News and Tips
May Garden Tips
24
Apr
Apr
- Water, water, water, as often as daily for new plants and almost all plants in pots.
- The rest of the garden generally needs one inch of water every week - whether from rain or from the gardener. Remember to water deeply, not superficially, because deep watering encourages deeper roots and more drought-resistant plants.
- Weed regularly, and not just because they’re unsightly, either. Weeds rob water, light and nutrients from the plants you DO like. Always remove weeds before they have a chance to go to seed - this is the first line of defense to keep weeds in check!
- Deadhead perennials and annuals (remove spent flowers) to encourage rebloom.
- Time to buy and plant summer annuals!
- Time to plant bulbs like elephant ears, dahlias and caladiums.
- Do your vegetable garden prep if you haven’t already. For most gardens that means adding compost (Lobster Compost is great!), and turning it in gently.
- Mid-May is the traditional time in our region to begin planting summer vegetables.
- Cage your tomato plants and tap them occasionally to encourage pollination. Keep plants moist and once fruit appear, feed them with Dr Earth Veggie & Herb Fertilizer. Remove suckers that grow at the soil line throughout the season and use Mag-i-cal to help prevent end rot.
- Thin out all vegetable seedlings to the correct distance from each other.
- If you haven’t done it already, prune your spring-flowering shrubs IF they need it. Mature, full-size shrubs usually need renewal pruning at least every other year.
- Mow your lawn to 3 high and let the clippings stay on the lawn to provide nitrogen to the soil. Got flowering weeds? Apply Bonide Weed Beater to kill them fast!