Week 1
Landscape - To attract bluebirds to the home landscape, plant dogwoods, elderberries, hollies and sumacs in May. Tap spruce branches over white paper to detect spider mites. Control by spraying with a strong stream of water from the garden hose. Treat remaining mites with Safer soap or superior oil spray weekly, for three applications, to control sub-sequent hatchings. Honeysuckle shrubs (Lonicera mackii), is an invasive non-native plant which can choke out light and rob nutrients needed by many of the less aggressive native wildflowers. The smaller plant forms may enjoy a resurgence once the honeysuckle is removed. Patrol regularly for honeysuckle seedlings and pull out by the roots. Use pliers, if needed, pulling near the base of the plant. Daffodil foliage can be cut back 5-6 weeks after blooming. If possible, leave the foliage of bulbs until it begins to yellow. The leaves produce food to replenish the bulb for next year.
Lawn - Avoid spring fertilization unless no fertilizer was applied last fall. Lawns yellowing in late May can be lightly fertilized with ½ pound of actual nitrogen per 1,000 sq. ft. Heavy fertilizing in spring and summer increases turf stress, diseases and weeds. Apply a second application of pre-emergent crabgrass control in May or June, six weeks after the first treatment.
Week 2
Leave grass clippings on mowed lawn to replenish nutrients unless the lawn was too long before mow-ing. Clippings do not contribute to thatch build-up. Mow Bluegrass lawns to height of 2–2 ½ inches, Tall Fescue lawns to a height of 2-3 Inches and Perennial Ryegrass to 1-2 inch height, but if possible, keep grass 3 inches tall or more to combat turfgrass weeds. Grow lush plants close together, so that weed seeds cannot germinate and sunlight cannot reach the soil to aid weed growth. Ground covers that can be invasive in the landscape, such as English Ivy and Euonymous (purple winter creeper), are best planted in areas where they will be contained between curbing, driveways and sidewalks. When planted near buildings, fences, walls and trees, both ivy and euonymous will eventually climb all of these. Mature forms of ivy and euonymous can damage and even choke trees.
Week 3
Control broadleaf weeds this month. Use a product that does not have high Nitrogen fertilizer to avoid plant stress during dry weather. Water turf areas slowly so the water penetrates deeply. Lawns need one inch of rainfall total each week from rainfall and supplemental watering. Water regularly those plants sensitive to drought: Japanese maple, dogwood and azalea. To fill in small bare places that occur in the lawn through-out the season, select grass seed that is the same cultivar as the established lawn. Rough up the surface of the crusted soil with a garden weasel or small tipped hoe. Sprinkle on the grass seed and cover with a thin layer of peat moss. For best germination, there must be good soil-seed contact. Water each morning to moisten the peat moss.
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Fruits and Vegetables
Week 1
Plant culinary herbs such as basil, coriander, dill and sweet marjoram outdoors. When setting out vegetable plants, pour one cup of starter fertilize solution in the hole. Look on the package for high middle number on the formulation, for root development. Prepare two tablespoons per gallon of water. Side dress (fertilize) with compost 3 weeks after transplanting: cauliflower, broccoli and cabbage. Apply side dressing of compost to fertilize kale and spinach when 2 /3 grown. Sweet corn can be similarly treated when 12 inches tall. Adding additional nitrogen might reduce yield or lower quality of squash, watermelon, turnips, sweet potatoes, parsnips, lettuce, beets and carrots. Good soil amendment and preparation before planting is the best way to assure good yield with these plants.
Week 2
Choose short-season cultivars for earlier harvest such as ‘Provider’ beans (50 days), ‘Ruby Queen’ beets (52) ‘Savory Express’ cabbage (55), ‘Pioneer’ carrots (67), ‘Tasty Green Hybrid’ cucumber (52), ’Vivaldi’ (65) or ‘Purple Pepper’ (60) peppers.
Week 3
Reduce water on potatoes as the plants blossom and mature. Control Colorado potato beetles by handpicking eggs and larvae or spraying with Bt var. san diego. After normal June Drop has happened with fruit trees, thin out those fruits remaining leaving one fruit per 6-8 inches of branch. Avoid shaking the tree to thin out. Weed the asparagus bed carefully after harvest is complete and mulch deeply with chopped leaves or other organic material to conserve moisture. Divide daffodils now while foliage is still showing. Care-fully lift and separate, either replanting the divisions or placing on a screen away from rain and with good air circulation to dry for planting in the fall. Prune spent roses back to a leaflet with five leaves to encourage more blooms. Examine stems, and select the leaflets that are on the outside of the plant. Pruning to the outside leaves ensures the plant will grow in that direction, leaving the inner portion of the plant open for good air circulation. Shear back moss phlox, and ajuga after blooms finish. This encourages the plants to bush out and lends a tidier appearance to the garden.
