{"id":4050,"date":"2025-07-09T20:03:59","date_gmt":"2025-07-09T19:03:59","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/whetstoneallotments.co.uk\/?page_id=4050"},"modified":"2026-05-13T19:52:53","modified_gmt":"2026-05-13T18:52:53","slug":"may","status":"publish","type":"page","link":"https:\/\/whetstoneallotments.co.uk\/?page_id=4050","title":{"rendered":"Be a Busy Bee in May"},"content":{"rendered":"\n<p>May is a busy month, with sowing, planting, and maintenance all competing for attention. A little regular work now can save a lot of effort later in the season, helping to keep plots productive and manageable as everything gets into full growth.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\">Jobs for this month include:<\/h2>\n\n\n\n<div class=\"wp-block-columns is-layout-flex wp-container-core-columns-is-layout-9d6595d7 wp-block-columns-is-layout-flex\">\n<div class=\"wp-block-column is-layout-flow wp-block-column-is-layout-flow\" style=\"flex-basis:66.66%\">\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\">Planting out tender crops once the risk of frost has passed<\/h3>\n\n\n\n<p>Harden off and plant out crops such as courgettes, squash, and tomatoes when conditions are settled, giving them the best start outdoors.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\">Succession sowing salads, beetroot, carrots, and beans for a steady harvest<\/h3>\n\n\n\n<p>Little and often sowing helps avoid gluts and gaps, ensuring a continuous supply of fresh produce through the summer.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\">Supporting peas and climbing beans before they get too tall<\/h3>\n\n\n\n<p>Get canes, netting, or frames in place early so plants can climb safely and avoid damage from wind or their own weight.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\">Hoeing regularly to keep weeds under control<\/h3>\n\n\n\n<p>A quick hoe every week or so is much easier than tackling established weeds later, especially after rain when growth can surge.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\">Earthing up potatoes as they grow<\/h3>\n\n\n\n<p>Draw soil up around the stems to protect emerging tubers<br>from light and encourage a better crop.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\">Keeping an eye out for slugs and other pests around young plants<\/h3>\n\n\n\n<p>Tender seedlings are particularly vulnerable at this stage, so regular checks can prevent early losses.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n\n\n\n<div class=\"wp-block-column is-layout-flow wp-block-column-is-layout-flow\" style=\"flex-basis:33.33%\">\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image size-full\"><a href=\"https:\/\/whetstoneallotments.co.uk\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/05\/Screenshot-2026-05-13-at-7.03.45-pm.png\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"446\" height=\"144\" src=\"https:\/\/whetstoneallotments.co.uk\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/05\/Screenshot-2026-05-13-at-7.03.45-pm.png\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-4351\" srcset=\"https:\/\/whetstoneallotments.co.uk\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/05\/Screenshot-2026-05-13-at-7.03.45-pm.png 446w, https:\/\/whetstoneallotments.co.uk\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/05\/Screenshot-2026-05-13-at-7.03.45-pm-300x97.png 300w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 446px) 100vw, 446px\" \/><\/a><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image size-large\"><a href=\"https:\/\/whetstoneallotments.co.uk\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/05\/Screenshot-2026-05-13-at-6.45.43-pm.png\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"332\" height=\"1024\" src=\"https:\/\/whetstoneallotments.co.uk\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/05\/Screenshot-2026-05-13-at-6.45.43-pm-332x1024.png\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-4345\" srcset=\"https:\/\/whetstoneallotments.co.uk\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/05\/Screenshot-2026-05-13-at-6.45.43-pm-332x1024.png 332w, https:\/\/whetstoneallotments.co.uk\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/05\/Screenshot-2026-05-13-at-6.45.43-pm-97x300.png 97w, https:\/\/whetstoneallotments.co.uk\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/05\/Screenshot-2026-05-13-at-6.45.43-pm.png 408w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 332px) 100vw, 332px\" \/><\/a><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image size-full\"><a href=\"https:\/\/whetstoneallotments.co.uk\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/05\/Screenshot-2026-05-13-at-7.01.54-pm.png\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"194\" height=\"114\" src=\"https:\/\/whetstoneallotments.co.uk\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/05\/Screenshot-2026-05-13-at-7.01.54-pm.png\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-4349\"\/><\/a><\/figure>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n\n\n\n<p>Don&#8217;t forget that grass paths and plot edges can quickly become overgrown at this time of year, so keeping them trimmed and accessible helps maintain a tidy, safe, and welcoming site for everyone.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>May is a busy month, with sowing, planting, and maintenance all competing for attention. A little regular work now can save a lot of effort later in the season, helping to keep plots productive and manageable as everything gets into &hellip; <a href=\"https:\/\/whetstoneallotments.co.uk\/?page_id=4050\">Continue reading <span class=\"meta-nav\">&rarr;<\/span><\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":170,"featured_media":0,"parent":0,"menu_order":0,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","template":"","meta":{"footnotes":""},"class_list":["post-4050","page","type-page","status-publish","hentry"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/whetstoneallotments.co.uk\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/pages\/4050","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/whetstoneallotments.co.uk\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/pages"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/whetstoneallotments.co.uk\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/types\/page"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/whetstoneallotments.co.uk\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/users\/170"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/whetstoneallotments.co.uk\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcomments&post=4050"}],"version-history":[{"count":4,"href":"https:\/\/whetstoneallotments.co.uk\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/pages\/4050\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":4373,"href":"https:\/\/whetstoneallotments.co.uk\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/pages\/4050\/revisions\/4373"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/whetstoneallotments.co.uk\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fmedia&parent=4050"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}