Hooray! Finally, spring is starting to give in to summer's onset, and the growing season is underway! Jack Frost must give up his early-morning raids on the valley's gardens and orchards and the sun can dry out and warm our frozen bones!
Not only is there joy in gardening but we can truly enjoy the weather in the garden. Even weeding has its pleasure...well, relief?...well, umm, reward? May is busy indeed, with all but the last direct seeding to be done and the transplanting of those sprouts we've been nursing for the past weeks and months. The rewards will be great as the summer garden takes its final shape and we begin to anticipate all the flavors of harvest.
| SOW SEEDS | TRANSPLANT | FERTILIZE AND PRUNE |
| amaranth | artichokes | remove strawberry blossoms |
| basil | basil | trim horseradish |
| beans (bush, lima) | broccoli | camellias |
| beets | brussels sprouts | rhodies |
| cantaloupe | cabbage | laurels |
| carrots | cantaloupe | |
| chervil | cucumbers | |
| chives | eggplant | |
| cilantro | leeks | |
| corn | Oriental greens | |
| cucumbers | pak choi | |
| dill | peppers | |
| edamame soybeans | squash | |
| leeks | sweet potatoes | |
| lettuce | tomatoes | |
| malabar spinach | watermelons | |
| New Zealand spinach | ||
| okra | ||
| parsley | ||
| parsnips | ||
| potatoes | ||
| pumpkin | ||
| scallions | ||
| squash | ||
| summer savory | ||
| sunflowers | ||
| Swiss chard | ||
| watermelon |
Where the Flowers Grow:
- Fertilize spring-blooming shrubs, including rhododendrons, camellias, azaleas, lilac and forsythia (go easy on it for these yellow bloomers.)
- Prune and shape up shrubs
- Remove dead blooms on your spring bloomers
- Plant mums
- Plant dahlias mid-month, once the ground is not too soggy
- If you're still enjoying daffodils and tulips, remember to wait until the foliage is dead before pruning it back, so the bulbs can generate enough energy for next year.
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Fruit/Veggie Gardens:
- Watch out for pests, like flea beetles making little holes in tomatoes, radishes, potatoes and beets, and cabbage worms on your cabbage and cauliflower.
- Speaking of pests....there's always aphids (which can be fun to fight with an army of mercenary ladybugs) and spittlebugs on strawberries to be on guard for.
- Wait...more pests: pea weevil, which will enjoy messing up your peas; powdery mildew fungus on grapes; and root maggot fly.
- Get planting! Check the list above and go to it! (Don't forget to post pictures in the community!)
Trees:
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- Spray fruit trees (apricots, plums, cherries, peaches, etc.) if brown rot blossom blight has developed.
- Pheromone traps in your apple trees will indicate whether you have codling moths that need to be annhilated.
- Prune trees: clear out suckers and provide a general clean-up and shape-up.
- Don't worry about watering until things start looking dry.
- Mow fine fescue, ryegrass and bluegrass at a height of 1.5 inches to 2.5 inches
- If you're not already using a mulching mower and mulching those nitrogen-rich clippings back into your lawn, what are you waiting for?! Stop throwing away fertilizer and start mulching!
