It's May in the Garden! Here's Your List for Zone 7

I have neglected my blogging this year, but certainly not the gardens! We have been busy cleaning, plowing, and planting...with precious few minutes left over for posting. That ends today!

Here are the pictures I have snapped over the past couple of months of 2016:

Kitchen Garden — covered up for late freeze in April

Kitchen Garden — First of May (note the new gate to Fenced Row Garden!)

And here's what's on our 'To Do' List for May for our Zone 7 Gardens*:

Kitchen Garden:

• May 1^st is the beginning of the recommended planting time for bush lima beans (through July 1^st), okra (through May 31^st), and both sweet and hot peppers (through May 31^st ).  May 15^th marks the date to begin planting sweet potatoes (through June 15^th).

• Continue planting pole beans (through July 1^st), cantaloupe/muskmelons (through June 1^st), sweet corn (through June 1^st), cucumbers (through May 15^th), pumpkins (through June 15^th), summer and winter squash (through May 15^th), tomato plants (through July 15^th), and watermelons (through June 1^st). 

• When setting out tomato plants, set up stakes or cages so you won’t disturb the roots later.  Be sure to remove any suckers to encourage the plant’s energy be used for larger fruit rather than side shoots. (I always attempt to root the suckers; many times I'm lucky and get a freebie tomato!)

• When planting beans (pole and/or bush) and corn, make successive plantings every two weeks to ensure a longer harvest. Or, you could plant early and late season varieties at the same time. Be sure to thin corn to stand 8-12 inches apart when it reaches 4" in height. And give it a side-dressing of fertilizer when in reaches 12" in height...if you want to have corn that's "knee-high by the Fourth of July."

• Plant basil and dill directly in your garden this month after the nighttime temps are consistently above 50°. 

So where are we in the above list, you ask? 

(1) I've planted a bed of Fordhook lima beans at the south end of Row 1, with Kentucky Wonder pole beans along the fence on the north end, underplanted with (a new variety for me) Jade II bush beans. 

(2) Two varieties of cantaloupe were direct-seeded in Row 3, as were 6 (!) varieties of watermelons [Sugar Baby, Jubilee, Charleston Grey, Navajo Winter (new for me), Georgia Rattlesnake, and Sweet Icebox (another first)]. 

(3) Two varieties of cucumber were planted at the south end of Row 4, as were zucchini and yellow squash. The north end of 4 is still in garden peas and will be followed by pumpkins at a later date. 

(4) We reoriented the rows in the Corn Crib (the fenced-off area around the corn rows), and on April 15 I planted 3 kinds of sweet corn in the seven rows: 2 in Silver Queen (4 year-old seed...which ALL germinated!); 2 in Ambrosia; and 3 in Peaches 'n Cream. Since we have had warm days and nights along with copious amounts of rain in the last couple of weeks, all have germinated well and will need to be thinned...my upcoming May chore after the next rain (predicted for tonight and tomorrow).

(5) in addition to beans in the Row Garden, I have planted a couple of varieties in the center square in the Box Garden (raised beds): Scarlett Runner and Rattlesnake (runner). The second one was sent to me by mistake when I ordered the Georgia Rattlesnake watermelon seeds from Sow True Seeds (my fave Asheville, NC-based seed store!). No worries! Just gives me something new to try!

(6) Speaking of the Box Garden, the raised beds continue to host our cool-season crops: Box 1 has beets, spinach, and carrots; Box 2 has broccoli and red cabbage; Box 3 has Stonecrop cabbage along with a couple kinds of potatoes (you may recall I usually grow potatoes in bags in the area we call the Potato Patch...and we do have 12 bags with 4 varieties there again this year; but we really liked how easy it was to "dig" potatoes when we trialed them in Box 2 last Spring, so we doubled our plantings in 2016); and Box 4 has worlds of lettuce (pictured). Each Box (except the Center Square) has 10-12 onions planted in the end sections. Many of these will be succession-planted with beans (for nitrogen-fixing), but we also will trial planting our sweet potatoes in Box 1. 

(7) The Herb Garden (pictured) is looking great! I added the annuals (basil, dill, and parsley) to the returning  perennials (sage, rosemary, thyme, oregano, chives, lemon balm, and several types of mint). 

