First week in May:
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Prune your spring flowering shrubs (lilacs,
forsythias, spireas, etc.) after they have finished blooming. Thin these out by
removing up to one-third of the older branches at or near ground level.
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Plant vegetables such as snap beans, tomato
plants, sweet corn, summer squash, cucumbers and a second crop of radishes.
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Check your trees, especially wild cherry, for
tent caterpillars: remove and destroy tents.
Second week:
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Continue your fruit tree spray schedule to
control disease and pest problems.
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Keep newly planted trees and shrubs watered
(unless it’s a rainy month). Do not let the soil dry out.
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Plant gladiolus, dahlias and other summer bulbs.
Third week:
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Stay out of your garden when plant foliage is
wet. Walking through a wet garden spreads disease from one plant to another.
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If you are having a problem with earwigs and sow
bugs, try trapping them with rolled-up newspapers that have been moistened with
water. The insects will hide in the paper by day. Gather up the traps and
dispose of them frequently.
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Spray roses regularly (every ten days using a
fungicide and insecticide). Read and follow all label directions.
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Closely examine your ornamental plantings for
disease and pests. Check your dogwoods for borers; boxwood, holly and birch for
leafminers; evergreens for spider mites and aphids.
Last week:
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Mulch flowers, established vegetables and
evergreen shrubs. Grass clippings are great and easier to handle if allowed to
dry first. Never use clippings from a lawn that has been treated with an
herbicide.
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Move your houseplants outdoors when night
temperatures stay above 50 deg. Avoid sunburn by moving the plants gradually
from the relative darkness of the house to their bright summer locations. Begin
by putting them in a well-shaded location and progress to increasingly lighted
areas.
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Pinch annuals when 4-6 in. high to promote bushy
growth, for example, zinnias, petunias and salvia.
