May is coming and most of your cleanup work should now be done! Congratulations on making it through the spring work, but there is always more to do, yes? YES
I have a bundle of things to do in the potager and I am sure you do as well. I am so ready to plant my tomatoes, but wait, what is the soil temperature?
Annuals
- I like to squeeze the bottom of the pot, then gently lift the annual flower out, and use my fingers to tease apart the roots before planting
- The holes for your annuals should be no bigger than the container the flower came in
- Water deeply after planting
- Mulch all newly planted annuals with sawdust, chopped alfalfa, pine needles, or grass clippings (depending on your location)
- Fertilize with a combination fertilizer and systemic insecticide to prevent aphids, mealybugs, scale, or whiteflies (Fertilome Rose and Flower Food + Systemic is what I use)
In the Vegetable Garden
- Remember to turn your compost!
- When your soil temperature is consistently over 60 degrees F, you can plant tomatoes, peppers, melons, squash, pumpkins, cucumbers, corn, beans, and eggplant in the ground http://www.grimmsgardens.com/tomato-time/
- When planting tomatoes, remove the lower set of leaves and bury the plant in the ground past this point
- Plant the borders of your vegetable garden with perennial and annual flowers and herbs to attract beneficial insects
- Fertilize onions with a high nitrogen fertilizer if the bulbs have not cracked the soil yet
In the Landscape
- Pinch or cut back your chrysanthemums to 6 inches tall
- Begin pruning evergreens such as yew, boxwood, juniper, arborvitae, and holly as needed
- Pick bouquets of iris and peony to bring inside
- Mark the colors of iris and peonies as they bloom, for fall division
Trees
- Watch for signs of early bagworm hatching on trees that had infestations last year https://www.johnson.k-state.edu/lawn-garden/agent-articles/insects/bagworms.html
- Check trees for caterpillars and record what you find on iNaturalist
In the Orchard
- Plant fruit trees
- Plant berry bushes
- Spray peach and apple trees with an insecticide/fungicide combo
In the Lawn
- Keep mowing height between 3 and 6 inches
- If you bag your clippings, be sure and add them to the compost pile
As always, keep enjoying the garden and its beauties.
Happy planting!
