What To Do in The Garden in May (Region 4-5)

(Sedum Autumn Joy)

Woohoo! May is here! In the next few weeks, the heat will be settling in for a least 5 months but there's still a lot to be done in the garden, so lets get started before it's to warm to work outside. 

Here is a list of what should be done in the garden in May.

• Divide and transplant perennials.
• Verify garden stakes, trellises and supports.
• Fertilize roses.
• Fertilize or add compost (as needed) to trees, shrubs, coniferous, bushes, perennials, rock gardens and flower beds.
• Treat injured trees and look for diseases and parasites (caterpillars...). Treat if needed.
• Apply liquid algae on apple trees to prevent apple scab.
• Look for parasites in flower beds and treat if needed.
• Weed.
• Apply mulch at the bottom of trees and in flower beds.
• Plant new perennials.
• Plant fruit trees

When the weather is warm enough (at the end of the month).

• Bring your inside flowers outside.
• Plant annuals and summer bulbs. Fertilize.
• Start watering if needed.

(creeping sedum, poppies, lilies)

LAWN

• Rake, aerate and proceed to topdressing with compost or topsoil. Reseed areas that need reseeding.
• When the grass is green, cut it and fertilize.

VEGETABLE GARDEN

• Start the last seedlings inside.
• Turn over the soil and compost in the garden.
• Have a soil test done and amend as needed with compost, fertilizer or lime.
• In the middle of the month, seed the following in the garden: beets, chard, carrots, spinach, beans, cabbage, turnips, potatoes, onions, lettuce, radishes, green onions, peas.
• When there is no more frost warnings, buy or transplant cucumbers, tomatoes and all the vegetables that are sensitive to frost.
• Keep the earth in the garden humid.
• Install supports and trellises for creeping vegetables.
• Add garden stakes to support tomatoes.
• Prune tomato suckers.
• Control insects and diseases.
• Fertilize.

(Irises)

This should keep us busy for the month. Happy gardening!