

Once seedlings have “three sets of leaves,” you can “snip off the tip,” which “encourages side shoots and a bushier plant with more stems and hopefully more flowers too”.

When it comes to any roses you may have in the garden, watch out for aphids. She said that she usually lets ladybirds “do their job, but when it looks like the aphids are taking over, I spray them off using water in a spray bottle”.

If climbing plants are a feature in your garden, then secure them with clips or ties to “structures such as walls, trellises, arches, etc”. 

This will mean that when the flowers “start to bloom,” the structure will be able to handle their weight.

“If you’re planning on doing any spring lawn care then it’s worth getting this done now until the weather becomes too warm and dry,” she explained.

Finally, when it comes to weeds and slugs, she shared that “prevention is better than cure, so start acting now to help stay on top of weeds and slugs over the coming months”. 

When it comes to weeding, she said “little and often” is the best option, to get young weeds up before they “take root”. 

She ended the video by explaining: “As for slugs, there are a few measures you can take to try and curb this, although a lot of it will be in the hands of the weather gods”. 

To banish slugs, use natural deterrents like copper tape, crushed eggshells, or diatomaceous earth around plants, and remove them manually in the evening when they are most active. Keep the garden tidy and avoid excessive moisture to discourage their habitat.