Gardening gets into high gear in May

Soil and weather conditions are ideal for gardening in May. Seeds are more likely to sprout than rot as the soil gets warmer this month. The odds are against a late frost, although we did have one on May 23, 2002.

The weather is now warm enough to plant tomatoes along with all the other heat-loving vegetables, such as beans, cucumber, corn, melon, okra, squash and sweet potato. The beans to plant include butterbean, soybean, lima, wax and snap (green) beans. Other members of the legume family to plant this month are field, crowder and black-eye peas.

The tulip and pansy season comes to an end in May. This is the month to begin setting out impatiens, begonia, lantana and other flowers that thrive in summer’s heat. Marigold, cosmos and zinnia are summer flowers you can grow quickly and easily from seed for inexpensive color in your yard.

Now is the time to fertilize most plants. The bluegrass, fescue and ryegrass plants in your lawn are an exception, however. Their growth is already too vigorous, thanks to the drenching rainfall in recent days. Also, these grasses get maximum benefit from nitrogen fertilizer, if it is applied in fall instead of spring.

Mowing is about all your lawn should need in May. It is too early to apply grub killers and too late for crabgrass prevention products. Spot-treating clover and similar broadleaf weeds is one other chore that may be necessary. New products with carfentrazone as an ingredient (Weed Free Zone and Speed Zone) are particularly effective on these lawn weeds.

Roses start blooming this month, and many of them have foliage riddled with tiny holes. This damage, caused by rose slugs, first appeared in April. You can control these tiny green sawfly larvae by spraying with Sevin. The organic alternative, for gardeners not willing to spray with residual insecticides, is horticultural oil.

Geranium and amaryllis are among the houseplants ready to be placed outdoors right now. A little later in May is the time to put out tropical foliage plants such as philodendron, ficus and snake plant. They could be harmed by any temperature below 60 degrees.

Extension’s pruning calendar indicates May is a busy month. The shrubs to prune are azalea, barberry, bayberry, boxwood, camellia, cherrylaurel, daphne, euonymus, forsythia, holly, juniper, ligustrum, mahonia, photinia, pieris, privet, quince, spirea, sweetshrub, viburnum, weigela and yew.

May is the time to pinch certain plants. This pruning practice involves using your finger and thumb to pinch out the tender tips of succulent new stems. Although it may delay blooming by a week or so, pinching makes plants dense and bushy. Pinching is done to shrubbery, flowers and houseplants as well as pines, spruces and other conifers. It is essential for chrysanthemums to keep them short at blooming time.

Tent caterpillars have come down from the trees and abandoned their tents. Millions of them are now crawling around on sidewalks, driveways, houses and plants. Their feeding days are almost over, and they are now seeking a quiet place to spin a cocoon and pupate.

Davis is an Extension Agent for the Virginia Cooperative Extension. He can be reached by calling 455-3740.