May Gardening Activities - Region 2
May Gardening Activities – Region 2
Southwest, Desert, Interior Valleys/Southern California Gardens
States in this region include: Nevada, Arizona, New Mexico, Texas (western) and California (Desert, Interior Valleys, Southern).
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Try growing summer squash: Plant the seeds about 1 inch deep and water well. Cover the area with a floating fabric to protect sprouting plants from various insects. When the plants start blooming (in about a month), uncover them to allow pollinators to fertilize the flowers.
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Pace yourself when working in the heat and garden - the thermometer's starting to rise! If you start to feel lightheaded in the heat, sit down and rest in the shade or indoors where it's cool - and be sure to drink plenty of hydrating fluids.
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Keep your container garden healthy and thriving without wasting water: Be water-wise when it comes to irrigating your potted plants, too - one drip at a time.
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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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Prune the palms in your yard. Remove all dried or dead material, as well as any live fronds if the palm needs shaping.
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Continue to mow regularly, and fertilize your lawn with a well-balanced fertilizer before the really hot weather arrives.
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Continue to be water wise! Make sure your irrigation systems are maintained and operating properly, and do what you can to help protect your new plants from suffering in the hot, drying winds.
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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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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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Keep up with garden chores this season. You'll enjoy your garden more - and so will those who come to visit!
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Apply organic mulch to landscape beds and borders. Keep mulch several inches away from the trunks and crowns of plants.
