May is the month when seed sowing is in full swing, space in the greenhouse is filling up fast with seed trays and pots. Towards the end of the month I sow runner and other climbing beans direct outside, this has worked far better than transplanting which seemed to knock the plants back a bit despite hardening them off.
Jobs that can be carried out this month:
- Continue harvesting asparagus spears
- Check growth of greenhouse seedlings and water as necessary. If the weather is warm ventilate the greenhouse
- Continue hardening off crops before planting out
- Transplant or ‘dib in’ leek seedlings once they’re the width of a pencil
- Plant out Brussels sprouts, summer cabbages and summer sprouting broccoli
- Keep the hoe busy!
- Remove weeds around onions, shallots and garlic
- Support autumn sowings of tall variety broad beans with canes and string between each row
- Plant the last of your seed potatoes
- Cut out flower spikes from the middle of rhubarb crowns
- Check support for summer raspberries, blackberries and other hybrid berries, tie in canes
- Thin out crowded raspberry canes
- Earth up second early and main crop potatoes, cover rows with pieces of thick cardboard for extra protection if severe frost threatens
- Plant out sunflowers and other half-hardy flowering annuals raised in pots at the end of the month (weather permitting) otherwise wait until next month
- Thin carrot seedlings and consider sowing more rows
- Plant out sweet pea once hardened off, pinch out the growing tips if you haven’t done so already
- Keep a roll of horticultural fleece to hand, cover outdoor peas and greenhouse seedlings at night if very cold or frost threatens
- Succession sow herbs such as coriander, dill and parsley
- Check developing gooseberry fruit for signs of mildew
Some vegetable seeds to sow this month:
- French and runner beans either in pots (undercover) or direct towards the end of the month when all risk of frost has passed
- Sweet corn under glass or indoors using small pots, root trainers or toilet roll tubes
- Carrots, beetroot and other root crops direct
- Cucumber, pumpkins, courgettes and other squashes under glass or indoors for successful germination
- Keep sowing radish, spring onions, lettuce and peas every two weeks
- Early purple sprouting broccoli and Brussels sprouts
- Winter cabbages
Allotment Haven 
Thank you all good advice.
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