(8) The asparagus bed started producing very early this year and has slowed considerably over the past couple of weeks. Will need to soon weed and replenish compost. 

(9) The tomatoes and peppers I seeded earlier indoors are almost ready for transplantation. I am hardening them off in the protection of one of the wagons, which I can cover with row covers in case of low temps...or bad squirrels.  (I have lost 3 tomato seedlings as well as 2 peppers to a squirrel attack, while they were on my potting bench. Grrrrr.)

Lettuce in Box 1

Herbs!

Orchard and Berry Patch:

• Fertilize blueberries, blackberries, and grapes this month.  Read more about it in the NC Cooperative Extension publication Grapes and Berries for the Garden.

So, where are we?

(1) We will fertilize with 10-10-10 around May 15, or as soon as the blueberries begin to ripen.

(2) Additionally, we have begun enjoying the strawberry harvest, and will keep the berry patch weeded and well-picked. 

(3) We will spray with Orchard Spray about the same time to keep our pest problems at bay.

Rose Garden (and perennials and annuals):

          • To prevent black spot on roses, continue a weekly fungicidal spray regimen, if you don't use the 6-week systemic variety.   The latest research says NOT to remove black spot infected leaves UNTIL you don't see anymore green...thereby giving your rose bush all the help it needs in continuing to produce chlorophyll.

           • Prepare beds for summer annuals such as petunias, marigolds, and zinnias; a location with 6 or more hours of sun each day is ideal.

            So, where are we?

(1) We will fertilize (for the second time) with Rose Tone around May 5, as our bushes are all in full-bloom now. 

(2) Additionally, we will continue to prune as needed to keep the bushes looking tidy. 

(3) We seeded along the fences and several beds, including our Pollinator Garden (located in the Orchard) with marigolds, zinnias, cosmos, and sunflowers. Some were purchased packets, but most were from seed we saved from previous plantings over the years...since we planted our first marigolds and zinnias in our gardens in O'Fallon, MO. 

'Gertrude Jekyll' rose

Flowers, Shrubs, and Trees in the Front and Back yard gardens:

• It’s time to prune and 

fertilize Spring-flowering shrubs such as azalea (pictured) and rhododendron after they have bloomed.

• 

Remove broadleaf weeds from all landscape planting areas. If left to grow, they will rob water and nutrients from your plants. Mulch both beds and paths for best control.

So, where are we?

(1) We will fertilize with 10-10-10 around May 15, or as soon as the Rhodies finish their show.

(2) We had our pine straw replenished in the front natural areas and we've begun the process of mulching pathways...including the Row Garden inside the newly fenced area.

Lawns and Grasses

• According to the Home Lawn Calendar for May from the Center for Turfgrass Environmental Research and Education at NC State, mow tall fescue lawns at 3 to 3 ½”, and at least once each week.  This article also encourages grasscycling, which is the practice of leaving grass clippings on the lawn.  “Grass clippings decompose quickly and can provide up to 25 percent of the lawn's fertilizer needs.”  We actually use the clippings from the Way Back (around the Orchard and the Berry Patch) to "feed" the compost piles.  Good as gold!

• Lawns need 1 to 1 ¼ inches of water per week.

Other             

• Take some time to enjoy the butterflies, honeybees, and hummingbirds!  Remember to use low toxicity pesticides to protect these beautiful and beneficial creatures.  And, even though Neem Oil is marketed as an Organic spray, it is still toxic to bees...so don't spray when in the morning when bees are most active.
• Move houseplants out-of-doors when the nighttime temperatures are consistently above 50 degrees.  
• After incorporating finished compost into your garden, begin a new compost pile. Or, make this the year that you start composting.  Learn everything you ever wanted to know about the subject from the NC Cooperative Extension publication:  Composting: A Guide to Managing Organic Yard Wastes.

Remember, May is Melanoma/Skin Cancer Detection and Awareness Month.  Before you dash outside to your May gardening activities, put on a hat, sunglasses, and adequate sunscreen protection.

Happy hoeing!


==================================
* This May To Do List is updated and revised from an article I had published on GoGreenTriad.com in 2011.

April Showers

Today, we had a break in the rain...hooray! I sure hope the water table is making a comeback with all this moisture falling from the skies.

