Which seeds to sow in May

Having slugs and snails in the vegetable garden can be a nuisance for the gardener. To avoid this problem, you can surround the plants with sawdust, wood ash or crumbled egg shells. If that doesn't help, you can always choose to use salt, but be careful that the salt doesn't come into contact with the plants!

Sowing seeds outside

Between the 11th and 13th of May, the ice saints arrive. The Ice Saints are three days in May that are dreaded for the risk of late frosts. This means that from mid-May onwards, you can sow almost all varieties of seeds in the open ground. Think of pepper seeds, courgettes, gherkins and beans. The latter two varieties are often sown in bunches (4 or 5 seeds in a bunch), then buried and watered. Leave 40 cm space between them.

If you want to sow fennel seeds, remember that these seeds prefer nutritious soil. They are easy to grow and the plants grow very fast.

Watch out for the Colorado beetle. The Colorado Beetle likes to eat your potatoes, aubergines and tomatoes. Remove these beetles directly.

Radish

Radishes can be eaten all summer long. Therefore, sow a row every 14 days and water well. It’s best to thin them between seven and 10 days, before the roots can become tangles. Cut the tiny sprouts to about one inch apart with a pair of fine-pointed scissors.

In the third week of May you can sow endive seeds and this is also a good time to sow summer carrot seeds.

Tomato plants

This month it is important to take good care of your tomato plants. Towards the end of May it is time to transplant the small plants outside. Choose a rich soil and preferably plant nettles at the foot of the plants. During the summer the tomato needs a lot of water, but avoid watering during the heat of the day. Mulch the base of the plant well and give it some support. To protect your tomatoes from insects, you can sow lavender and basil seeds between the tomato plants. Add a little sugar to turn the tomatoes red.

Corn

If you have a large vegetable garden, you can sow corn now. This plant prefers a sunny spot and good watering to improve the quality of the cobs. The corn plant can be grown with squash, courgette or melon, but avoid the proximity of tomatoes!

Squash

For those who like squash with different shapes and colours, it is now time to sow these squash seeds. Pay attention to the distance between these seeds, because squashes need a lot of space.

Strawberries

In mid-may the strawberry plants should start to flower, so it is time to spread straw around the plant. That prevents drying out and the upcoming strawberries will stay clean after a heavy rain.