May is a pleasant month in the garden. One of the essential chores is not to allow plants to dry out. If the soil is dry, soak the ground deeply since plenty of water is necessary when plants are growing actively.
Plan to Mulch Now
To help conserve moisture during the hot, dry months of summer, mulch trees and shrubs, especially those planted this spring. Marsh hay, buckwheat hulls, pine needles, cran-mulch, and corn cobs are all good.
If using sawdust or wood chips, add nitrogen, such as nitrate of soda, at the rate of three pounds per 100 square feet for every 2” to 3” inches of mulch. The reason is that wood mulches take the nitrogen from the soil during decomposition.
Prune Spring-flowering Shrubs
Prune spring-flowering shrubs as soon as flowering is over. This will allow new growth to develop buds for next year’s flower crop. Shrubs include forsythias, flowering quinces, spireas, weigelas, deutzias, and pearl bushes. Remove a few of the oldest branches directly to the ground to encourage growth from the base.
Attention to Lilacs
Cut faded flowers from lilacs to prevent them from forming seeds. This is especially important with young plants which are getting established. Likewise, cut some of the oldest branches to the base to keep plants vigorous and bushy. Mildew, a disease that gives the foliage a grayish appearance, should be sprayed with Fermate or Captan.
Planting Hardy Annuals
Sow seeds of all kinds of annuals directly in the garden if the weather is settled. Thin if seedlings are to remain where sown or transplant when they have developed a few true leaves to allow the opportunity to grow properly. California poppies, bachelor buttons, portulaca, cosmos, verbenas, and sweet alyssum are some annuals that do well in poor soils. With all annuals, avoid fertilizers that are high in nitrogen since leaf growth is promoted at the expense of flowers.
Feeding and Weeding Lawns
Mow the lawn regularly and give it a second feeding using a balanced fertilizer high in nitrogen. If dandelions, plantain, ground ivy, moneywort, chickory, and other broad-leaved offenders disfigure the lawn, get rid of them 2, 4-D. Use a fertilizer afterward to give the property a needed boost.
Controlling Cedar-apple Rust
Cedar-apple rust disease, which gives leaves of hawthorns and flowering crab apples a rusty appearance during the summer, maybe controlled by spraying plants with Fermate. This disease requires a second plant – junipers – as an alternate host to complete its life cycle. Therefore, spray junipers, as well, frequently with Fermate.
Plant Summer Bulbs
Plant bulbs of dahlias, Sigrid as, montbretia, cannas, tuberous begonias, gladiolus, tuberoses, and others for summer color. The begonias require partial shade, all the others sun. If powdery mildew is a problem with tuberous begonias, spray with Captan. To control thrips on gladiolus, which streak the flowers, spray with DDT up until the color shows on the first bud.
House Plants Outdoors
Put house plants out of doors in sheltered locations. As a rule, most of them need early or late afternoon sun since free midday sun scorches their leaves. Set pots in the ground, but first place pebbles or sand at the bottom of the hole to allow for drainage.
Feed regularly with liquid fertilizer and pinch to keep bushy. Spray for mealy bugs, scale, and other pests with nicotine sulfate or an oil emulsion.
Kill Jap Beetle Grubs
If you are troubled by moles, get rid of the grubs on which they feed. Either a 5% chlordane dust at the rate of five lbs. per 1000’ square feet or a 10% DDT dust at the rate of 6 pounds per 1000 square feet will kill grubs of Japanese beetles, rose chafers, chinch bugs, and other pests for a period of three to four years. Water the dust into the soil after applying it to lawns.
Don’t Forget the Annual Vines.
Plant seed of morning glories, moon-flower, scarlet runner beans, cardinal climber, climbing nasturtium, and other annual vines for immediate effects on fences or trellises. Give sun and avoid rich soil.
44659 by Na