May is an exciting month for gardeners as warm weather arrives and the growing season kicks into high gear. Here is a checklist of key tasks to focus on in your garden this month:
Soil Preparation
One of the most important early season tasks is preparing your soil for planting. Start by harvesting any finished compost and mixing it into your garden beds to add nutrients and improve soil structure. Conduct a soil test if you haven't done so recently to determine if you need to amend your soil with lime, fertilizer, or other amendments. Once your beds are prepared, apply 2-3 inches of mulch like bark, leaves or straw to retain moisture and suppress weeds.
Planting
With danger of frost passing in many regions, May is prime time for planting warm-season flowers and vegetables. Direct sow seeds outdoors for crops like beans, corn, squash, melons and cucumbers. It's also time to transplant seedlings of tomatoes, peppers, eggplants and other heat-loving vegetables after hardening them off. For flowers, plant annual varieties like zinnias, marigolds, petunias and cosmos. Don't forget summer-blooming bulbs like dahlias, cannas and gladiolus.
Maintenance
Stay on top of weeding regularly before they go to seed. Prune spring-flowering shrubs like forsythia and lilacs once blooms fade to promote bushier growth. Fertilize roses, bulbs, and vegetable crops with a balanced fertilizer or side-dressing of compost. Deadhead spent blooms on flowers to encourage more blooms.
Pest Control
Use preventative measures like sticky traps, row covers and biological controls to manage insect pests. Hand-pick pests like cabbage worms or use organic insecticidal soap sprays if needed. Release beneficial insects like ladybugs, lacewings and parasitic nematodes.
Lawn Care
For cool-season grasses like fescue and bluegrass, dethatch, aerate and raise your mowing height. Reseed or overseed bare/thin areas.By following this May gardening checklist, you'll be well on your way to a productive, beautiful garden this season! Let me know if you have any other questions.
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