Fruit, vegetables and herbs

If the weather is settled, plant out tender vegetables such as sweetcorn and runner beans. Finish off sowing of maincrop vegetables such as carrots, broccoli and peas.

Make repeat sowings of lettuce and peas. Thin out vegetables. Sow cabbage and cauliflower for autumn and winter.

Lawn

Feed a lawn that is pale in colour or has not been growing well. Maintain regular mowing. Sow new areas now or carry out any over-sowing in case of dry weather later.

Trim the edges around flower beds or borders. Regular frequent mowing will help the sward to develop.

Trees, shrubs and roses

Tie in the new shoots of climbing roses so that they will be in the correct position for training later. Prune spring shrubs as they go out of flower, if necessary, such as forsythia, flowering currant, kerria and spring spirea.

Check that young trees have enough moisture.

Flowers

Bedding plants can be planted out in the coming two weeks or so. Do not be in a hurry with bedding plants unless you are in a very favoured area in the south of the country.

Dahlias and gladiolus can now be planted out where they are to flower, also sweet peas.

Greenhouse and house plants

Pot up rooted cuttings. Plant out tomatoes, chilli peppers, cucumbers and sweet peppers as soon as space becomes available in the greenhouse.

Feed greenhouse plants strongly now to get good growth before mid-summer and water well. Houseplants can be re-potted now.

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