Gardeners are being urged to do one specific thing which can prevent plants being severly damaged. With May being the last month of spring there are many tasks that gardeners will have to carry out before the next season. However, this one in particular is especially important to do before the month ends as the negative effects of not doing so doesn't always appear straight away.

While we have warm weather and clearer skies, the Met Office has stated that "frost hollows could still be prone" and cold weather conditions can often lead to cell damage, slow growth, and sometimes plant death.

Therefore, home improvement and garden centre giant B&Q, as well as the Royal Horticultural Society (RHS) have urged gardeners to "watch out for late frosts" as the conditons cause severe damage that can sometimes even take months to appear.

According to the RHS spring frosts can damage blossom and young fruits whilst late spring frosts lead to summer bedding plants and tender vegetables, like potatoes and tomatoes, suffering from leaf scorch, browning and in worst case scenerios, complete death.

Frost damage can often be unavoidable. However, the charity has revealed what gardeners can do if their plants are impacted by the chilling conditions.

Since frost usually isn't experienced past May, gardeners should prune out damaged growth and cut any undamaged sideshoots or buds. The charity also recommends to go in with a top dressing on general-purpose fertiliser to encourage "strong" regrowth.

Gardeners should also check and re-firm soil around plants as frost can sometimes lifty newly planted shrubs out of the ground. While the impacts of frost damage can be severe, one thing that the RHS emphasised is that damaged plants can be saved.

It said: "Don't just give up on a plant that has been frost damaged, Many plants can be surprisingly resilient and may well rejuvenate from dormant buds at or below soil level. This takes time, so recovery may not be seen until early summer.

"This takes time, so recovery may not be seen until early summer. If the plant is a favourite and/or its apperance doesn't spoil your display, then consider leaving it in place until mid-summer. If no re-growth has appeared by then, replace the plant."

Bedding plants should be planted "after the danger of the frost has passed", which is typcally late May for much of England and Wales, and June in Scotland.