‘Ice Saints is the start of gardening season’: These are the jobs for May according to our gardening expert | MyGuide

Ice Saints is the period between May 11th and 15th. It is an important moment from a meteorological point of view. “After the Ice Saints, you can be sure that there will be no more frost at night,” explains Verelist. “This means that you no longer have to worry about frost damage to your plants.”

In other words, you can remove all kinds of frost protection. You no longer need to protect trees with delicate flowers from freezing temperatures.

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Once May comes around, you can assume that the soil has already warmed up quite a bit. “Anyone who has planted potatoes or asparagus in the vegetable garden can start digging them up and putting them in mounds,” Verilst says. “You can also sow and plant everything in May. Tomatoes and peppers, for example, but also Chinese cabbage or plants that grow fast, like lettuce and radishes.”

Our gardening expert also shares helpful tips for your vegetable garden. “Make sure you have new lettuce and radish plants ready as soon as you can harvest the first generation. This is how you make the most of your vegetable garden,” he advises. “I also recommend planting marigolds and basil between your tomato plants. This way you can keep insects away and your vegetable garden will look instantly happier.”

Moreover, May is also the best month to start harvesting herbs. “The herbs you harvest early in the season taste a lot fresher,” Verilst says. “So don’t wait any longer to harvest parsley, chives, and even chervils. You can safely freeze that chervil to make chervil soup later.” Will it be hot in May? Don’t forget to open greenhouses. Excessive heat is bad for your plants.

We know that May is the month of spring par excellence. So it’s the perfect time to plant bedding plants. “Plant pansies for extra color in the garden,” says the garden expert. “You can also add some fertilizer during planting to give your bedding plants a good start.” If dry weather is expected, you can also water. “Be careful with your watering so you don’t end up with rainwater running off too early.”

Unfortunately, weeds also grow. “Just like in April, it’s very important to watch out for weeds in May,” Verelst warns. “In flower meadows, it can be difficult to distinguish between grasses and flowers. The sooner you weed, the better. Watch out especially for goose-footed milk. This weed makes huge clumps, so you might as well pull out a lot of flowers.”

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Hedge trimming is allowed in May, but it is better to wait until June. This way you prevent a second pruning. “In May it’s a good idea to check where the birds’ nests are in the fence,” says Verilst. “That way you don’t break them when pruning in June.”

May is also known as the month we don’t mow the lawn. The aim of Maai Mei Niet is to stimulate biodiversity. Butterflies and bees thrive in the tall grass with flowers and the water will evaporate less quickly from your soil. “If you still want to mow your lawn in May, mow it to prevent drying out,” says Verilst.

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