The 2015 Garden begins to give!

Here's the wrap up on the Way Back Gardens from April (look below for upcoming May activities...:):


Things have been rolling right along, with lots of progress in all the gardens.  I got a nice cool season garden planted in the raised beds of the Box Garden, and then eagerly tackled the warm-season planting checklist for the Kitchen Garden, following the average last frost date for our area (typically quoted as being April 15). Since the first two weeks of April have been warmer than usual, I took a chance on getting many of the tender transplants and seeds in the ground, although I am prepared to still have to make a mad dash to cover some tender tomatoes, peppers, and eggplants, along with the boxwood basil (in the photo, right) should the weather forecast turn chilly.

I'm happy to report that I got fifteen tomato transplants in Row #1 of the Row garden, along with ten pepper plants and two eggplants...in spite of all the help I received from Abbie and Winston (pictured, below). I planted three each of Park's Improved Whoppers, Juliets, Beefsteaks, and Celebrities; and one each of German Queen, Red Beefsteak, and Better Boy. I've also planted a Bush Goliath in a container on the deck. I remembered that when setting out tomato plants, to set up stakes and cages so as not to disturb the roots later. I also reused the landscape fabric I used last year, having already cut the X-shaped holes in the fabric at just the right distance for planting tomatoes and peppers.

I planted two each (sweet) green bell, yellow bell,  red bell, and purple bell peppers; and one each of Tabasco and Dragon (hot) peppers. I still have seedlings of Better Boys, Park's Improved Whoppers, Cherokee Purple, and Black from Tula, along with Orange Blaze, Mariachi, and Fish Peppers. These will all be ready to go into containers in a couple of weeks, about the same time I plant lima beans, sweet potatoes, okra, and cotton.

Although I missed the April 15th date ("pay your taxes, plant your corn"), I did get four rows of Silver Queen corn into the (muddy, sloppy) rows in the caged Block Garden. Fingers crossed the seeds germinate! I also got seeds planted for pole beans and bush beans in a couple of the raised beds in the Box Garden, joining two kinds of broccoli (pictured below), red cabbage, carrots, spinach, beets, several varieties of lettuce (pictured below), and (for the first time) potatoes. I had a few seed potatoes left over after I planted the grow bags, so I thought I'd trial them in a raised bed "just to see how that would work."

 

 

This year, Mr. T built me a raised bed to dedicate as an herb garden, next to the area dedicated to the asparagus raised bed. While I include herbs here and there all around the Way Back, I think they are pretty enough to be stars of their own show.

We have been enjoying our asparagus, harvesting a few stalks on nearly a daily basis, since just after Easter. I didn't get into the garden for a couple of days during the rains, and a few stalks grew too tall and tough. But, it's nice to be realizing the fruits of our labors several years ago.

First asparagus shoots 2015

Rounding out the report from the Kitchen Garden, I'm happy to see that the garlic (planted in the former home to the sweet potatoes and the onions (planted at the ends of all the raised beds in the Box Garden) are all growing and looking great.

The blueberries have already flowered and are fruiting up nicely in the Berry Patch. We also are seeing lots of strawberries, even though we probably should have been more diligent about weeding and mulching the bed; but honestly I don't remember seeing this number of potential fruit before. I pruned the grape vines and the blackberries rather lightly this Spring, and they are all greening up grandly.

I'm proud to report that all the trees in the Orchard flowered this year...no frost or freeze damage! Hooray. I need to spray the trees after the last of the apple trees finish flowering to ensure some protection against the summer onslaught of pests.

And we finally got the last of the roses we'd planned to move from the back yard to the Way Back planted in the Rose Garden: Mister Lincoln, JFK, and a Chrysler Imperial. We had to remove an Abraham Darby due to suspected RRD, making a total of four roses we have lost to this disease (of which there is no cure...only removal). We planted two more hybrid teas (Pink Peace and Chicago Peace...both from Home Depot) and a Duchesse de Brabant (from Antique Rose Emporium...in memory of our departed Duchess) in containers, and that should do it for planting for this year...except for the perennials and annuals for accents, of course. There is ALWAYS an "except for...," isn't there?

