May Gardening Diary ' A wet and windy May fills the barns with corn and hay ' In the borders and vegetable garden routine hoeing should be encouraged; regular hoeing kills the weeds, loosens compaction, aerates the soil and breaks up the capillary action and so reduces evaporation. The borders are left looking fresh and shipshape. A hoe vigorously plied is one of the great aids to good growth. For those gardeners with 'Hoers' Elbow', the alternative is the mulch. The main rules are that it should be laid deep, at least four inches and away from any stems, the ground should have first had a thorough soaking (From rain, not hose), this locked-away moisture may be retained for a considerable time. Any raw or uncomposted material should be avoided. Green waste, wood shavings, straw or wood bark, when used fresh may lead to denitrification of the soil. Yes, bacteria in the soil which usually convert nitrogen into useable nitrates can become starved of oxygen and so are forced to separate the oxygen molecules from the soil-bound nitrates, which are then lost to the atmosphere, we write this not only to appear clever and well-read, it really does happen, especially on undug slightly acid soil, that being just what we have here in our corner of the county. If mulch you must, then a thorough digging-over and removal of perennial weeds followed by a dressing of nitrogen should be carried out first. In the veg. patch it is important to thin previously sown crops, this job brooks no delay; overcrowding in the nursery can weaken and distend plants to such a degree that they may never fully recover their figures. We may now sow seeds of French and runner beans in those deep compost filled trenches the reader prepared in March. Peas, carrots, parsnip, lettuce, radish and spinach may also be sown now. Brussels sprouts need a long season to fully develop, so the quicker they can be transplanted to their permanent quarters the better. Brassicas always planted firmly. It is customary to pinch out the tops of Broad Beans when in flower, this should greatly reduce infestation of black fly. Early Potatoes should be earthed up little and often. Rhododendrons and Azaleas may have any dead flowers picked off to allow new growth to form. Any pruning here must be carried out immediately after flowering and before next year's flower buds form. As Daffodils and other early flowering bulbs finish flowering it is as well to remove dead flowers to prevent seed formation and encourage the growth of the bulbs. Irksome and unsightly obstacles to our mowers they may be, but the dying foliage must be allowed to wither in its own time. Any remaining pruning of Forsythia may now be completed, leaving the youngest shoots, as they will bear the best blooms next year. And so, with the mercury rising, and the Song Thrush in full cry, we may look forward to that finest of Spring sights; the first appearance of the semi-naked, tattooed and egg-white young gentlemen strutting up Horam high Street.
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