May Tips 2006
by Thea Fiskin, UC Master Gardener

Shopping for plants is fun for both the novice and experienced gardener alike. Finding plants is never difficult, since they are readily available at professional plant nurseries, farmers' markets, wholesale warehouses as well as local drug and grocery stores. Most shelves are stocked full since the early spring weather has kept us cooped up indoors way too long this year. Hopefully May is our month to beautify the neighborhoods! With proper care annuals planted now should last till the first frost in November. Don't forget to plant those patio containers, window boxes and hanging baskets!

Annuals - Time to get rid of winter annuals such as pansies, primroses and snapdragons and plant summer annuals that thrive in heat. In your sunny spots try ageratum, amaranths, bedding dahlias, celosias, cleome, cosmos, dianthus, four o'clock, gomphrena, marigolds, nierembergia, petunias, portulacas, salvias, sunflowers, and zinnias. Shaded areas can be brightened up with begonias, coleus, impatiens and New Guinea impatiens.

Vines - Annual vines like cypress vine, moonflower, hyacinth vine and scarlet runner bean seeded now can grow up an arbor, mingle with your climbing rose, or cover up that ugly fence or shed in no time at all. Be careful if planting morning glories, since one vine produces a huge plant with thousands of seeds. A variety called "Heavenly blue" produces sterile seeds. Hyacinth bean is wonderful, it has a nice flower and the seed pods are beautiful.

Bulbs - Time to plant callas, cannas, dahlias, gladiolus, and tuberoses.

Perennials - Try coneflower, coreopsis, coral-bells, gaura, gerbera daisy, ornamental grasses, ornamental sweet potato, sedums, verbena and yarrow. It's warm enough to plant sub-tropicals like bougainvillea, citrus, hibiscus, and palms. Most fuchsias will perish in our dry summer heat.

Lawns - May is a prime time to renovate warm season lawns like bermuda and St. Augustine. Dethatch them with a vertical mower, add fertilizer and water, and they will spring back like new. Mow bermuda lawns ½-1" and fescue lawns 2-3" tall. Mowing fescue lawns too low will encourage weeds and require more water. Mowing warm season lawns too high will encourage thatch to develop.

Vegetables and Herbs - Plant basil, beans, cilantro, corn, cucumber, eggplant, melons, okra, parsley, peppers, pumpkins, summer squash, and tomatoes. Stagger your plantings so you have fresh veggies all summer long. When buying tomato seedlings, look for the letters V, F and N or T next to the cultivar's name. These letters indicate disease resistance to Verticillium wilt, Fusarium wilt, Nematodes and Tobacco mosaic virus. The more letters the more disease resistant your plant should be. With our long growing season, there's still time to plant seeds. Seeds are very affordable and there is more choice in varieties.

FERTILIZE: Feed lawns, roses, shrubs, and trees. Give acid fertilizer to your azaleas, gardenias, and rhododendrons as soon as they are finished blooming.

PEST CONTROL: Blast aphids, mites and spittlebugs with a jet of water from a hose aiming at the undersides of leaves. Repeat regularly as doing it once is not enough. If infestations are extremely heavy try using an insecticidal soap. Watch for caterpillars or "worms" on plants, especially petunias and geraniums. If necessary spray with Bacillus thuringiensis, a natural pesticide commonly called BT.

Continue to bait or handpick slugs and snails. Pull weeds when they are young and before they develop seeds. Be sure to get all the roots on perennial weeds otherwise they grow right back.

PINCH-PRUNE-MAINTAIN: Pinch out growing tips of bedding plants to promote branching and compact growth. To avoid that bedraggled look, give your spring blooming perennials a trim. Mexican sage benefits if you cut it back and give it some fertilizer and a good watering, it will get new leaves in no time and flower again in the fall. Put stakes or supports for tall perennials like asters, this will prevent them from falling over later in the summer.

WATER: As the days get warmer increase your water time, but always try to conserve water. Infrequent deep watering during early morning hours is best. Test sprinklers to be sure they are aimed right and in working order with no leaks or clogged emitters. Yes I know they were working fine last month but you never know until you check! Be sure that plant growth hasn't blocked their path or the dog hasn't used the sprinkler head as a chew-toy.

Summer will be here before you know it, so don't miss your chance to get your garden beautiful.

 

.May 4, 2006