Cell packs of peppers, squash, tomatoes and eggplant can still be planted. Make sure they get enough water and do not dry out. (Photo: Flickr, CC BY-NC 2.0 DEED214)

Tasks

• When using herbicides for weed control, spray on a calm day and protect plants by shielding them with a large piece of cardboard.
• Learn to use the ‘Season Adjust' feature on your controller to make irrigation adjustments easier.
• Apply mulch to plantings for water retention. Mulch should be 3 to 4 inches thick. Don't allow mulch to accumulate against stems or trunks of plants.

Pruning

• Shape spring-flowering shrubs after bloom.
• Take 4-inch soft wood cuttings to propagate perennials, such as chrysanthemum, azalea, marguerite, lavender, aster and geranium.

Fertilizing

• Feed vegetables and lawns, but use care with lawns, as nitrogen encourages lush growth that requires more water.
• Fertilize deciduous fruit and nut trees with one third of the annual amount of fertilizer needed.

Planting

• This is the end of the spring planting season. Many annuals and vegetables can be planted from seed or transplanted. As temperatures rise, water new plantings.
• Perennials: coneflower (Echinacea), beard tongue (Penstemon), gloriosa daisy (Rudbeckia), plant from seed.
• Bulbs, corms, tubers:  fairy lily (Zephyranthes).
• Fruits and vegetables: corn, pumpkin, squash, watermelon, plant from seed.
• Trees, shrubs, vines: bottlebrush (Callistemon), cotoneaster, solanum (potato vine).
• Annuals: globe amaranth (Gomphrena).

Enjoy now

• Annuals and perennials: dianthus, twinspur (Diascia), wallflower (Erysimum), California poppy (Eschscholzia).
• Bulbs, corms, tubers: squill (Scilla).
• Trees, shrubs, vines:  Photinia, Spirea.
• Fruits and vegetables: snap peas, turnips, onions.

Things to ponder

• To cover 100 square feet of space with mulch 3 inches deep, you will need one cubic yard of trunk space.
• Use the least toxic chemical – water, insecticidal soap, Bacillus thuringiensis (Bt) or horticultural oils – for pest control.