May is a brilliant time to get out into the garden and really bring your planting plans to life. With the last of the frosts behind us in most areas, it’s the perfect moment to plant out tender crops like tomatoes, courgettes, pumpkins, and more. These sun-lovers will thrive in the warming soil, especially if you give them the best start with the right compost. At NAL Plant, we proudly stock Royal Horticultural Society Composts – the gold standard for anyone serious about healthy, vigorous plants. Packed with the perfect blend of nutrients and structure, our RHS composts are designed to give your crops the very best chance to flourish.

Sowing into prepared beds

May is also the month to get sowing directly into your prepared beds. French beans, runner beans, sweetcorn, squash, cucumbers, and pumpkins all do brilliantly when sown now. To ensure success, keep a close eye on the weather forecast – a sudden late frost can still catch you out. It’s worth having some horticultural fleece or cloches handy just in case you need to throw over some protection at short notice.

To help all these crops thrive, start them off in the best growing conditions possible. Our RHS Composts at NAL Plant are ideal whether you’re sowing seeds, potting on young plants, or enriching garden beds. A good compost is the foundation for strong roots, vibrant growth, and a bountiful harvest – and we’ve got you covered with top-quality blends ready to go.

Gradual Introductions

There’s plenty more you can plant out now too. Alpine strawberries, cauliflowers, purple sprouting broccoli, and artichokes are all keen to get settled into the ground. Just make sure to harden them off properly first by gradually introducing them to outdoor conditions over a week or two. Little and often is the key – a few hours outside at a time, slowly building up their exposure to wind and sun. It’s a little extra effort now that will pay off handsomely later with stronger, healthier plants.

If you’re thinking even further ahead, now’s the time to transplant young Brussels sprouts to their final growing positions, ready to reward you with hearty harvests just when you need them most.