May — garden and home jobs for this month

May is the month when growth outpaces almost everything else on the calendar, so the jobs that matter most are the ones that keep pace with it: mowing, feeding, planting out, and a few checks around the house before the warmer months put buildings under different pressures than winter did. In most of the UK the risk of a hard frost has passed by mid-May, though gardens in Scotland and the north of England should wait until nearer the end of the month before trusting it.

Lawn care

Mow weekly now that growth has picked up, lowering the blade gradually rather than scalping the grass in one go. If the lawn is thin or patchy after winter, this is a reasonable month to apply a spring-summer feed, but hold off on any weedkiller until the grass has had at least two or three cuts to establish itself.

• Check mower blades are sharp: a blunt blade tears the grass tip, which browns and looks like disease
• Edge borders now, while the line is easy to see against fresh growth
• If last autumn's aerating or scarifying left bare patches, overseed them this month while the soil is warm enough for germination

Planting out and hardening off

Tender plants raised indoors or under glass need hardening off before they go into open ground: moving them outside for a few hours a day, increasing the time over one to two weeks, so they adjust to wind and temperature swings gradually rather than all at once. Skipping this step is the most common reason young plants sulk or die back within days of planting out.

Once hardened off, bedding plants, tomatoes and courgettes can go in from mid-May in most southern and midland gardens. Further north, or in an exposed or coastal spot, the second half of the month is safer.

Borders and vegetable beds

Deadhead spring bulbs as the flowers fade but leave the foliage to die back naturally, since the leaves are feeding next year's bulb. Mulching borders now, while the soil is still moist from spring rain, suppresses weeds and holds that moisture through the drier weeks that usually follow in June. Thin out direct-sown vegetable seedlings so the remaining plants have room to develop properly.

Home and shed checks

Warmer, drier weather makes May a sensible month for maintenance jobs that are unpleasant in the cold and pointless in the rain. Gutters that filled with blossom and debris through April are worth clearing before a heavy shower reveals a blockage the hard way. It's also a good time to check pointing on exterior brickwork and the condition of fascia and soffit boards, since any damage found now can be repaired before autumn weather makes it worse. Guidance on these checks in more detail is covered in home maintenance, and shed owners will find seasonal advice in shed and outbuildings.

What can wait until June

Major pruning of spring-flowering shrubs, and any lawn renovation beyond overseeding, can reasonably wait until growth has settled further. Doing these jobs now won't cause harm, but there's no advantage in rushing them either. For a fuller list of what typically shifts into next month, see June's jobs, or look at the broader seasonal picture in garden maintenance.