Gardening tasks for May
- Wear your sunscreen and wide brimmed hat and drink plenty of water when outside.
- Remove sucker growth from fruit trees.
- Thin peaches 4”-6” apart if you have any left after the hailstorms.
- Move Daffodils and Narcissus after the foliage dies back. Apply a bulb fertilizer and water in well before placing bulbs in the beds.
- Do not trim Iris foliage. Rhizomes need to store energy for next year’s blooms. It’s okay to trim off the flower stalks but leave the foliage alone.
- Deadhead all plants unless you are collecting seed.
- Turn and water the compost bins.
- Cool season vegetables such as cabbage, lettuce and spinach will begin flowering (known as bolting). Harvest or collect seed and replace with okra, pinto beans, black-eyed peas, sweet potatoes, pumpkins or watermelons.
- If it doesn’t rain, apply one inch of water to all beds each week
- When tomato & pepper plants set fruit, apply a side dressing of an all purpose fertilizer, about 12 inches from the base of the plants and water well.
- Check for caterpillars and loopers on all plants. BT (bacillus thuringiensis) is great for caterpillar control. But be mindful that some caterpillars become beautiful butterflies. Study butterfly host and nectar plants (or ask Robbin).
- Plant turf grass from seed, plugs, sod or sprigs. Pinch blossom heads from mums for better fall bloom.
- Check for aphids.Plant a pot of Nasturtiums and move it around the garden for aphid control. If the Nasturtiums become infested, move the pot to concrete and hose off. Place pot where you see aphids. Repeat as long as the Nasturtiums last. The blossoms are really good in salads. Just be sure they are bug-free!
- Cut off garlic heads to have larger cloves. Stake plants with large flower heads.
- Lastly, enjoy your gardens!