Garden to do list for may
It is getting toward the end of the spring season by May.
-Be sure and keep things neat and tidy as the season ends.
-Add anything you used as winter mulch to your compost bin.
-Don’t forget to turn the compost often and keep it moist.
-Inspect the mulch and be sure you still have 4-6 inches of it. If not then add more fresh mulch to your beds.
-If you have plants that are top heavy with flowers, you will need to stake them well to prevent breakage.
-Any faded or spent blooms on roses should be pruned.
-Keep vines tied up well and guide them to grow where you want them.
-If you have strawberry plants that are new keep the flowers pinched off until the second year and you will have a better harvest of larger strawberries.
-Move your houseplants outdoors for a few hours every day.
-Plant new rose bushes.
-Keep the weeds from getting too large before removing them.
-Keep all plants watered as needed.
-Water in the morning to prevent disease problems.
-If fruit trees have suckers they need to be removed.
-Protect any fruiting plants like watermelon or cantaloupe from coming in contact with wet soil. Place hay under the fruit for protection.
-Sow seeds of annuals like Poppies, Larkspurs and Asters.
-Cuttings can be taken from most plants now and rooted with a rooting hormone and placed in peat moss.
-Plant any trees or evergreens before the weather gets too hot.
-Stake your tomato plants well.
-Continue to plant succession crops in your vegetable garden.
-Water your plants with compost tea, by putting compost in a barrel of water and let it stand in the heat for awhile. The solids will settle to the bottom and the water can be used for all plants, indoors or out.
-For a more formal look you can prune hedges or shrubs into pretty shapes. This pruning will keep them compact and bushy.
-Re-pot any plant that is root bound. If you see roots coming out of the bottom of a container then it is time to re-pot in a container one inch bigger in diameter. The roots may have to be trimmed a little bit. Be sure the roots are not growing in a circle when you put them in their new container. This circling will strangle the plant.
-For larger flowers always pinch off any side shoots such as the Peony.
-Take herb cuttings to start new herb plants.
-Harvest herbs by pruning and dry for later use.
-When you are sitting outside in the evening think about which white flowering plant would be good to plant in your garden. Moonflower seeds grow fast and look great in the moonlight.
-Enjoy the aromatic herbs and beautiful flowers of your garden.
-Don’t work too hard as it is easy to over do things when you have so much garden work to do.
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