So, here's what's on our 'To Do' List for May*:

Kitchen Garden:

·         May 1^st is the beginning of the recommended planting time for bush lima beans (through July 1^st), okra (through May 31^st), and both sweet and hot peppers (through May 31^st ).  May 15^th marks the date to begin planting sweet potatoes (through June 15^th).  I've got a good start on this one.

·         Continue planting pole beans (through July 1^st), cantaloupe/muskmelons (through June 1^st), sweet corn (through June 1^st), cucumbers (through May 15^th), pumpkins (through June 15^th), summer and winter squash (through May 15^th), tomato plants (through July 15^th), and watermelons (through June 1^st). I currently have transplants-from-seeds almost ready to go in my Bio Dome seed starter in the kitchen.

·         Be sure to remove any suckers on tomatoes to encourage the plant’s energy be used for larger fruit rather than side shoots. (I always attempt to root the suckers; many times I'm lucky and get a freebie tomato!). And, take the precaution I learned while in the Seeds of Change at EPCOT: remove the lower branches on tomato plants to help prevent diseases such as blights that are transferred from water splattering off soil onto leaves.

·         When planting beans (pole and/or bush) and corn, make successive plantings every two weeks to ensure a longer harvest.

·         Plant basil and dill directly in the garden this month.

Orchard and Berry Patch:

·         Fertilize blueberries, blackberries, and grapes this month.  Read more about it in the NC Cooperative Extension publication Grapes and Berries for the Garden.

Rose Garden (and perennials and annuals):

·         To prevent black spot on roses, continue a weekly fungicidal spray regimen, if you don't use the 6-week systemic variety.   The latest research says NOT to remove black spot infected leaves UNTIL you don't see anymore green...thereby giving your rose bush all the help it needs in continuing to produce chlorophyll.

·         Prepare beds for summer annuals such as petunias, marigolds, and zinnias; a location with 6 or more hours of sun each day is ideal.

 

Flowers, Shrubs, and Trees in the Front and Backyard gardens:

Azaleas blooming in the back yard

 

·         May is time to plant summer-flowering bulbs, especially caladiums and gladioli. I already have some glads coming up inside a "protected" area, so they seem to have made it through the mild winter we had.



·         Prune and fertilize Spring-flowering shrubs such as azalea (pictured, left) and rhododendron after they have bloomed. We NEED to make this a hard-prune year, as ours are all rather wild looking.

 

·         Remove broadleaf weeds from all landscape planting areas. If left to grow, they will rob water and nutrients from your plants. We have brought nearly 200 bags of hardwood mulch onto our property, spreading yards and yards by cubic yards of the stuff.  We still have lots to spread in the Rose Garden.

Lawns and Grasses

·         According to the Home Lawn Calendar for May from the Center for Turfgrass Environmental Research and Education at NC State, mow tall fescue lawns at 3 to 3 ½”, and at least once each week.  This article also encourages grasscycling, which is the practice of leaving grass clippings on the lawn.  “Grass clippings decompose quickly and can provide up to 25 percent of the lawn's fertilizer needs.”  We actually use the clippings from the Way Back (around the Orchard and the Berry Patch) to "feed" the compost piles.  Good as gold!

·         Lawns need 1 to 1 ¼ inches of water per week.

Other             

• Take some time to enjoy the butterflies, honeybees, and hummingbirds!  We have a small raised bed Pollinator Garden in the Orchard, with a bird bath; I see that the bee balm, lavender, and pineapple lilies are returning this year...yeah! Soon, I will direct-seed zinnias to fill out the spaces.
• Move houseplants out-of-doors when the nighttime temperatures are consistently above 50 degrees. We are waiting to move the lemon trees out of the plasticized screen porch...just for their protection, since we are still getting some 45-49 degree nights.
• Be sure to incorporate finished compost into the garden,  and then begin a new compost pile. We have a wonderful barrel-type composter that Mr. T rolled out to the Row that will host the sweet potatoes and okra, so we are ready to begin the process again. Learn everything you ever wanted to know about the subject from the NC Cooperative Extension publication:  Composting: A Guide to Managing Organic Yard Wastes.

