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Risks of frost should now be long behind us so it’s time to plant out annual summer bedding plants in borders, pots and containers. If you’ve been growing them in the greenhouse, make sure they get used to the outside temperatures and then plant them in their positions ready for the display of blooms throughout summer.
Sweet peas will start blooming and all of their fragrance can be enjoyed indoors straight away because as soon as they flower, start picking them to encourage more flowers throughout the Summer. The aim is to stop them going to seed and enjoy them for as long as possible.
The taste of homegrown Carrots is always so fantastic, so don't let Carrot flies ruin it for you! They can only fly up to about 60cm off the ground so if you create a barrier with Enviromesh around your carrot patch of 60cm to 1metre high, they wont be able to access your carrots. There is no need to cover them over as they cant fly high enough.
It’s time to plant out your tender vegetables such as courgettes, sweetcorn and tomatoes if you are growing them outside. Remember they need to adapt to the changing conditions after being in the greenhouse all of this time. They may need some protection to start with so horticultural fleece can be quite helpful, or individual cloches over Courgette until they grow a little bigger can be useful. Even plastic drinks bottles cut in half will do the job.
Ideally when you plant out your Brassicas (Cabbages/Broccoli/Cauliflower), use some cabbage collars which can help to prevent cabbage root fly problems. In the past these have worked well for me, along with deterring slugs and snails off the young plants. Simply slip them around the base of the stem and ensure they are pressed down onto the soil.
As the weather warms up, its so important to keep bird baths topped up with fresh water everyday along with some supplementary food. To ensure there is no spread of disease make sure everything your garden birds eat and drink from are thoroughly cleaned each week.
Keep an eye out for woolly aphid on apple fruit trees along with Cotoneaster and Pyracantha. You will notice bumpy swellings on bark and aphids covered in white fluff. Generally a spray of any soapy water solution can do the trick or brush them off with a stiff brush. If left untreated the damage caused can later result in canker so it does need to be dealt with.
