Gardening Tips

May Tip

FLOWER GARDEN TASKS:

Set out tropicals and subtropicals such as bougainvillea, hibiscus, and mandevilla to be established over the warm season.

Fill large containers with fragrant perennials so you’ll catch a pleasant scent when you brush by; good choices are lavender, nicotiana, and summer phlox. 

Keep deer out of the garden by adding plants they ignore, such as Erigeron karvinskianus, ‘Moonshine’ yarrow, Russian sage (Perovskia), santolina, and Spanish and English lavender.

 

VEGETABLE GARDEN TASKS:

Sow seeds of cucumber, eggplant, melon, and squash directly in the soil. Summer crops including corn, squash, and tomatoes need nutrient-rich soil to thrive. Before you plant these edibles, till a 4- to 6-inch layer of compost into beds.

 

HOME ORCHARD:

Start picking your cherries before the birds get to them, if your trees are small enough, you can cover your cherries with nets to deter the little thieves!

Check your apples and pears for signs of "Fireblight" a bacterial infection that is transmitted by bees and other insects.  If you see the signs, which looks like the blossoms and new growth have been burned by fire, make sure you cut it out. Be generous, cut out 12 inches or more from where the damage starts to show so it does not infect the tree's trunk.  Help prevent the spread of the infection to nearby trees.