When we think of May we think of the end of pine pollen season and the unofficial start of summer, which means prime gardening season has begun. We put together a fun task list for you guys to use to have a successful season!
- Prune spring blooming shrubs
The start of a new season means needing to clean up the pervious bloom, dead plants or leaves that are diseased is a great way to start fresh.
2. Fertilize your plants
Pick a fertilizer that works best in your zone! This is also great time to apply your yearly systemic insecticide to protect your plants. While fertilizers feed the plant with the required nutrients the systemic insecticides are used in plants for eliminating and preventing pests like snails, insects, and fungal diseases.
3. Re-mulch yard
Re-mulching your yard in the spring rather than summer, fall and winter helps plants retain water during the hot summer months, can minimize weed growth and adds color to your yard! Make sure you are using a pre-emergent before applying new mulch to help with weed control.
4. Plant annuals
With winter and the frost it brings behind us, you can plant annuals without totally babysitting your garden. Now that the soil has warmed, it’s a great time to add your favorite annuals like Marigolds, Sunflowers, Sweet peas, and Cosmos to the mix!
5. Sow your vegetables seeds
If you have a vegetable garden, May is the time to sow seeds of vegetables that thrive in hot weather. For Raleigh locals that would include vegetables like squash, beans, okra, tomatoes, corn and eggplants. Make sure to plant about ½ inch deep in a sunny spot and if you’ve had a bad spell of unsuccessful gardens you can buy pre-planted small plants from any local garden center.
6. Change up watering needs for plants
During these hotter weeks you’ll need to pay closer attention to the watering needs of your plants. As we transition between seasons your watering schedule will be inconsistent based on rain and temperature changes. Watering your plants with drop tubing will help with with this as well as reducing weeds and water efficiency.
To make things super easy for you guys, we put together a May Garden Task Checklist you can print out! We left some blank room for you to take notes of what brands you used, flowers you planted and when you did everything.
Happy gardening!
