May Gardening Activities - Region 6
May Gardening Activities – Region 6
Tropical and Sub-Tropical Gardens
States in this region include: Hawaii, Florida (southern), Texas (southern), Puerto Rico, Virgin Islands and other US territories.
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Remember that gardening is for kids, too! Encourage your budding green thumbs to spend time out in the garden. Plant a sunflower patch together, and enjoy a great learning experience!
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Use nature to its best advantage when battling insect pests in the garden. Some plants +attract beneficial insects+ that can help control unwanted visitors that plague your plants and ruin your "perfect garden" dream
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Be on the lookout for Oleander caterpillars (identified by their bright orange color with tufts of black hairs along their bodies). These voracious feeders can do considerable damage on oleander and mandevilla plants.
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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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Give your vines a little TLC to keep them happy and productive during the summer months to come.
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Inspect any damaged areas in your St. Augustine grass, and be on the lookout for Southern chinch bugs.
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Be water-wise! A self-sufficient garden requires less water - even in times of drought - allowing you to focus on environment- and money-saving water-conservation practices.
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Be on the lookout for black spot, a devastating fungus on roses (especially when humidity increases). You can help avoid the problem by keeping leaves dry when watering, applying water directly to the soil.
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Plan and plant a cutflower garden filled with beautiful blooms to enjoy through summer and into the fall - indoors, as well as out!
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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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Apply mulch to your planted landscape beds and borders to reduce soil temperatures and help conserve needed soil moisture. A few inches is all that's needed to get the job done.
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Continue to plant those heat-loving annuals - like dahlias, gazanias, marigolds, Mexican heather, pentas, portulaca and vinca - in pots and planters or directly in the garden. Those cool-season annuals, now looking tired and well past their prime, can be sent to the compost pile.
