Trees, shrubs and roses

It is now really too late for moving shrubs or young trees within the garden, except evergreens.

Spring shrubs should be pruned as they go out of flower, if necessary, but if there is plenty of space let them grow.

Roses will need regular spraying against blackspot disease of the leaves.

Flowers

Bedding plants should be grown on strongly by regular watering and feeding.

Tubers of begonias and dahlias can be potted up, or planted out towards the end of the month, and corms of gladioli can be planted out where they are to flower.

Stake tall flowers growing in an exposed area.

Fruit, vegetables and herbs

Vegetable seed sowing has been badly delayed unless seeds were sown in cell trays and there are young plants to be planted outdoors in the next few weeks, on schedule.

At the first opportunity sow carrots, broccoli and peas outdoors. Budbreak on fruit trees has been very delayed.

Lawn

Lawns have been growing reasonably well as soil temperatures have moved up after the slow spring. Grass greened up rapidly with a few warm days, but if grass is slow apply some lawn fertiliser or high-nitrogen fertiliser.

Apply mosskiller if necessary, as moss growth has been strong.

Greenhouse and house plants

Houseplants can be re-potted now if they are pot-bound and topple easily.

All greenhouse plants should be fed on strongly now and watered well to make rapid growth early in the season.

Check for greenflies on tender greenhouse plants such as fuchsias, and other greenhouse pests.

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