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Monthly Garden Tips

May

Azaleas

When azaleas finish blooming, it's time to start fertilizing.
Prune if needed to control size or shape.
Mulch to control moisture and weeds.

Bananas

If you over-wintered bananas in your garage or basement, it's time to plant them. Work in plenty of compost or other organic matter.
They look best in groups, in a sunny corner or against a building.

Bulbs

You can continue to plant summer bulbs, outdoors, including glads, cannas, dahlias, and tuberous begonias.
Work in organic matter, and bone meal or superphosphate.
Stake glads now, before they get too tall.
In the Middle and Lower South, it's time to move established spring-flowering bulbs. In the Upper South, wait another month or so.

Butterflies

To attract butterflies, use plants that provide lots of nectar, such as butterfly bush, lantana, coneflower, and summer phlox.
Plants for the caterpillars to feed on include parsley, dill, and milkweed. (After all, caterpillars grow up to be butterflies!)

Figs

Figs don't usually need much fertilizer, but if they haven't been growing and producing well, apply ½ cup 8-8-8 per foot of height, each year, divided into 3 feedings (late winter, late May, and late July).

Flowers

If you have a potted Amaryllis, move the bulbs outside to a partial shade for the summer.
Pinch off spent flowers to keep the plants looking neat, and encourage more flowers.

• Annuals-Sow seeds of balsam, coleus, gourds, portulaca (moss rose), morning glory, cosmos, marigold, Mexican sunflowers, spider flower (cleome), and zinnias.
  Bedding plants should be plentiful now. Some choices for the sun are zinnias, Madagascar periwinkle, celosia, scarlet sage, ageratum, ornamental peppers, and petunias.
  Some plants to brighten up the shade are coleus, impatiens, nicotiana, lobelia, browallia, geraniums, wax begonias, ageratum, English daisies, and Madagascar periwinkle.


• Perennials-Root cuttings of chrysanthemums, mint, and other herbaceous perennials. Take 3 to 4 in stem cuttings of new growth. Be sure each has at least 2 sets of leaves. Dip in rooting hormone.
  Add Daylilies this month. While they are blooming, you can see the color you're getting. They like 6 hours of sun a day, but aren't too fussy about soil, as long as they have good drainage. Once established, they are easy to care for.
  
  Hostas-Plant In beds at least 2 feet deep and wide. Dig a deep hole and work in cow manure or compost. They prefer partial to full shade.
  
  Cannas-Cannas should be divided every 3 or 4 years. Carefully lift roots from soil and cut into sections with at least 1 leaf on each small section. Plant 5 to 6 inches deep, 15 inches apart in prepared soil which has compost or organic matter worked in. Water well.

Herbs

Start an herb garden! Use them as edgings in flowerbeds, borders, along walkways, or in containers on the deck, porch, or balcony.
Some of the easiest to grow from seeds are basil, borage, chives, dill, oregano, parsley, sage, and summer savory.
Annual herbs, such as dill, basil and summer savory can be planted in your vegetable garden.
Perennial herbs, such as sage, thyme, rosemary, winter savory, sorrel tarragon and burnet should be planted in a permanent location.

Houseplants

House plants will benefit from being moved outside.
Start fertilizing monthly, and watering often.

Lawn

If you haven't already done it, it's time to start fertilizing your lawn.

Pecans

Spray now, for control of pecan nut casebearer, especially if you see signs of boring on small nutlets, Southern Living Magazine recommends Malathion or carbaryl (Sevin) . Add zineb to your spray mixture for scab control and zinc sulfate for control or rosette.

Roses

Begin feeding roses every 6-8 weeks, as soon as growth begins, with ¼ cup 5-10-10 per plant, or organic fertilizer such as compost or fish emulsion.
Spray weekly with a fungicide.
Prune climbing roses when they have finished blooming, to encourage new growth for next year's blooms. Cut older, unproductive canes all the way to the crown to keep plants from getting unwieldy. Shorten strong, vigorous canes to stimulate the production of lateral shoots.

Shrubs and Trees

Continue to set out container grown trees and shrubs, except in the hottest regions of Texas and Florida.
Water newly planted trees and shrubs every 3 to 5 days, to encourage growth of deep roots.
Check new growth on young trees frequently for insect damage and spray as needed.

Gardenias-Remove cold-damaged branches back to the point of origin, to keep the plants at their best.
Fertilize with azalea camellia fertilizer or similar acid-soil fertilizer and apply according to label directions.
Finish planting container-grown azaleas and gardenias before hot weather stresses them more. Water every few days during the first month in the ground, then start fertilizing regularly.
Crepe Myrtle-Feed with a complete fertilizer, such as 8-8-8, about a cup for each established plant; more for a larger plant.

Fruit and Nut trees-spray as needed.

Strawberries

After strawberries have finished producing, fertilize with a complete fertilizer, such a 5-10-1-, at ½ cup per square yard. Keep well watered and mulch with pine straw to keep down weeds.

Vegetables

In all but the very hottest regions of the South, you can still plant warm season annuals, such as tomatoes, peppers, corn, green beans, melons, squash, cucumbers, okra, sweet potatoes, Southern peas, peanuts, and other heat-lovers.
You can still plant anything recommended for April planting.
If you planted last month, make successive plantings this month to spread out the harvest.
Feed peppers, tomatoes, squash, and tomatillos.
Powdery mildew-Watch for white powdery substance on vine crops, such as squash, melons, and cucumbers during wet weather. Southern Living Magazine recommends spraying with captan or Benlate.
Mulch now to control weeds, 3 to four inches.