VEGETABLE PATCH : Most of the day runs as a root day — a fine window for sowing and tending root crops under the waning moon. Drop carrot seeds 1 cm deep with 2 cm between seeds, in rows 25 cm apart; a sandy, stone-free soil gives the straightest roots. Beetroot can go in at 2 cm deep, seeds 5 cm apart, rows 30 cm — thin later to 10 cm once seedlings are sturdy. Turnip seeds sown 1 cm deep with 3 cm between them will germinate quickly in the warm May soil; rows 25 cm apart. If you sowed radishes a couple of weeks ago, thin them now to 3 cm in the row — overcrowded roots stay small and pithy. Water along the base of rows rather than overhead to encourage roots to push deeper. In Mediterranean gardens, a light mulch between rows will hold moisture through the heat of the day.
ORCHARD : A calm afternoon to check on soft fruit. Raspberry canes are growing fast — remove any weak or crossing shoots at the base to keep airflow good and reduce disease risk. Currant bushes and blackcurrant plants benefit from a light tidy: remove any yellowing lower leaves and check for signs of aphid clusters on shoot tips, rinsing them off with a gentle spray of water.
LANDSCAPING : After the sign change this evening, the day shifts to a flower day — a short but useful window for deadheading chrysanthemums and checking dahlia tubers that have started into growth, pinching out any weak shoots to focus energy into the strongest stems.