What to Sow in May
Brace yourselves folks: we are now entering the busiest time of year in the vegetable garden. The soil has warmed sufficiently for sowing and planting out, but has also warmed enough for weeds and grass to burst back into life. It is a battle between what we want to grow and what we don't - with the latter often being far more work.
The photo below shows my garden this morning, with fleece dotted around the place on beetroot, Brussels sprouts, calabrese and potatoes. Frosts can still be a threat at this time of year, even as we are moving toward summer.
Ideally you should have your garden beds clear and ready to plant by early May. If your garden beds are not quite in optimum condition, the quick all-purpose solution is some compost (in a 4-5cm layer) and 'Seafeed' seaweed and poultry manure (applied at 200g per square metre).
The exception will be carrots or parsnips: where you should forego the Seafeed but deep rake the compost and add Blood, Fish & Bone at a rate of 150g per square metre into the top few inches of soil. Make sure it is very well mixed.
Seafeed Natural Seaweed Extract & Poultry Manure Fertilizer
View ProductFor Direct Sowing Outside in May
you have the choice of:
I think I would hold off on parsnip and runner beans until the middle of the month.
I have early peas in already from an April sowing but I also put in a second sowing in mid May. It is important to get your peas in no later than that, as you want to get them harvested before powdery mildew hits later in the summer.
If pea moth is a problem in your area, it is better to sow earlier in the year: mid March is good and you should have most of your harvest in before the pea moth lays her eggs.
Runner Bean 'Corona'
View ProductFor sowing indoors in May
(and planting out later) you can also sow:
- Brussels sprouts
- calabrese
- chard
- kale
- kohl rabi
- swede
- turnip
- lettuce
- spring onions
- sweetcorn
- and winter cabbage.
Warm Climate Crops
It is a little late to sow tomatoes (although you might get away with some cherry tomatoes), cucumbers or chillis, but if not done already you can sow:
Courgette 'Cassiopee'
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