Various Yard and Garden Works I'll Undertake in May
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Springtime in the Garden Center is a sight to behold, with aisles filled with vibrant annuals, vegetables, and perennials, just waiting to find their new homes. Garden enthusiasts, with enthusiasm in their eyes and spades in their hands, are on the hunt for the perfect day to get their plants in the ground
Picture this: Sunlight gleaming off the fresh pollen, a gentle breeze nudging tulips and peonies, a cacophony of bees brimming with excitement, and you — ready to conquer your summer garden. Buckle up your overalls, don your sunhat, and grab your shovel. It's time to explore the joy of creating a summer garden. Let's dive into the tasks you should tackle first, followed by what to plant and how to do it.
Start with a spot of maintenance
Before the summer irrigation kicks into high gear, it's essential to check your watering systems for any damages. A simple nick from winter weeding or digging can lead to leaks. Test each zone of the irrigation system outside, ensuring controllers are working and there are no leaks or hissing sounds. If you use a hose bib setup, give it a once-over as well. With the mild temperatures and impending hot spells, it may be time to turn on irrigation sooner than anticipated.
Your softened soil from winter rains provides the perfect backdrop for a layer of compost that will work as a general fertilizer and help replenish any erosion that occurred during the winter months. Combine the compost with a layer of mulch, taking notes along the way as you assess each part of your garden. This is an excellent opportunity to identify areas that need weeding, pest control, or shows signs of struggling plants.
Shrubs, Trees, and Vines
Springtime is the blooming season for many shrubs like lilac and forsythia. Once they've bloomed, prune them to keep the garden looking neat and tuckered and, in some cases, like lilac, it may even trigger a second bloom later in the season.
This is the ideal time to plant new woody shrubs or trees, as the weather is mild, and the soil is soft from the winter rains. For your existing trees, consider using a fertilizer appropriate for them during this month, as they begin to create shoots. Be sure that you are only using clean pruners or loppers, keeping diluted bleach or Lysol nearby for sanitization between plants to prevent the transmission of any disease.
Climbing perennial vines like clematis, roses, and honeysuckle should be transitioning out of their slumber at this time, so give them a helping hand by tying them loosely to their trellises as they climb.
Annual flowers
Finally, the moment you've been waiting for: it's time to plant annuals! These bright and colorful plants bring pops of color and can last all summer if you care for them well. Garden centers should be overflowing with petunias, lobelia, marigolds, begonias, and more as the spring bloom continues. Annuals are a bit more sensitive than perennials, so wait until the frost risk has passed before planting. Annuals can fill a space and time between perennials, and are ideal for window boxes and planters.
Many hanging baskets feature annuals, as they are more susceptible to winter conditions. Be sure to add a slow-release fertilizer like Osmacote to the soil before planting and water regularly.
Perennial flowers
If you haven't already planted perennials in April, now is your chance. The ground should be soft and workable, allowing for effortless division of your existing perennials and the planting of new ones. Divide them appropriately for optimal blooming this summer. As you work, remember to use slow-release fertilizer in the ground where you plant.
Keep a keen eye on your garden center's "sad plant shelf," as stores often discount these plants, making for an excellent deal. As long as you care for them as you would any other plant, they will flourish next year. Delphiniums and agastache are my favorites for fantastic bargains.
Your roses need a spring fertilizer and may require some shaping. Be vigilant, checking for signs of stress or pests and addressing them with appropriate treatments. Your garden center can be a valuable resource in this regard.
Vegetables
Ah, the pièce de résistance! Gardeners eagerly await the chance to put their tomatoes, peppers, and eggplants in the ground — and this month is when that long-awaited day arrives. West Coast gardeners, mark your calendars for around Mother's Day, but keep an eye on the temperatures. Once steady overnight temperatures rise above 50 degrees, it's time to get planting!
Hardening off vegetables like tomatoes, peppers, and eggplants is crucial before planting, so prepare accordingly.
Perennial vegetables such as asparagus and artichokes should be making strong appearances this month. Remember to harvest daily, only taking spears larger than your pinky. Once spears thin out, allow the plant to rest for next year's harvest. Keep a close eye on your artichoke plants for signs of ants or aphids, spraying off immediately and possibly implementing additional treatments like neem oil or nearby trap flowers like nasturtiums.
By mid to late May, most regions should be planting their warm-weather crops. Tomatoes, eggplants, peppers, but also beans, corn, cucumbers, and more. Direct seed some beans, corn, melon, pumpkin, squash, and both winter and summer squash, but using starts will give you a head start on the summer vegetable growing.
If you planted potatoes in the spring, you should be hill-upping the earth around the sprouts soon. Remember to thin out your strawberry beds, giving your strawberry plants the attention they need for better and larger fruit. Strawberry plants tend to focus their energy between producing runners or fruit, but aren't great at doing both. Each spring, thin the beds to create better fruit. You can share the runners or plant them elsewhere.
Pest Control
Protect your garden from snails and slugs by setting traps and regularly hunting for them. Perform this task now, as the rains cease, to limit summertime issues. Hang pheromone traps in your fruit trees now, which will control pests throughout the summer and safeguard your fruit.
With this step-by-step approach, your garden will flourish from the moment the sun kisses each petal to the final summer harvest. Embrace the process, enjoy the journey, and reap the rewards of a garden that you'll always treasure.
April ushers in the perfect timing for a freezing-scrub of your irrigation system before the summer heat. Ensure controllers are working and check for leaks or hissing sounds, as these can disrupt watering systems.
May brings strolling through the home-and-garden store while the thought of gardening tasks excites you. Spring's bloom carries the scent of flowering shrubs like lilac and forsythia, perfect for pruning to maintain neatness and potentially stimulating a second bloom.
Rethink your lifestyle during these warmer days; set aside time to check your garden assessment notes, identify struggling plants, and work the softened garden soil with compost and mulch.
Once the threat of frost has passed, it's the ideal time to dive into spring gardening: fill the day by planting annual flowers for a burst of color, care for perennials, and start your vegetable garden with warm-weather crops like tomatoes, peppers, and eggplants.
Don't forget to catch pests early, combat snails and slugs by setting traps, guard fruit trees with pheromone traps, and prepare for a garden that's bountiful and beautiful this summer. Happy gardening!
