Take a tip from the nesting robins -- May isn't the month to snooze! Indeed, garden-work we accomplish now will determine the success we'll have for the rest of the growing season. Need a little guidance? I follow this routine:
PERENNIALS.
Weed, Feed, and Mulch. Get out every weed from the flower beds, apply an organic, balanced plant food, and then spread a 2-to-3-inch layer of mulch. Remember that mulch is our greatest ally for conserving moisture, inhibiting weeds and improving soil quality.
Newspaper Mulching. If you'd like to eliminate your weeding chores for an entire season, do what I do, and apply cardboard or newspaper to garden beds. Top the paper with shredded leaves, weed-free chopped straw, or wood chips. The details.
Pruning. If you have let shrubs get out of hand, do a big pruning job now on the already-finished spring bloomers, including forsythia and quince.
Layering. Want to increase your stock of Weigela (above), quince, and other flowering shrubs? Layer the stems.
Groundcovers. Water deeply as needed. Weed and fertilize pachysandra, ivy, and vinca minor; once weed-choked, groundcovers are difficult to get right again. Also, thin out or take cuttings now to extend coverage elsewhere.
Hostas. Divide and transplant these jewels of the shade. If you want gold-washed types to brighten a dark spot, I can heartily recommend 'Paul's Glory,' 'Wide Brim,' and 'Frances Williams.' As pictured above, these three have done wonders for my dimly-lit Woodland Garden.
Iris. If the season is dry, give plantings a deep soaking to improve flower quality. If borers were a problem last year, cut off any punctured leaves well below noticeable points of attack.
Roses. Cut out suckers (canes with seven instead of five leaflets) close to the main stem below the soil line. Train canes of climbing roses, like my beloved 'Zephirine Droughin', above, to grow horizontally; this will force a bevy of new, vertical flowering stems to emerge.
Shear the Boxwood! I hire out the job. And I always save some of the clippings to make new plants. Here's the how-to.
Hardy Bulbs. Feed hyacinths, tulips, narcissus, and etc. while they are still in growth and making embryo flowers for next year. You can cut off the faded flowers, but don't remove foliage until it dies down naturally. And if your daffodils made a poor showing this spring, you will probably find the reason in this post.
Winter-Sown Perennials. Plant these out before they get too big for their milk-jug containers.
ANNUALS.
Seeds To Sow. When soil has warmed up (and don't be in too big a hurry if you live in the Northeast -- frosts often occur here as late as May 17), sow the tender annuals -- marigold, nasturtium, salvia, zinnia, and etc.
VEGETABLES
Rhubarb. Stems are ready for picking this month; why not dice them up for something sumptuous, like my mother's custardy rhubarb pie? Or, try one of these rhubarb reveries which were submitted by A Garden for the House readers.
Tomatoes and Other Indoor-Started Seedlings. Begin the hardening-off process this month. On warm days, set seedlings in a shaded, sheltered position for one hour. Then gradually increase outdoor time and exposure to sun over a matter of weeks. Follow these tomato tips for an extra extravagant harvest.
Salad Greens. Continue to sow lettuce and spinach at 2-week intervals.
Frost-hardy vegetables. Sow these now. Frost-hardy veggies include broccoli, kale, cauliflower, carrots, beets, and onions. If you buy onion and beet seedlings from the garden center, be sure to separate them first.
Frost-tender vegetables. In zone 5-b, wait until Memorial Day weekend to direct-sow beans, cucumbers, summer- and winter-squash. These rarely benefit from an early start.
Radishes. It pays to edge beds of direct-sown veggies with radishes. Radishes emerge very quickly, and as a consequence, insects attack the radish foliage, and ignore the other seedlings in the bed.
Chives. If you have the common variety in your garden, my advice is to make this screamingly-delicious pesto.
CONTAINERS.
In the Northeast, it's wise to wait until Memorial Day weekend to arrange window boxes and hanging baskets. Be sure to locate these near a hose; they demand water daily (twice daily in periods of high heat). I fertilize mine with every watering.
HOUSEPLANTS.
Because window garden subjects are growing fast these spring days, they require plenty of food, water, and fresh air. Watch for signs of trouble after the long indoor winter. Get after any infestation promptly; many plants are somewhat tired now and not in shape to cope with pests. Begin to discard the plants that didn't perform well for you. I wait until June to bring my "keepers" outdoors.
African violets. If plants are getting long-necked, remove them from their pots, slice off some of the lowest roots and return to the same pots, setting plants low enough in the soil to cover the bare necks. And be sure to read my African Violet tutorial.
Ferns. These are busy making new fronds now. Water freely, but don't let the pots in decorative jardinieres stand in water. Here are my tips for growing and propagating the Boston Fern and Rabbits-foot Fern.
Geraniums (Pelargoniums). Prune to encourage low, stocky growth, but don't cut back so hard that you remove a lot of flowering wood. The pink subjects in my music room window (above), which I achieved from cuttings taken last August, bloomed and bloomed all winter long. They are eagerly awaiting a holiday outdoors.
Enjoy the Birds! Birds are at their most active now; take time from your garden chores to observe their nervous, and sometimes humorous, nest-building antics.
If you find my monthly "what-to-do-when" lists helpful, by all means let me know. As always, I love to hear from you.
Don't miss anything at A Garden for the House...sign up for Kevin's weekly newsletter.
Related Posts:
Transplanting Winter-Sown Seedlings
Organic Way to Beautiful Roses
Perfect, Easy-to-Peel Hard-Cooked Eggs
↧