Remember, May is Melanoma/Skin Cancer Detection and Awareness Month.  Before you dash outside to your May gardening activities, put on a hat, sunglasses, and adequate sunscreen protection. It's also a good time to visit your dermatologist for a skin check. I'm getting a jump on that this Friday!

Happy hoeing!


==================================
* This May To Do List is updated and revised from an article I had published on GoGreenTriad.com in 2011.

To Do in the Zone 7 Garden in June

It's the last month of Spring...how is your garden growing? Here's a photo I took after this morning's coffee walk...peas and carrots...and one ginormous onion! The "English" peas are winding down, the carrots are finally ready, and the onions just might take over our world...wow!

By now in Zone 7, you should be well into your planting of warm season vegetables: tomatoes, peppers, beans, squash, melons, cucumbers, okra, and Southern peas are all in the ground here in The Way Back Kitchen Garden. I chose to forgo eggplants this year since we are neither big fans.

And, like us, you are probably pulling up many of the cool season crops as they begin to bolt and go to seed. I made a contribution to the compost bin this weekend as I replaced the broccoli, cabbage, spinach, and bolting lettuce plants (all in the raised beds in the Box Garden) with plantings of a variety of bush beans and some Salad Bowl lettuce that is supposed to withstand the coming Summer heat "better." I'm giving it a good chance by planting it against the west-side boards on the raised beds (which will provide shade from the harsh setting sun) and under the cucumber trellis frame, over in the Row Garden...again for added protection.

I also decided to devote one box (L-shaped, with the equivalent of 3 3x3 squares...or 27 square feet, if you do the math) to a tomato trial. Last year, you may recall I put three Sun Gold tomato suckers I'd rooted in this box...one in each 3x3 square. And they thrived, to put it mildly. 

When our first frost threatened last Fall, I harvested all the remaining tomatoes, green and gold ones, and turned them into Green Tomato Relish (great on hot dogs...and black-eyed peas, by the way!). But I didn't pull the plants. Well, they survived that first frost. We had another warm spell, as we often do...and the plants flowered again...and more Sun Golds arrived. But many of these fell into the box when I did finally pull the plants. I tried to remove as many as I could, but apparently missed as many as I got. 

I didn't plant this box with cool season veggies, as I was going to let it rest. Nature had other plans! Before I knew it, I had worlds of tiny Sun Gold tomato plants. Good grief! Knowing that SG is a hybrid tomato, I "knew" that I couldn't count on any of these reseeded babies to produce fruit like the 3 parent SG plants. But, what would the fruit look like? And would there be any fruit at all? Sounds like an experiment to me!

I pulled all except three "baby" plants...the ones that had seeded themselves in the center of their respective squares, more or less. I wanted to see what I will get from the seedlings of hybrid plants. Well, one question is answered: will they fruit? Yes! The three remaining (and many of the ones I removed) have all flowered and are developing tomatoes...and they look just like the tiny bunches of Sun Golds that the parent plants produced last year. I'll report back on how the reseeded plants' fruit tastes soon. Very soon!

Additionally, I seeded my garden borders with marigolds and zinnias, using the seed-heads we save every year after frost kills off our favorite annuals. The seeds we harvested last Fall are descendants of flowers we had around our garden in O'Fallon, MO...over 5 years ago. The originals were hybrids, so the first generation of plants from the saved seeds weren't "true," but subsequent flowers are pretty reliable. And the whole point is to get lots of flowers to attract pollinators...without spending a fortune. Check!

Speaking of pollinators...

Mr. T cleaned and cultivated the Pollinator Garden, which starts its second full year in the Orchard. The pineapple lilies we purchased at the Daylily farm in Garner last year have all survived this past Winter (how, I will never know!) and are sending up reddish-purple leaves. I set out tiny transplants of zinnias and marigolds (started from purchased seeds), plus some Root-tone-dipped cuttings of the Moonlight mums and Shasta daisies, which are thriving elsewhere on our property. I also planted a few sunflower seeds, but I think the crows were observing me from their high perch on the transmission line tower...and will probably make a meal out of my efforts before I can say "shoo!"

