May Gardening Activities - Region 1
May Gardening Activities – Region 1
Northwest & Northern California
States in this region include: Washington, Oregon, Alaska, and California (Northern).
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Beware of late frosts! Know the safe planting date for your area before planting any warm-season vegetables. (This can be 3-4 weeks after the last anticipated frost for your area.) If you've already got your plants in the ground, be prepared to protect them from unexpected frostbite.
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Pay close attention to your newly planted trees, shrubs and perennials. It's time well-spent to irrigate deeply, remove weeds and apply several inches of organic mulch to the soil. These practices encourage deep root systems and healthy growth habits - essentials for plant survival now and when the hot weather sets in.
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Mow the lawn weekly to keep grass healthy. Recycle the clippings back on the lawn - don't bag them!
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Pinch back hardy mums every two weeks through mid-July. Remove one-third of the new growth each time to encourage bushier plants.
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It's time to stake your plants, especially taller flowering species and vegetables, before they start to flop. Use flexible ties to hold plants in place - don't tighten them like a tourniquet.
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Do your best to keep dreaded disease problems out of your garden this year - especially apple scab, powdery mildew and botrytis blight. Understanding the basics of the "disease triangle" can help you have a healthier garden in 2009!
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Deadhead spent flowers from spring-blooming perennials and shrubs, including candytuft, peonies, azaleas and lilacs. Use mulch to conserve needed soil moisture for these plants.
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Harvest spinach, lettuce, peas, radishes and other cool-season crops as they mature. When those crops are finished, reuse the planting area for warm-season veggies to guarantee a continual harvest.
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Control dandelions and other broadleaved weeds in the lawn. Use a recommended herbicide, and always follow label directions carefully. (Contact your local Cooperative Extension office for a legal control recommendation in your state of residence.)
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Make way for more vegetables or flowers in your garden with raised beds. They help conserve water, avoid possible drainage problems and give you an area to grow plants in fresh, nourishing soil. Another plus: You don't need to be a master builder to create your own!
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Apply organic mulch to landscape beds and borders. Keep mulch several inches away from the trunks and crowns of plants.
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Start a vegetable garden. You'll save a fortune at the grocery store - and eat healthier - by growing your own produce!
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Control the crabgrass in your lawn. It may be making its presence known if you didn't use a pre-emergent herbicide (weed killer) a few weeks ago. Young seedlings can be handpicked, if not too many, or use a post-emergent herbicide according to label directions. (Just take great care to restrict the application of such herbicides to only the weeds - post-emergent herbicides can also kill annuals, perennials, trees and shrubs.)
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Fertilize annuals in beds, pots and baskets. Liquid- or granular-feed them according to label directions.
