Garden Tips for May

Planting

Plant warm-season vegetables in prepared outdoor garden beds. Sow seeds successively, every two weeks, to prolong harvest for leafy greens.
Herbs, annuals, and perennials can be planted now.
Dahlias and begonias can be planted now.
Frost-tender plants can be brought outside.

Mulch around plants to control weeds and conserve moisture. Leave space around the base of perennial plants and trees to prevent crown rot.
Fertilize summer-blooming flowers.
Stake perennials.
For continued bloom, cut off spent flowers.
Trim hedges; lightly trim azaleas and marguerites for bushier plants.
As spring-flowering shrubs finish blooming, prune to shape, removing old and dead wood.
Prune lilacs when flowers have faded.
Cut back wisteria after blooming.
Fertilize vegetables. Keep moisture level consistent.
Apply the last fertilizer for the season to citrus in late May after bloom and fruit set.
Thin fruit on peaches, plums, and nectarines to help prevent branch breakage and get larger fruit. Thin apples and Asian pears to one fruit per cluster.
“Summer” prune excessively vigorous sprouts on deciduous fruit trees to slow down their growth; let light into the lower canopy to help keep lower wood alive and fruit within reach.
Feed lawn with nitrogen.
Deep-water trees and shrubs. Build donut-shaped water basins to keep water away from trunks.

Continue snail, slug, earwig, and aphid control.
For codling moth control on apples and pears, attach 4-inch high corrugated cardboard bands around tree trunks in early May. In late May or June remove and destroy bands to kill any larvae and pupae found inside.
Watch for fire blight blossom and shoot strikes on apples, pears, and Asian pears. Remove new blight strikes weekly on shoots and spurs throughout May. Clean tools with a 10% bleach solution between cuts.
Check for powdery mildew on grapes; if needed, apply sulfur or potassium bicarbonate when temperature is below 90°.

May

June