by Joe Daniels, Delaware County Master Gardener
It's time to get out the pain killers and start crawling and digging through your gardens. Enjoy the month of May and all the fun gardening chores that are associated with it. Here are a few more chores to try and accomplish...
Check your soil by purchasing a soil test kit from your county extension office. It will tell you if you need to adjust the pH or add nutrients.
Make those fun trips to the local garden centers to see what is available for your garden this summer. Make sure to place your new annuals and perennials in the right spots. Read those labels so you’ll be able to place plants correctly.
Don't be concerned about ants crawling on your peonies, as they are not harming them. They are seeking the sweet juices that healthy buds secrete.
Weed control. It's a fact of life that the weeds in the garden grow faster than the flowers and vegetables you plant. Not really, but it sure seems like it. That's why it's important to stay on top of the weeding. It's a lot easier to pull a few weeds every day or squirt them with a natural weed killer as you stroll by the garden beds than to pull a lot of weeds once a month.
Start a new compost pile or bin if you do not have one. Check for our upcoming compost workshops.
Turn the compost pile. Now that it's warm again, soil organisms will be swinging into action turning those leaves, grass clippings and kitchen waste into rich organic soil.
Vegetable Gardens
Begin to prepare tomato plants raised indoors to be moved outdoors by the end of the month or when all danger of frost is over.
It is best to wait until May 15 –or even Memorial Day--to plant summer crops of tomatoes, peppers, eggplant, limas, squash and other warm season vegetables.
Apply 2 inches of mulch to plants after soaking the ground, but avoid over-watering and do not cover small plants.
Slugs may be a problem for seedlings and transplants. Check plants in the evening around 10:00 PM with a flashlight to confirm this (don't worry about the neighbors...they already know how gardeners act). Setting out small pans of yeast and water or beer will act as slug bait.
Lawns
Mow your lawn regularly, generally once a week, but adapt this to the type of grass you have and how fast it is growing.
Sow new lawns and reseed older ones before summer heat takes its toll.
If you did not apply fertilizer earlier this spring along with an herbicide and turf growth is slowing down, fertilize the lawn to maintain its color and health.
Look for grackles and starlings feeding in lawns, as this may indicate an infestation of sod webworm.
Here is some sage advice given to me many years ago...
May the light always find you on a dreary day.
When you need to be home, may you find your way.
May you always have courage to take a chance,
And never find frogs in your underpants.
This is a warm and witty wish and a funny reminder to be grateful for the little things. Enjoy your spring gardening. And watch out for those frogs.
For more of Joe’s May gardening tips, go to May Gardening Tips
Do you have a gardening question? In Delaware County, call our Master Gardeners hortline at 610-690-2671 on Tuesdays and Thursdays from 9 AM-12 NOON.
UPCOMING MASTER GARDENERS EVENTS
May 10, 2008
Invasive Plants
Learn to recognize and control plants that have been introduced to the USA and are now taking over our landscapes. We'll suggest alternative native plants to use in place of those aggressive invasives. Cost: $10
June 14, 2008
Shade Gardening
Learn about annuals, perennials, bulbs, shrubs and trees that will help you develop your shade garden to its full potential. Cost: $10.
Registration required for all events. Please call 610-690-2655 for more information or visit our website for a registration form.