So what else is on this month's checklist? Here goes:

Checklist for Zone 7 Gardens:

• Mulch container gardens to help retain moisture in the coming hot weather, using a top-dressing of compost
• Remove Spring annuals as the weather heats up
• Set out seedlings of warm-weather annuals; direct-sow seeds of annuals like nasturtiums. 
• Prune and fertilize spring-blooming vines such as clematis and wisteria after they bloom
• Fertilize and prune spring-blooming shrubs such as azaleas and rhododendrons after they bloom
• As vegetable plants start to flower, begin regular feeding with diluted fish emulsion
• To direct growth of new canes, pinch tips off of blackberries and young grapevines
• Keep blueberry bushes well-weeded and well-watered as their fruit ripens; wait until after the harvest to prune and fertilize
• Weed strawberry beds and add a mulch of compost topped with a layer of straw
• Prune indeterminate tomatoes by removing suckers and topping off the main vine as it reaches the height of its cage and/or stake; try rooting a couple of the hardy suckers to have more plants.
• Sow seeds of heat-loving vegetables (squash, pumpkins, melons) directly into the ground
• Continue to feed roses monthly and treat with a 3-in-1 systemic per label instructions; deadhead as they finish their first round of blooming
• Prune once-blooming roses after they've flowered this month
• Check the undersides of leaves of warm season veggie plants like squash, tomatoes, cukes, and melons for the eggs of pests such as the potato beetle, squash bugs, etc. Squish ALL eggs...or if that doesn't sound like fun, remove the egg-infested leaf and put it in a container (I use a 3-lb coffee canister) half-filled with soapy water; ditto with any adult pests you see. Don't just leave the eggs! The goal is to keep the next generation of pests from hatching. The more pests, the less produce. Simple math.

June is a busy month in the Way Back gardens, as we transition from one season to another. Happy hoeing!

May Has Arrived...Finally

Crazy weather this year has made for a slow start in the Kitchen Garden...and much loss in the other gardens. Sigh. 

Of course, I can't blame being behind the times all on the weather. There was my cataract surgery and recovery...then came the 12 days away from home when we went to Louisville...and then I spent the past week attending the NCEMGVA Conference in Winston-Salem. And while I was learning more about gardening (but not actually gardening), the weather flipped straight into Summer...91 today. Double sigh. 

I did want to share some of the fruits of our labors with you. Here's a picture of our first cutting of broccoli, along with some asparagus. 

We had cut some yesterday to grill along with some salmon steaks, so the pickings appear slim; still, the 4-year old asparagus bed is yielding more than enough for the two of us. Out in the Raised Beds, our lettuces (red and green romaine, along with Buttercrunch and Red Sails) look fabulous, and our spinach is quite healthy and productive. We probably have enough onions to supply a small restaurant, because I am trialing using onions extensively in the (red) cabbage bed to help reduce the number of cabbage worms. Seems to be working well. And the carrots and peas are finally joining the party. So, the cool season crops are doing well, even with their slow start to 2014. 

But I'm almost embarrassed to report we haven't put in a single Warm Season transplant or seeded a single crop in the Row Garden yet...and it's almost Mother's Day. Triple sigh.

Time to get down to business! Here's what's on our 'To Do' List for May*:

Kitchen Garden:

·         May 1^st is the beginning of the recommended planting time for bush lima beans (through July 1^st), okra (through May 31^st), and both sweet and hot peppers (through May 31^st ).  May 15^th marks the date to begin planting sweet potatoes (through June 15^th).  I've got my work cut out for me, don't I?

·         I'll also be planting pole beans (through July 1^st), cantaloupe/muskmelons (through June 1^st), sweet corn (through June 1^st), cucumbers (through May 15^th), pumpkins (through June 15^th), summer and winter squash (through May 15^th), tomato plants (through July 15^th), and watermelons (through June 1^st).

·         When setting out tomato plants, we set up stakes or cages so we won’t disturb the roots later.  I try to remove any suckers to encourage the plant’s energy be used for larger fruit rather than side shoots, and I remove all branches below the first flowers to encourage a string central stem...and to discourage pests. (I always attempt to root the suckers; many times I'm lucky and get a freebie tomato!)

·         We'll be planting beans (pole and bush) and corn, make successive plantings every two weeks to ensure a longer harvest. I did get some English-style runner beans and some Kentucky Wonder pole beans planted around the tuteur last weekend. We will need to set up a bean "fence" in Row #3 this year (factoring in crop rotation, by moving everything one row east each year...alaman right!) to provide support for the main crop of Kentucky Wonders. 