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Flowers & Bulbs
Week 1
Prevent black spot and other diseases of roses by spraying every week with a mixture of 2 tsp. of baking soda and 2 tsp. of liquid soap(not detergent) per gallon of water. Water in the morning and avoid wetting the leaves to prevent black spot and mildew on roses and other disease-prone flowers. Sow directly seeds of these annuals into the garden since they do not transplant well: Zinnia, Cosmos, Four O’clock, and Mexican sunflower (Tithonia).
Week 2
Add organic matter to lighten the soil and improve drainage before planting shade-loving annuals such as Caladium, Begonia, Coleus or Salvia. Prune spring blooming Clematis immediately after they finish flowering in May or June. Cut peony flowers are heavy drinkers. Water frequently to prolong blossoms indoors. As peony flowers fade, they should be removed from the plant. Clean up the spent, soggy flower heads and foliage having any signs of fungus (dark concentric circular spots). Put in the trash, and avoid adding the infected plant parts to the compost pile. That can only spread the problem. Iberis sempervirens(Candytuft), a great ever-green perennial for full sun or partial shade can be trimmed back now. Prune the spent blossom stalks by taking a hand full of stems and cutting midway back to the base of the plant. This encourages the plant to bush out and occasionally to blossom again in fall. Gladiolia can be planted anytime between May 1 and July 15. For continual show of color, plant at ten-day intervals. Plant 6-8 inches deep to provide support for stems and to avoid the need to stake the plants. As hardy begonias emerge, thin and transplant. Spacing of at least six inches is important for sturdy plants.
Week 3
Pinch back the growing tips of Basil, Marigolds and Straw- flowers once desired height is been reached. Encourage establishment of newly planted or transplanted Hosta by clipping back any bloom stalks to prevent blooming the first season or two, allowing the plant’s energy to go toward root development rather than flowering and seed production.
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Houseplants
Week 1
It is now safe to move many houseplants to a shady area outside. The plants will dry out faster outdoors, so monitor the soil moisture frequently. Move African violets out of south-facing windows in the summer. Relocate to an east- or protected west-facing window is best. Clean dust off African Violets by spraying the foliage with tepid water. Allow to dry away from light and drafts to avoid developing spots.
Week 2
Move houseplants outdoors, keeping out of direct sunlight for several days to prevent sunburn. Even sun-loving plants need the protection of a patio cover or shade tree for 7-10 days before moving full sun. Examine leaves for stippled or bronzed leaves and webbing on the under side indicating spider mites at work. Control efforts include first spraying with a strong spray of water under the leave to drown and wash off the mites.
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Pest Control
Week 1
Increase the diversity of nectar and pollen producing flowers which bloom all season long. These will attract and provide food for many beneficial insects which will also help control unwanted insects.
Week 2
Bagworm eggs hatch in late May/early June. Examine conifers for feeding damage on needle edges, which will cause a washed-out color. Look for small holes appearing on the leaves of deciduous trees. This will be accompan-ied by small bags hanging on the plants in holiday ornament fashion. Handpick bagworm egg pouches early in spring, or treat early instar larvae with Bacillus thuringie-nsis (Bt) found under names such as Caterpillar Attack, Thuricide or Dipel. Treat any bags larger than ¾” with pyrethroids. Learn to recognize various patterns of damage from pests feeding on Hosta leaves. Caterpillars will chew holes that are long and narrow in the middle of the leaf; slug damage will be round holes in the center of the leaf; Vine Weevil damage will be irregular notches on the edge of the leaf; and leafcutter bee damage, also found on the leaf margin(edge) will be clean-cut semi circles.
Week 3
Examine stems, tender shoots and buds and under-sides of leaves for aphids. Webbing, small dots of bug waste and the chubby aphids may be found in groups, or scattered about. Aphids will suck juices from the plant thus weakening it. The first action to control this pest is to direct a strong stream of water to drown or dislodge them. Predators that eat aphids are small wasps, lacewings, syrphid flies and Ladybird beetles (ladybug). Larvae of the ladybird beetle may be present on the plant as well. Look for their presence and move them to another plant before spraying. Developing about ½” long with orange and black segments, this predator may eat more voraciously than the adult beetles.
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Container Gardening
Because nutrients leach out of the soil in containers over several weeks, add time-released fertilizer to the potting soil as the containers are planted up. To re-moisten container soil which has dried and separated from the container wall, place ice in the middle of the top of the soil. As the ice slowly melts, the water is absorbed into the soil instead of running down the space between the soil and the pot.
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Design Plants
Selecting roses for the garden will involve evaluation of the area where the rose will be planted and when and how long the blooms are hoped for in the garden ‘show’. Some roses will thrive in partial shade, but most prefer as much light as possible.
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Eco Tip
When using sprays of any kind, apply during the very calmest time of day for air movement. This usually occurs in the early morning. Even when it seems there is no breeze at all, there will always be some wind drift. Fertilizers, herbicides and other chemicals are often highly toxic to fish. When applying near ponds, use extra caution.
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