May

Plants and the soil will benefit from regular feeds. Use seaweed, compost tea, weed tea or worm tea, sprayed over any foliage or the soil early in the morning. It will get your soil life pumping for autumn growth. Use a watering can or hose-on applicator.

Be aware of plant requirements - leafy greens need more nitrogen than root or legume crops.

Tomatoes can be boosted with a Powerfeed of Seasol that has a higher potash content - https://bit.ly/40sDwKp.

A healthy soil will ensure a healthy, nutrient dense food - https://bit.ly/3XOw7Ud 

Windy weather and weeds can quickly suck up moisture from your edible garden.

Top up mulch to a depth of about 7cm. Deeper layers can prevent precipitation getting to the root zones of your plants. Use mulch that will break down and enrich your soil -  sugar cane or straw are ideal. Pull back from newly planted seedlings.

Mulch can help minimise weeding, or at least make it easier to remove them.

Southern gardeners are removing mulch to warm soils up - not necessary here during our mild winters, and sometimes hot days.

It's likley to remain warm, so crops will need to be watered carefully.

Water early in the morning rather than in the evening.
Water deeply, rather than a trickle of water daily. Strong plants will follow. Check moisture levels before adding more - check with your finger.

Some plants get all droopy when they’re dry. It’s best to water them just before this point. You may notice that your plants change colour when they need a drink - a subtle change, but still a good indicator of needing a drink. It may be a silvery sheen, or a variation in leaf colour. Good observation in you garden will help in managing water stress.

Succession planting is about having regular small quantities of produce pickable, rather than a glut of produce that you either pickle, donate to Food Relief or take to the monthly Produce Swap.

This spreadsheet might be useful if you're a bit geeky. Otherwise, the aim is to plant smaller quantities more regularly. https://bit.ly/3xGlfxd 

Check out the guide below to work out when to plant different seeds for  succession planting.
https://bit.ly/3IHRthQ 

Start your flowering plants now- zinnia, cosmos, marigold, ammi majus (Queen Anne's lace), cleome and  nasturtiums. They'll attract pollinators and beneficial insects. Don't forget herbs as dual purpose plants. Perennial basil flowers almost nonstop. And it provides abundant leaf for cooking. Consider placement depending on whether they’re a companion or decoy plant.  Decoys need to be placed away from your crops.

Don't underestimate IPM (Integrated Pest Management) - and how it can help control pests without using harmful chemicals.

Many companion plants are edible - so they're doing a number of jobs in your edible garden. 

Calendula, nasturtium,  alyssum, marigold, and viola are some of the edible flowers that can be used to encourage beneficial insects.