Jobs on the Smallholding: May

Are you a smallholder? Would you like to know what other smallholding folk are occupying themselves with as Spring is in full swing? Or are you just keen to find out what is on the jobs list for us smallholders in May? Then this post is just what you’re looking for. Keep reading to find out about the jobs on my smallholding this May.

Weeding

Warmer weather with intermittent showers will have all the plants growing at a rate of knots. This also includes those pesky weeds.

To give your crops the best chance of doing well, and to keep your beds orderly and tidy, you will want to keep on top of the weeds.

If you are proactive with regular hoeing, you won’t need to get down on your hands and knees pulling out stubborn roots.

We like a diamond hoe; it does a good job of skimming the surface, pulling out the shallow roots of annual weeds. It also hooks around the deeper roots of perennial weeds really effectively, making light work of pulling them out. Aim to take a pass over one or two beds per day, and to get round your whole garden at least once per week.

Planting out

Many of the seedlings that you have planted in the last couple of months will now be ready to go outside! So far this month, we have planted out our french beans, peas, swede, broccoli, kale, cabbages, beetroot and Swiss chard. We have also tried some direct sowing of various bean seeds saved from last year’s crop, as a little experiment.

Make sure to water your plants in well to avoid root shock. And keep them well watered in this warm, dry weather.

Potting on

There are some plants that do better if they are moved onto bigger pots to get more established, before planting them outside or into your polytunnel. Certainly squashes (of any variety), courgettes, cucumbers, tomatoes and melons all benefit from a little extra time in pots.

We had already sieved one bay of home-made compost into the adjacent empty bay. As we sat there one sunny Saturday morning engaged in the wholesome family activity of potting on our seedlings, I could not help but think that THIS is just what life is all about. Is there a better representation of the circle of life than using our rotted kitchen waste to grow our seedlings into plants, which in turn will feed us this year?

Start harvesting first early potatoes

We get through A LOT of potatoes. Basically because they are the only starch that we can grow. So we eat them in preference to other sources of carbohydrate, at least once and often twice per day.

Our harvest last year was disappointing, so we have hedged our bets this year. We planted our first early potatoes in the polytunnel in January this year. Just a couple of weeks later, Storm Eowyn hit, decimating our polytunnel. We then had several late frosts, and we thought our early potatoes would certainly be lost.

But these feisty little tubers have defeated all the odds, and are flourishing. We have starting harvesting some delicious, waxy new potatoes this month – YUM!

Plant main crop potatoes

Continuing the potato theme, we have also been busy planting our main crop.

If you have any concerns about the reliability of your harvest, I would recommend staggering your planting and using a variety of locations. This way, hopefully you will get some healthy potatoes that will store well. And you stand a better chance of being able to use any damaged tubers as you pull them up.

Be sure to water your tubers in well, and keep earthing them up as the haulms grow.

Shearing

If you are lucky enough to have some woolly friends on your smallholding, then it is time to think about shearing. My Dorset ewes and alpacas all start to look hot and itchy in early May. I try to hold on until mid-late May if I can, just to be sure (as sure as one can be in Scotland) that we are unlikely to see any more cold weather.

Our animals are all very tame and are happy to stand while I clip them with hand shears. I am happy to take the time to save them the stress of someone else handling them (less gently that I would) and the noise of electric shears.

But, if you do need to book a shearer for your flock, it would be best to do that soon! They often have long lists of folks wanting their services, and they usually only confirm last minute when there is a spell of warm, dry weather.

Outdoor play

If you have little people “helping” you on your smallholding, then you will likely also be looking for ways to entertain them so that you can get at least some of your chores done in a somewhat efficient manner.

Our toddler LOVES to be out in the garden and especially outside with our animals. Unfortunately, we have not yet decked our garden out with large toys or other means of entertainment for a small person. But we are on the case now!

My husband has designed an enormous climbing frame, complete with a wavy slide, monkey bars, swings and a secret hideaway. We are hoping to get this finished in the next month or so. That way, if our little one wants to help with garden chores, that is absolutely fine. But there will also be an equally good option to play while we work!

That just about rounds up our jobs list on the smallholding this May. Are you a smallholder, too? I would love to hear what you are up to!