This is the discussion page for the Goodreads Reading Challenge called 'Summer Reading' (Active May 12th - June 30th). Qualifying books are listed on Goodreads HERE. Please keep all discussion of this challenge to this thread, thank you.
Other Goodreads Reading Challenges are listed on the Megathread HERE.
This is the discussion page for the Goodreads Reading Challenge called 'Escapist Reads' (Active May 12th - June 30th). Qualifying books are listed on Goodreads HERE. Please keep all discussion of this challenge to this thread, thank you.
Other Goodreads Reading Challenges are listed on the Megathread HERE.
This is the discussion page for the Goodreads Reading Challenge called 'AAPI Heritage' (Active May 1st - June 30th). Qualifying books are listed on Goodreads HERE. Please keep all discussion of this challenge to this thread, thank you.
Other Goodreads Reading Challenges are listed on the Megathread HERE.
May is one of the busiest months on the allotment as the weather is getting warmer and the days are getting longer. That comes with lots of jobs to do including sowing the last of the summer crops, such as courgettes and runner beans, earthing up potatoes, hardening off, planting out and, the best bit, harvesting.
It can still be cold at night at this point, so resist the temptation to sow or plant if the weather is bad. Protect outdoor sowings with fleece if it gets colder. The warmer weather also brings more pests like slugs and snails.
Here are some key allotment jobs for May.
With the soil warming up, your soil might be more manageable and ready for planting. Hoe and rake your vegetable beds regularly to keep weeds at bay. Tread down any rough-dug soil from winter and rake it to a fine, smooth tilth, ensuring an ideal planting environment.
Mulch around your crops and on bare soil to lock in moisture and suppress weeds.
Prepare new beds by ensuring any soil amendments are incorporated. A well-rotted compost or manure will help improve fertility and structure, setting your plants up for success.
Potatoes planted up last month need to be earthed up this month. When the foliage is around 20cm tall, draw up the soil on both sides of the plants, creating a ridge about 15cm high that almost covers the foliage. This prevents the tubers turning green and protects the foliage from frost damage, and can increaase yield.
You can start enjoying the fruits of your labours this month - crops that should be ready to harvest include lettuce, spring onions, broccoli, overwintered spring cabbage, spinach, rhubarb, beetroot, radish and peas. You can also start harvesting asparagus - cut the stems from 5cm below the soil. Harvesting the young, tender stems of rhubarb regularly is not only delicious, but will encourage further growth.
Sow dwarf or climbing beans, runner beans, sweetcorn, indoor cucumber, courgettes, tomatoes, melons, peppers, aubergines, pumpkins and squash in the greenhouse or under cover. These crops need plenty of warmth, so make sure they are well-watered, and keep an eye on ventilation to avoid scorching.
Continue to sow lettuce, carrots, leef beet, radish, spinach and beetroot direct outside - little and often to keep the harvests coming - and parsnips. Sow salad onions, peas, turnips, swedes, spring onions, the last broad beans, kohl rabi, radicchio, and endive. For those in cooler areas, it may still be better to wait a little longer to sow outdoor crops, especially tender varieties. You can also sow cabbage, kale and purple sprouting broccoli, for transplanting next month. When sowing carrots, protect against carrot fly, and net brassicas.
Mulch strawberry beds with straw to conserve moisture and keep the fruit clean as it ripens. Thin canes on autumn-fruiting raspberries to promote healthy growth and maximize yields. Keep fruit trees well-supported , tying in any new growth on trained trees and canes. This includes currants, apples, and pears. Mulch fruit trees with well-rotted manure or compost to lock in moisture and suppress weeds. This is especially important with the milder temperatures, as trees are likely growing quickly.
Thin out crops sown last month, including beetroot and carrots. Be sure to cover carrots with fleece afterwards, as thinning out releases a carrot smell that attracts carrot fly.
Harden off tender young plants that have been growing in the greenhouse. Acclimatize them to outdoor conditions before planting out later in the month. Move plants out of the greenhouse to garden off during the day but bring them back in at night to avoid any late frost damage.
Plant out young plants sown last month, including celeriac, celery, courgettes, squashes, pumpkins and marrows and leeks, along with maincrop potatoes. Hold off if the weather is cold, and protect young plants from cold or windy weather with a cloche or fleece.
Put up supports for peas, climbing beans and runner beans. You can either buy a ready-made support, or make a wigwam or row using bamboo canes or hazel poles.
Weed, weed and then weed some more! Get on top of weeds now and you'll have less to do as the summer progresses.
Keep an eye out for blackfly on broad beans - pinching out the growing tip of the plants, where they congregate, can help. Also look out for greenfly on lettuce and carrots. Protect young plants and seedlings from slugs and snails with copper tape, and go on regular evening hunts for slugs and snails , especially after damp weather. Hang pheromone traps in apple and plum trees from May to July to control pests before they affect fruiting. Check young plants regularly for early signs of pest damage, particularly aphids, which are prevalent in May. A blast of water or a soft soap solution can help manage them.
Whether it's a cut flower garden as a crop in your allotment, or complementary / sacrificial flowers to attract pollinators or keep pests away from your crops, flowers still have an important place in many allotments. This month, plant out dahlias once the danger of frost has passed - this is typically towards the end of the month. Plant out your sweet peas this month, after hardening them off. Direct sow annuals for cut flowers , such as cosmos, cornflowers, larkspur, and helipterum. These will provide a steady supply of blooms for cutting throughout the summer. An allotment wouldn’t be complete without sowing nasturtium seeds to attract pollinators, and lavender seeds can be sown until early June. Sow annuals such as marigolds to deter whitefly, and calendula to attract beneficial insects. Prune spring shrubs like forsythia and chaenomeles after flowering to keep them compact and encourage new growth. Pinch out the shoot tips of fuchsias to encourage bushier growth. Plant more gladioli for a succession of summer flowers. Summer bedding plants should also be hardened-off from mid-May with a view to planting out after the risk of frost has passed.