We appreciate you’ll probably be on the plot more often than at the computer reading online newsletters. Good for you - in May the weather is unbeatable and one of the main reasons we enjoy home-growing.

We hope you get some great hints though for when you do get a moment to read this month’s newsletter. We point out great new crops to try this year and have a great cucumber recipe for preparing a dinner al fresco now the weather is good.

So enjoy the clement weather, the long days and your rewarding harvests.

 

The Marshalls Team

 

Our top 3 jobs for the month

 

Early spuds

Once the flowers of your early varieties have wilted and the stalks are starting to yellow it’s time to harvest. Use a gardening fork to loosen the soil and lift the roots carefully to reveal the potatoes. Place the stalks on the compost heap and enjoy your first harvests of the season.

 

 

 

Strawberries forever

Plant strawberries now – Marshalls Malling Centenary 60 days gives you lots of sun-ripe strawberries in time for Wimbledon and summer barbecues when you plant in May. Because we chilled the plants before they arrive to you they produce stems and flowers rapidly, on account on the change in temperature. Double-crowned you get twice the fruit from single-crown specimens.

 

 

 

Get the green light

Plant young cabbages and relatives sprouts and cauliflowers that are resistant to the disease clubroot. This disease is a curse to conscientious growers but with this clubroot-resistant collection of your favourite greens you can rest assured you get luscious greens ready to harvest from August.

 

 

 

Complete list of May jobs

From mulching to pruning, the best of indoor jobs and preparing for success see expert information. Your asparagus deserves your attention at this time of year and some greenhouse-cleaning on a rainy day will put you in good stead for a pest and disease-free year. See our complete lists of jobs for May here.

 

 

 

Top crops to sow and plant now 

Cucumbers take on a taste of their own when you grow them in sun, outdoors or in the greenhouse. So fresh they taste great in salads. It’s a patriotic time with the on-coming royal wedding so why not pay homage to the British classic, cucumber sandwiches, when celebrating.

Check out our top three must-haves below for keen home-growers;

Cucumber Lemon - Lemon-yellow, spherical cucumbers that are tender and sweet. These easy-grow curious yet attractive ‘rounds’ are excellent for salads and pickling.

Cucumber Mini Muncher- An outdoor growing variety of our ever popular indoor Mini Munch variety. Perfect in open allotments the variety can be grown on the ground or up a trellis if you’re short on space.

Cucumber Burpless Tasty- As the name suggests, this cucumber is easy on the digestion on account of its smooth skin. It’s a very prolific variety you can grow indoors or outdoors in sun.

 

Try our delicious tried and tested recipe

 

Cucumber, Cous-Cous and Crème fraîche Salad 

Give your gardening hands a well earned rest and make this delicious salad. With only a few simple ingredients needed, in just moments you can be enjoying healthy meal.

Serves 4

Ingredients;

• 1 long cucumber, 2 mini cucumbers
• 4 heaped tablespoons crème fraiche
• 1 pomegranate
• 200g couscous
• 2 little gem lettuces
• 8-10 teaspoons Dijon mustard
• Salt/pepper/general seasoning

Preparation:

• Extract pomegranate pips
• Peel cucumbers into ribbons with a potato peeler.
• Wash little gem lettuce leaves
• Boil cous-cous in water with pinch of salt and olive oil

Bring all ingredients together in a large salad bowl. Season to taste with salt, pepper, salad seasoning. For a little kick add some chilli flakes.

 

Watch out for pests and diseases

Red Lily Beetle 

This destructive albeit attractive beetle makes dinner out of the leaves of your lilies including spring-flowering lily relatives including fritillaries and erythroniums. Eradiate this pest organically by crushing the adult beetles. If you haven’t the stomach for this you can keep this pest at bay by using spray-on Resolva Natural Power Bug & Mildew Spray which also stops aphids and mites in their tracks too.

 

Breaking News 

It's showtime! 

The RHS Chelsea Flower Show, London opens its gates this month as does the RHS Malvern Spring Festival. Exhibitors show their gardening and growing prowess at these famous horticultural shows and they are the perfect places to glean fresh ideas for crop-growing. Gardens to note are The Salad Deck at Malvern, highlighting edible flowers and crops to grow in small spaces and The Claims Guys:  - A Very English Garden, full of ornamental favourites.

See more information on all the RHS Shows this summer

 

Marshalls May Catalogue

Your May Marshalls catalogue will be landing on your doorstep soon and we want you to take advantage of the special offers we have inside so you get your best home-growing season yet.