May Gardening Activities - Region 3

May Gardening Activities – Region 3

Northeast, Midwest and Central Plains Gardens

States in this region include: Maine, Vermont, New Hampshire, New York, Massachusetts, Rhode Island, Connecticut, Ohio, West Virginia, Kentucky, Indiana, Illinois, Michigan, Wisconsin, Minnesota, Oklahoma, Kansas, Missouri, Nebraska, Iowa, South Dakota, North Dakota and Montana.

  • Pay attention to your perennial border. Now's the time to fertilize and divide your fall-blooming perennials.
  • Pinch back hardy mums every two weeks through mid-July. Remove one-third of the new growth each time to encourage bushier plants.
  • Make the grass greener on your side of the fenceby fertilizing your lawn later this month.
  • Mow the lawn weekly to keep grass healthy. Recycle the clippings back on the lawn - don't bag them!
  • 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.
  • 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.)
  • 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!
  • Keep your peonies from flopping - stake them as their new growth begins to elongate.
  • Conserve needed soil moisture by applying about a 2-inch layer of organic mulch on all landscape and flower beds.
  • Beware of late frosts! Know the safe planting date for your area before planting any warm-season vegetables or flowers. (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.
  • Repot houseplants that may need it. If you haven't started to fertilize your indoor plants for the season, now's the time to start. Once nighttime temperatures stay consistently above 55 degrees F, you can safely move your houseplants outdoors for their summer vacation.
  • Allow the foliage of your spring-flowering bulbs - like crocus, tulips and daffodils - to yellow and ripen before you cut the leaves back.
  • Be on the lookout for tent caterpillar nests in select trees like crabapples. Prune out the infested branch - tent and all - and dispose of it. (Never add infested branches to the compost pile!)
  • Start a vegetable garden. You'll save a fortune at the grocery store - and eat healthier - by growing your own produce!
  • Fertilize trees and shrubs (if you haven't already) before the heat of summer arrives.
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