Here are a few
suggestions for May gardening:
Summer's here,
dress accordingly by
wearing plenty of sunscreen and a big shade providing hat while gardening.
And don't forget to drink plenty of fluids. Protect your eyes from the
harsh sun with a good pair of sunglasses. Don't overdo, gardening is
supposed to be enjoyable not taxing.
Hot
temperatures and drying winds means
more watering. You've still
got time to empty small pots or place quick drying clay pots inside larger
plastic or glazed containers to offer them some insulation against the
summer heat. Watch for signs of plant stress -
curled leaves, drooping branches, that wilted look. Water deeply, don't
just wet the soil surface. Get down to the plant's roots.
I just can't
say this too much, mulch.
Put a layer of some kind of mulch around your plants to conserve moisture
and help cool the soil. Straw, wood chips, rock or compost will work.
The second of three yearly
citrus fertilizing is due this month. It's a general rule, not a
must do. Over fertilizing can make for thick skins on your fruit. More
important will be to make sure your citrus get enough moisture according to
the tree size and soil conditions. Again, when you do water, water deeply and not just the roots
near the surface.
If you planted
summer squash in mid March it should be coming into production. If your
plants don't seem to be producing
enough on their own you can help them along by pollinating the female
flowers with pollen on a small paint brush taken from a male squash
blossom. It needs to be done first thing in the morning while the blossoms
are still open and the pollen viable. Do it daily and you'll be ready to
toss your plants in the compost bin by June because you'll have grown
tired of harvesting and eating squash.
Watch your tomato plants closely.
When the fruit starts to show signs of ripening, birds and rodents will be
quick to spot it. Sometimes you have to pick early and let the fruit ripen
on the kitchen counter. They'll still have the home grown flavor you're
looking for when they do ripen. Water regularly to make sure your plants
don't totally dry out or you'll start to get signs of blossom-end rot on
the tomatoes. Constant bursts of moisture may cause cracking of the fruit
where their are splits allowing fungus to enter. Some
cultivars are more susceptible to cracking than others.
You can still plant summer annuals
such as zinnias, portulaca, purslane, and periwinkle that you'll find in the
nurseries and garden centers. They'll tolerate the heat but they'll still
need regular watering.
It's not to late to plant some
vegetables and herbs but keep in mind they'll take water. How many
eggplant can your family eat? All kinds of hot peppers
can be transplanted into the garden but how many of those spicy delights
do you really use in your cooking? They may need added shade to keep the
developing fruit from getting sunburned if there isn't a large canopy of
plant leaves.
You can still
plant some trees and shrubs but they will take nurturing to make
sure they don't get stressed from lack of moisture or you can wait till
fall and cooler temperatures and a better chance of plant survival. Plants
that don't mind May's warm temperature and actually thrive are cactus.
Maybe it's time to add a few more to your landscape this month.
Summer's here.
It's tough on plants, people and animals.
Garden wisely
so you and your plants can make it till July and higher humidity and
hopefully some much needed rain.
