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1. Fruit, vegetables and herbs
Ground is too wet for sowing vegetable seeds outdoors, but shallot and onion sets can be set out if the soil dries out, especially on no-dig beds.
Spray apple and pear trees for scab disease if they are of susceptible varieties. Tidy around globe artichokes to clear out snails.
2. Lawn
It has been a wet and cold spring and not much growth, but a mowing should be done if the ground is not too wet.
It is a bit early for feeding as fertiliser tends to wash away if there is much rain, but if the weather warms up a spring feed could be given to get growth going.
3. Trees, shrubs and roses.
Spring shrubs, such as forsythia, are a bit delayed. Roses that were advanced got a touch of frost, but this is superficial and the shoots will recover.
Rose bushes that are not resistant to black spot disease will need regular spraying. Pruning of roses should be completed by now.
4. Flowers
Watch for slug and snail damage these days. Severe damage can occur and many plants are attacked as they come through the soil.
Tubers of begonias and dahlias can still be potted up for later planting outside. Seeds of bedding plants should be sown without delay.
5. Greenhouse and house plants
Feed strongly now to get good growth before mid-summer and water well. Spray a grapevine for mildew with rose spray if it had the disease last year.
Houseplants can be re-potted now, if they are pot-bound and inclined to topple over. Sow tomato seeds now for outdoor plants.
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