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It's the start of another new month and the weather is getting colder. But there are plenty of things that you can do in the garden in May before the rain and frosty mornings begin according to the Bunnings garden team.
May is a great time to get stuck into your weeding while the soil is soft and they’re easy to pull out. A good all-purpose weed killer will help you keep them under control easily.
It’s also time to consider how often you water your garden. Check your soil moisture to see if it needs any water at all. A deep slow watering a couple of times a week may be all that is needed.
A good idea is to top up mulch levels in your garden beds, vegie patches and herb gardens. This will help you to keep the weeds down. You could also add a liquid fertiliser to promote some winter growth, especially for your seedlings.
When mowing your lawn in May, cut it a little longer than usual. It will help the lawn cope better with the cooler conditions.
You may also want to start pruning your plants and trees and giving them a general tidy-up. Most plants will be dormant at this time and you’ll be able to improve their shape and maintain their health. Remove any dead, diseased or crossing branches as well as any that are growing in the wrong direction.
May is your last chance to get winter vegies and plants into your garden before they’re ready to harvest or bloom in spring.
In warm areas, May is the month to plant potatoes, sweet potatoes, leeks, beetroot, celery, lettuce, broccoli, cabbage, carrots, cauliflower, turnips, onions, kale, kohlrabi, spring onions, spinach and silverbeet. You could also plant herbs like lemongrass, chamomile, thyme, mint and rosemary.
In temperate climates, winter vegies like Brussels sprouts, cabbage, cauliflower, radishes, swedes, turnips, spinach and broccoli are ready for planting. Companion plants like cornflower, calendula, dianthus, pansies, viola, snapdragons, ageratum and marigolds will add colour and attract insects.
In colder regions, the vegies that can go into the ground include broccoli, cabbage, artichoke, cauliflower, Brussels sprouts, radishes, swedes, turnips and spinach. For a little colour, trying planting cornflower, pansies, viola, verbena and lupins.
It would also be great if Workshop members could add their tips for gardening at this time of year by replying below.
Hi @Jason.
My garden is coming on well for four days old. I built this pallet veggie garden over my weekend using free pallets from a Bunnings store. My young daughter and I had fun planting it out. Both ended up smelling of cow poop by the end of it.
I've got lettuces, carrots, peas, spring onions, white onions and red onions planted out. Hopefully, some of it doesn't get eaten by the possums and we get a taste.
I look forward to seeing what other members have going on their gardens at the moment.
Mitchell
I am a Bunnings team member. Any opinions or recommendations shared here are my own and do not necessarily represent those of Bunnings. Visit the Bunnings website for assistance from the customer service team.
HI Jason
I'm a newbie to this workshop and into gardening really, although I'm of retirement age, 35... Kidding 63.
I have 2 raised garden beds, a square pale cream low type from Bunnings and a higher, grey rectangular shaped from Aldi .
Want to plant veg and herbs and have filled each with lots of bags of potting mix, compost, mulch, tomato and veg potting mix, quality fertiliser mix but they both seem heavy, I can barely mix the all the products together.
Have I done it wrong? What should I use?
Thanks Vicki..
Hi Vicki (@vickilee211)
Welcome to the Bunnings Workshop community. We're looking forward to seeing your garden flourish.
You've certainly come to the right place. Experienced member @Noelle has shared a comprehensive step-by-step guide showing how to fill a raised garden bed.
I wonder whether something like perlite might be the way to go if you mix is currently too heavy. Let's see what Noelle thinks - I'm sure she will be happy to share her thoughts with you.
Jason
Hi @vickilee211
The mix of products you have used to fill your beds is full of terrific goodies for healthy plant growth but the combo of potting mixes, compost and mulch may be just a bit too heavy without the addition of a coarse sand or perlite to open it up, allow better drainage and make the mix easier to work. The high proportion of moisture-holding organic material in the compost and mulch may have made it just that bit too dense.
Try adding coarse sand or perlite through the top 20-30cm of mix. Add about 5L per square metre of surface area of the bed to start with, fork it through and see if that makes a difference. If it's still a bit too dense, add another 5L per square metre of surface area, and so on until you have a workable soil that doesn't hold too much moisture.
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