Blog > May Gardening Tips
Get Diggin’! ๐ธ
The weather is warming up, flowers are blooming, and the garden is awake. It’s time to get diggin’! Here’s our list of things to do this month to keep your garden looking great. ๐๐ท
1. Prepare Your Planting Beds ๐ฑ
- Finish preparing your planting beds by adding organic material and soil amendments. The soil is the most important factor in successful gardening.
2. Cultivate and Weed ๐ฟ
- Cultivate planting beds and remove weeds. To make maintenance easier, use Preen, a pre-emergent weed preventer when planting
3. Divide Early-Blooming Perennials ๐ธ
- Dig and divide early-blooming perennials once they’ve finished flowering.
4. Transplant Late-Blooming Perennials ๐ผ
- Divide and transplant late summer and fall-blooming perennials, if necessary.
5. Support Floppy Plants ๐ป
- Set supports for floppy plants, like delphinium.
6. Set Up Sprinklers and Water Regularly ๐ง
- Set up sprinklers and start a regular watering program. Be sure your lawn and plants get about an inch of water a week.
7. Mulch Landscape Beds ๐ฒ
- Mulch landscape beds, adding a two to three-inch layer of pine bark mulch or nuggets to help reduce weeds and conserve moisture.
8. Deadhead Bulb Plants ๐ท
- Deadhead bulb plants as the flowers fade, but allow foliage to remain until yellow to nourish bulbs for next year’s display.
9. Look for Pests ๐
- Early detection is key to plant health. If something doesn’t look right or has insects, bring a sample in a baggie to our Garden Pharmacy desk for diagnosis. One of our garden pharmacists will write a “Plantscription” for its cure. It’s easier to treat a problem at the first sign of an issue.
10. Apply Deer and Rabbit Repellents ๐๐ฆ
- Begin application of deer and rabbit repellents if you find critters are nibbling on your plants.
11. Prune Evergreens and Shrubs ๐ณ
- Wait to prune evergreens, hedges, and other shrubs until the end of this month.
12. Fertilize Your Plants ๐ฟ
- Fertilize your plants with a slow-release, organic plant food such as Espoma.
13. Prune Winter Damage โ๏ธ
- Prune plants, removing winter dieback and visible signs of winter damage. Also, remove diseased, dead, weak, or crossing branches.
With these tips, your garden will thrive and look stunning all season long! Happy gardening! ๐ป๐ผ๐ชด
References: English Gardens Gardening Tips
