Job Opportunities for Spring Planting
As May arrives, gardeners across the UK are eager to start sowing seeds and planting bulbs to bring vibrant colour and flavour to their outdoor spaces. Here's a guide to some of the most popular plants to sow and plant this month.
Poppies
Poppies are wonderful plants for attracting bees and other insects to the garden. To sow poppy seeds outdoors, the best method is to direct sow them in a well-prepared seed bed in late fall or early spring when there is still a chance of frost or light snow, as poppy seeds need cool conditions to germinate properly. Alternatively, for some hardy annual varieties like Shirley Poppy (Papaver rhoeas), seeds can be sown outdoors from March to May, or also in August to September for flowering the following year.
Key steps for sowing: - Choose a sunny to partially sunny location with well-drained soil. - Prepare a fine, firm seedbed by removing weeds and loosening the soil. - Sprinkle the small poppy seeds thinly on the soil surface since they need light to germinate, then press lightly but do not cover with soil, as burying seeds can hinder germination. - Keep the seedbed evenly moist but not waterlogged during germination, which should occur within 2–3 weeks. - Thin seedlings carefully to about 20 cm apart to avoid root disturbance. - Protect seedlings if necessary with a cloche during hard winters if sown the previous fall for early flowering.
This approach works well for common annual poppies and oriental poppies requiring outdoor sowing after frost. Regular watering and sunlight are important throughout the seedling phase to ensure successful growth.
Cucumbers
May is the perfect time to sow cucumber seeds. 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.
Beetroot
'Albino White' is a tasty beet whose pale flesh avoids the staining problems of red beetroot varieties. 'Detroit' is a superb, high-yielding variety with tasty red beets. 'Cylindra' has all the vibrancy of other crimson beetroot, but with unusually shaped cylindrical roots. Beetroot seeds can be sown direct this month 2.5cm deep and 10cm apart, leaving 30cm between rows.
Turnips
Turnips prefer cool conditions and thrive in moisture-retentive, fertile soil, enriched with organic matter. 'Atlantic' is an ideal variety to grow in containers where it can be harvested within a few weeks for tender baby turnips. 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.
Strawflowers
Strawflowers raised from seed in early spring can be planted out once all risk of frost has passed. 'Salmon Rose', 'Purple Red', 'Golden Yellow', 'Swiss Giant Mix' are different varieties of strawflowers. Strawflowers (Xerochrysum bracteatum or Helichrysum bracteatum) can be sown outside this month in well-drained soil in a sunny position. 'Crystal Lemon' has unusual round yellow fruits.
Other Plants
Many crops and flowering plants can be sown outside in May. Half-hardy annuals like cosmos and zinnia can be direct sown in late May. California poppies (Eschscholzia californica) are wonderful plants for attracting bees and other insects to the garden. Community garden days, gardening groups, local social media groups, spring fêtes, open garden days, and clearance areas in garden centres and nurseries can be good places to acquire surplus seedlings.
May is known as the Flower Moon or Corn Planting Moon, making it the perfect time to start sowing and planting in your garden. Happy gardening!
[1] RHS (2021) Poppy. [online] Available at: https://www.rhs.org.uk/plants/21619/Poppy/details
[2] RHS (2021) Sowing Poppy Seeds. [online] Available at: https://www.rhs.org.uk/advice/profile?pid=436
[3] RHS (2021) Cucamelon. [online] Available at: https://www.rhs.org.uk/plants/33836/Cucamelon/details
[4] RHS (2021) Sowing Cucumber Seeds. [online] Available at: https://www.rhs.org.uk/advice/profile?pid=437
[5] RHS (2021) Beetroot. [online] Available at: https://www.rhs.org.uk/plants/1614/Beetroot/details
[6] RHS (2021) Turnip. [online] Available at: https://www.rhs.org.uk/plants/26635/Turnip/details
[7] RHS (2021) Strawflower. [online] Available at: https://www.rhs.org.uk/plants/26637/Strawflower/details
- With the arrival of May, consider expanding your home-and-garden lifestyle by planting the vibrant and bee-attracting Strawflowers in well-drained soil in a sunny position, as they can be sown outside this month.
- To complement your lifestyle and cultivate an appealing home-and-garden aesthetic, look into sowing poppy seeds in late fall or early spring for a cheerful display of poppies in your garden, as they are great plants for bringing both colour and flavour to outdoor spaces.
