Hopefully the worst of the weather has passed, and the last frost will have come and gone. Lots of plants sown last month can be planted out now once they have been hardened off, including courgettes and sweetcorn.

Vegetables to sow indoors or undercover in May

This month is the last time to sow sweetcorn as they require plenty of time to ripen and grow. For a super strong root system sow in Rootrainers and plant out when the seedings are large enough to handle and acclimatised to weather.

May is a perfect time to start sowing coriander into pots of good quality multi-purpose or seed and cuttings compost, and keeping them on a warm, sunny windowsill.

Vegetables to sow directly in May

Courgettes can still be planted this month and do well either sown directly or in containers.

Florence fennel is perfect for sowing now. It does not like root disturbance so either sow into Rootrainers to establish strong roots or sow directly into well prepared garden soil. Florence fennel is particularly partial to fertile soil in a sheltered spot.

Sow Borlotti seeds now in Rootrainers or trays of good quality compost. Alternatively, they can be sown directly right up until mid-July.

If you sowed Brussels sprouts traditionally in a seed bed in April, from now until early June, is the time to transplant them to their final growing position.  Brussels Sprouts need somewhere both sunny and sheltered from harsh winds. 

Swede can be sown now either indoors or outdoors depending upon your location. Swedes sown directly require free draining soil in a sunny part of the garden. Ideally, they need soil rich in nutrients which can be achieved using a good compost and natural fertiliser such as blood, fish and bone.

If you would li to grow something new and a little different then check out last week's blog on How to Grow Maca.  Its a lumpy brown root vegetable that is the latest on-trend superfood to turbo charge your energy.