May garden checklist

May is the month that completes the transition from the mild days of autumn to the cold of winter. The stunning colours of autumn are starting to fade as we move in to the heart of winter. Many plants relish this change of season, luckily the bugs don’t!

Key gardening tips for May:

• Refresh you pots with winter flowering annuals.
• Don’t give up on winter vege seedlings. They can still be planted.
• Garlic will be available late May so start planning your garden bed.
• Lift summer flowering bulbs and store them.
• Continue to plant trees and shrubs before winter sets in.
• Do a final clean up in the garden.
• Collect fallen autumn leaves and compost them.

What Vegetables in Plant in May

Plant seedlings in May for:

• Broccoli
• Cabbage
• Cauliflower
• Lettuce
• Brussels sprouts
• Silverbeet
• Spinach
• Onion

Since the weather is cooling and the soil gets colder, ensure you protect them from the cold while they are young. Transplant to the garden as the weather warms and when they are showing at least two sets of true leaves.

Is May too late to plant garlic?

No, May is traditionally the best month to plant garlic in New Zealand. Garlic thrives on a long, cool growing season and is typically planted in late autumn or around the shortest day of the year (mid to late June) and harvested around the longest day (December).

What is better to plant in May - leeks or onion?

In May, Leeks are better to plant than Onions. Leeks can tolerate cold and wet soils better than onions and can grow slowly through winter and stay in the ground for months.

What flowers to plant in May

May is a great month to refresh your garden with hardy winter and spring blooms. Replant pots with winter annuals and add fresh fertiliser to give plants a boost.

You can sow seeds of hardy flowers now, including alyssum, calendula, cineraria, cornflower, lobelia, lupin, nemesia, and stock. Once the seedlings develop at least two sets of true leaves and the weather warms, transplant them into the garden.

For quicker colour, plant seedlings directly into beds or containers. Good choices are calendula, cineraria, nemesia, pansies, polyanthus, poppies, primula, snapdragons, stock, violas, and wallflowers. You can also plant lily bulbs in a warm, sheltered position where they can stay for several years

What fruits to plant in May

In May, there will be some fruits from previous seasons maturing and ready to harvest. Fruit ready to harvest in May include:

• Apples
• Pears
• Passionfruit
• Feijoa

Fruit to plant in May for winter harvesting include:

• Blueberries
• Strawberries
• Orange
• Lemon
• Lime
• Mandarin
• Feijoa

What herbs to plant in May

May is a good time to focus on hardy, cool-tolerant herbs that can handle the shorter days and cooler temperatures of late autumn and winter. Many herbs slow their growth in winter.

Lawn & garden maintenance tips during May

• Plant new trees and shrub before the soil becomes too wet.
• Continue weed control while the weather is still dry.
• Collect autumn leaves for composting.
• Refresh shrub beds by mulching with compost.
• Continue weed control; don’t spray within five hours of rain.
• Watch out for frosts, some plants may need protection. Cover with frost cloth, drape frost cloth over but not touching the plants. If it is too close a hard frost will freeze it to the plants.
• Feed lawns for autumn if you haven’t already, it will to boost growth and suppress weed growth.
• New seed can be sown this month.
• Fix any dips, hollows and bare patches and sow with grass seed where necessary.
• Rake leaves off lawn to stop them composting on the grass.