Edibles

• Baileys Soil Matters Garden is an organic-based, broad-spectrum plant food which can be applied across the entire garden and veggie patch. It's microbial coating is designed to stimulates healthy population of native soil biology and improve nutrient uptake. 

Flowers & Ornaments

• Now is a great time to prune; reducing the canopy now means that, come winter, the rain can get to the roots easier. It also reduces the chance of storm damage. As soon as any of your deciduous shrubs and trees have dropped their leaves it's time to start your winter pruning.
  
• If you didn't in April then pruning your roses back now will mean you get one more flush of flower in June.
  
• Prune summer-flowering perennials such as salvias, buddleia and daisies.
  
• Prune Hydrangea stem above two plump buds and remove old branches at ground level.

Native Plants

• Take cuttings and propagate your native plants. Plant them directly into Baileys Native Premium Potting Mix or propagation mix for best results.
  

Vegetables & Herbs

• If your brassicas suffered from clubroot last season treat beds with 10cm layer of good quality compost such as Baileys Soil Improver Plus and a sprinkling of garden lime.
• May is a great time to make new plants from cuttings. Just take a 10cm cutting from hardwood herbs such as bay and rosemary, remove the lower leaves, dip cuttings into rooting gel or honey and plant in small containers of Baileys Premium Potting Mix. Keep the cuttings slightly moist and shelter from strong sun and wind.
  
• Brussel sprouts can easily get top heavy as the crops develop. To prevent them toppling over, support them with tomato stakes.
  
• Lift and divide rhubarb if the stems are getting progressively thinner. Replanting these can give your plant a new lease of life resulting in thick flavoursome stalks.
  

Trees & Shrubs

• Divide out evergreen perennials, lift them from the soil, divide at the roots and re-plant into well-conditioned soil. Enrich soil before planting with Bailey Soil Improver Plus and Baileys Soil Matters Clay & Compost. 

Pot Plants

• Watch the amount of water you're giving your indoor plants now, test the soil first with your finger to see if they're thirsty.

• May is the last month to apply a granular fertiliser to lawns before winter. This will encourages prolonged growth to ensure a thick coverage and extended colour and help prevent weeds from taking hold while your lawns growth rate slows. Use Baileys 3.1.1. Plus or Energy Turf.
• Foliar application with a liquid fertiliser is more effective in cooler months when the transfer of nutrients from soil to plant slows down. To maintain that professional colour and finish, apply Baileys Turfect Invigorate as the temperate drops and throughout winter every 4 weeks. TURFECT Invigorate provides a broad spectrum, readily available source of essential macro and micro nutrients and is particularly high in Potassium. The nutritional makeup, plus added kelp, humic acid and Biowish beneficial biology optimise root growth and soil health. This in turn improves water and nutrient uptake, turf growth and vigour.
• Compaction can be a bit of a problem heading into the cooler months particularly in high wear areas or from wet weather. Try to avoid traffic on your lawn or regularly aerate to help loosen the soil.  
• Winter weeds in lawns such as Jo Jo and annual winter grass begin germinating this month and a spray now will hit them at their most vulnerable stage.

Flowers & Shrubs

• Roses need watching at this time of year for fungal problems of black spot rust and powdery mildew. Avoid watering over the foliage as this can encourage the spread of these diseases.
  

Fruits

• Spray peaches, nectarines, apricots and plum trees with copper based fungicides to combat shot hole and peach leaf curl diseases.

Vegetables & Herbs

• Watch out for slugs, snails, aphids, whitefly, cabbage moth and associated caterpillars in the vegie patch. The best method is always prevention and if you don't have a problem, act quick to secure your garden with a finely woven net immediately. Exclusion netting is a great way to keep most pests at bay.