·         I've started seeds and hope to plant basil and dill directly in the garden this month. I took cuttings of mint and divisions of chives from Missy M's herb garden, and I want to get them settled into their new abodes here in HPNC.

Orchard and Berry Patch:

·         I will fertilize the blueberries, blackberries, and grapes this month. All are looking healthy and show signs of a great year...fingers crossed! Read more about it in the NC Cooperative Extension publication Grapes and Berries for the Garden.

·         I'll need to spray the fruit trees with the first spray after fruit set. Sadly, the extremely cold winter and the late freeze on April 14-16 probably means a rather anemic crop. There will be no pears or plums, and few peaches and apples...if the squirrels don't get them again this year. The only heavy fruit-set has occurred on the crabapples. 

Rose Garden (and perennials and annuals):

·         To prevent black spot and control pests on roses, I will use the 6-week systemic 3-in-1 variety.   The latest research says NOT to remove black spot infected leaves UNTIL you don't see anymore green...thereby giving your rose bush all the help it needs in continuing to produce chlorophyll.

·         We will prepare a couple new beds for summer annuals such as petunias, marigolds, and zinnias...possibly by the fence, so there will be a good backdrop.

• Additionally, on our list is to document all the roses we lost to weather this year. I already know about the following: 3 Always and Forever, 2 Cinnamon Girls, 2 First Prizes, and one each Kordes Perfecta and Pope John Paul. We also had to remove my absolute all-time favorite floribunda, Mardi Gras, which was showing signs of rose rosette disease (which is always fatal). Here's what it looked like in years past:

Flowers, Shrubs, and Trees in the Front and Back yard gardens:

·         It’s time to plant summer-flowering bulbs, especially caladiums and gladioli. I already have some glads coming up that seem to have made it through the winter we had.  We shall see...

Our rhodo in full bloom in early May.
Time to fertilize and prune after blooming.

·         We (read this 'we' as Mr. T) need to remove broadleaf weeds from all landscape planting areas. If left to grow, they will rob water and nutrients from our plants, and they make the gardens look so untidy in any photos. He is a weeder-fanatic, so naturally I encourage him to play to his strengths!

Lawns and Grasses

·         According to the Home Lawn Calendar for May from the Center for Turfgrass Environmental Research and Education at NC State, we need to mow tall fescue lawns at 3 to 3 ½”, and at least once each week.  This article also encourages grasscycling, which is the practice of leaving grass clippings on the lawn.  “Grass clippings decompose quickly and can provide up to 25 percent of the lawn's fertilizer needs.”  We actually use the clippings from the Way Back (around the Orchard and the Berry Patch) to "feed" the compost piles.  Good as gold!

·         Since lawns need 1 to 1 ¼ inches of water per week, it's time to get the irrigation system going for the year. 

Other             

• We will take some time to enjoy the butterflies, honeybees, and hummingbirds! As you know, I love taking loads of photos!! To try to keep our property productive as well as pretty...and to protect these beautiful creatures...if I need to use a pesticide, I use Neem Oil, which is marketed as an Organic spray. Still, it is still toxic to bees...so I don't spray in the morning when bees are most active.
• We have moved all the plants that wintered on the plasticized screen porch out to their summer spots, including the three citrus trees. The Improved Meyer Lemon and the Orange trees are both flowering profusely, while the lemon tree I started from seeds from a lemon from my Aunt's house in Arizona still hasn't flowered...but is beautiful and green nonetheless. We have moved this big tree in its container across state lines a couple of times now, so it's with us to stay no matter.
• After incorporating the finished compost into our garden, we began a new compost batch in our barrel. I hope to get a worm or two or ten working this time, so must remember to feed and water the pile regularly. 

Remember, May is Melanoma/Skin Cancer Detection and Awareness Month.  Before you dash outside to your May gardening activities, put on a hat, sunglasses, and adequate sunscreen protection. Well, I can say with certainty that I get two out of the three!

Happy hoeing!


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* This May To Do List is updated and revised from an article I had published on GoGreenTriad.com in 2011.