Job Openings for Spring Gardening: Sow Your Seeds Today
May marks the Flower Moon or Corn Planting Moon, a time when gardens come alive with the sowing of seeds and the blooming of flowers. Here's a guide to help you make the most of this month in your garden.
After the frenzy of spring sowing, surplus seedlings can be swapped with other gardeners for reuse. This is a great opportunity to share and diversify your garden collection.
Many crops and flowering plants can be sown outside during May. Aquilegia seeds can be sown directly in borders from this month until the end of June. These plants are in flower this month and thrive in full sun or partial shade.
Turnips prefer cool conditions and thrive in moisture-retentive, fertile soil, enriched with organic matter. Varieties like 'Snowball', 'Purple Top Milan', and 'Atlantic' can be sown this month. Turnips sown this month will provide a crop of turnip greens that can be cooked like spinach, followed by a summer harvest of sweet roots.
French marigolds can still be sown outdoors in May. Strawflowers (Xerochrysum bracteatum or Helichrysum bracteatum) can be sown outside in well-drained soil in a sunny position this month. The unusual, papery blooms of strawflowers work beautifully in arrangements and last indefinitely.
Field poppies, opium poppies, and Californian poppies can be sown in May. To direct sow poppy seeds successfully, choose a sunny, well-drained, and weed-free spot with prepared soil that is raked to a fine, crumbly texture. Scatter the tiny seeds very thinly and evenly on the soil surface, but do not cover them with soil because poppy seeds need light to germinate. After scattering, gently water the area using a fine spray to avoid washing away seeds. Thin the seedlings once they emerge to provide enough space for growth, typically thinning to about 20 cm apart if sowing opium poppies.
Half-hardy annuals like cosmos and zinnia can be direct sown in late May. One of the cucumber's diminutive relatives, the cucamelon, can also be sown in pots this month and will start cropping from mid- to late summer.
Greenhouse cucumbers, such as 'Bella' and 'Mini Munch', can be sown in pots now, 1-2cm deep, and kept at around 21°C. After all risk of frost has passed, tender seedlings can be acclimatised and planted out in the garden.
Beetroot seeds can be sown direct this month 2.5cm deep and 10cm apart, leaving 30cm between rows. 'Detroit', 'Cylindra', 'Rainbow Mixed' (with 'Chioggia' as a favourite), 'Burpees Golden', and 'Albino White' are various beetroot varieties. Sowing poppies in situ is best, as poppies dislike root disturbance.
California poppies are wonderful plants for attracting bees and other insects to the garden. They are also known to thrive in poor soil and require minimal care.
This method mimics natural conditions and results in strong, healthy poppy plants with abundant flowers. Remember, do not cover seeds with soil, just press them lightly onto or into the soil surface. Sow thinly to avoid overcrowding; thin seedlings to provide room. Use a sunny, well-drained spot. Water gently after sowing. Sow in early spring or autumn, depending on variety. Be patient for germination (up to a month).
Happy gardening, and enjoy the blooming May!
[1] Gardening Know How [2] BBC Gardeners' World [3] The Spruce [4] Garden Myths [5] Seedaholic
- To further enhance your home-and-garden lifestyle during May, consider swapping surplus seedlings with fellow gardeners for a diverse collection of plants.
- For a poppy-filled home-and-garden, sow California poppy seeds directly in a sunny, well-drained spot, as per the gardening guides from renowned sources like Gardening Know How, BBC Gardeners' World, and The Spruce.
