May planting. It’s time to start our gardens, but our last Spring frost may be just around the corner. So, when and what can we plant?
General:
- Start planting outside mid-month. If planting earlier, be prepared to protect plants from frost using frost cloth or “walls of water.”
- Tools: Tune-up, clean and sharpen. Make Tools Stand Out (& keep better track of them) by painting the handles in a bright color.
- Check for Bugs and Diseases: aphids, asparagus beetles, cabbage worms, cut worms, scale, snails, slugs, leaf spot, mildew, and rust.
Annuals:
Refresh – Before planting container gardens with summer annuals, replace the top 4-6 inches of soil with new soil (a lightweight, soilless potting mix) and apply a slow-release granular plant food. Mid-month, replace cool-weather annuals (pansy, primula, snapdragon) with heat-lovers (ageratum, alyssum, amaranth, aster, fibrous begonias, blanket flower, calendula, cosmos, dianthus, lobelia, marigold, morning glory, nasturtium, petunia, verbena, vinca, salvia, sunflower, and zinnia). Direct sow annual vines such as morning glory, hyacinth bean, and cypress vine; sow the seeds about 6 inches away from the structure you want to cover.
Bulbs, Corms, Rhizomes & Tubers:
Deadhead spring bulbs (after flowers fade, leaving foliage intact). When soil temps reach 60 degrees, plant tuberous begonia, calla, caladium, dahlia, gladiolus, lily bulbs. Divide and replant crowded winter & spring-blooming bulbs after leaves yellow. Mark blooming irises you want to move later.
Herbs:
Plant frost-sensitive herbs (basil, cilantro, dill, fennel &marjoram) in a well-drained sunny spot that receives at least 6 to 8 hours of sunlight a day.
Perennials:
Deadhead perennials after flowering unless they have showy seedheads and/or you want to save seed. Plant perennial vines such as clematis, honeysuckle, trumpet vine, and wisteria with sturdy supports to keep them upright. Plant a shade garden with columbines, hosta, heucheras, Solomon’s seal. Consider planting sedum as a living mulch.
Roses:
Feed. Mound mulch around the base. Plant container roses now through June. Hard-prune established roses and feed when new growth is 6 inches long.
Tress and Shrubs:
Prune early-flowering shrubs (azalea, forsythia, and lilac) right after they finish blooming to shape them. Using pruning shears, clip the branches off at different lengths inside the shrub for a more natural look. In the orchard, make sure there are approximately six inches of space between each piece of fruit on your trees. Prune the one-year-old everbearing raspberry canes, removing the top one-third of growth to encourage a heavier harvest on these canes in midsummer before the main harvest from this year’s canes ripens in late summer.
