Gardening tasks to Do in May

MAY is the joyous month of the 12 months, when young and old are working of their gardens. Perennials at the moment are com­ing into bloom, however the varied bulbous flowers are placing forth each effort to distract our consideration from their truthful sisters. The unwise annuals are develop­ing, getting ready for his or her profusion of bloom, overlooking the truth that different crops are conserving some power for one more 12 months; The wildflowers of the woods are hastening to bloom for worry they won’t full their duties earlier than the leaves of the timber shade them.

The North

Parrot Tulips, with their good red-and-yellow blooms and their pecu­liar petals, by no means fail to draw atten­tion.

Dwarf Iris are in full bloom. Remem­ber you could get them in virtually all the colours worn by their taller cousins, the German Iris. The Dwarf Iris are a much-neglected however deserving group of crops.

Dahlias, both from cuttings or tubers, could also be planted as quickly as all hazard of frost is previous. All dahlias pre­fer a reasonably unfastened, well-cultivated soil. You should definitely prepare them to a sin­gle stem.

Peatmoss is available in alkaline in addition to acid varieties, altho the acid is the commonest. It could be nicely to ascer­tain which you’re get­ting, particularly if you’re utilizing it for rhodo­dendrons and different acid-soil crops.

Staking is necessary for a lot of tall-growing flowers, similar to delphinium and Helenium, and for greens, similar to tomatoes. Order these stakes early and place them earlier than the crops begin to break within the wind. Don’t tie the stems too tightly to the stakes or they are going to be injured once they enlarge through development.

It’s significantly better to make the preliminary tie upon the stake after which tie the plant to it. This prevents slipping of the plant, and in addition permits one to extra gracefully prepare the shoots.

Bedding Vegetation. It’s now secure to set out crops bought from florists, similar to verbenas, geraniums, and co-leus, and all different bedding crops.

Evergreens which can be balled and bur-lapped might be planted earlier than they begin into lively development.

Thinning. Candy Peas typically sprout up too thickly, and higher outcomes will observe thinning them in order that they’re 6 or 8 inches aside within the row. This additionally applies to many of the annuals which we sowed earlier, most of which can produce splendid symmetrical crops if they’re given ample area; for instance, Candy Alyssum, zinnias, marigolds, poppies, and phlox must be no less than 1 foot aside, altho for many of them 2 toes would trigger nonetheless higher specimen crops. Cosmos must be planted 3 toes aside. A great symmetri­cal plant is extra lovely than an overcrowded, leggy specimen.

Lawns. In beginning to mow the garden, ensure that it’s not minimize too brief, as it’s nicely to permit the grass to make suf­ficient development to fabricate its meals.

Roses. Start spraying roses with a bordeaux-mixture or mud with Massey mud.

Biennials are crops that reside two years. The seed is sown one 12 months and the crops bloom the following, after which they die. Now’s the time to sow the seeds of such widespread biennials as Canterbury-bells, foxgloves, and hollyhocks. They won’t bloom this 12 months however will make huge, sturdy crops.

Home crops shall be significantly better off for the summer time if the pots are buried within the floor so the floor of the soil is even with the highest of the pot. They need to be positioned on the north aspect of the home beneath a tree.

Broadleaf evergreens, such because the rhododendron, mountain-laurel, and Andromeda, must be liberally mulched with peatmoss or leafmold.

The bagworm is turning into extra severe annually due to lack of any nice effort to manage it. Thoro spraying with arsenate of lead as quickly because the insect begins feeding will quickly impact management. It helps an amazing deal to hand-pick these bagworms except the timber are too tall.

Tender waterlilies could also be positioned within the swimming pools.

Fish must be put in each lily pool as quickly as attainable to catch the early crop of mosquitoes.

Purple spider, which is injurious to many crops, particularly to arborvitae, could also be managed.

Most annual flowers should be sown this month. Even the tenderest annuals might be sown after Could 15.

The West Coast

Plant chrysanthemums now to switch beds of annuals that are through their greatest bloom.

Seeds. Proceed to sow vegetable seeds and annuals in open floor.

Backyard and the Garden. The lengthy dry spell is about due, so sustain water­ing the backyard and garden. Additionally sustain cultivating.

Tithonias, typically referred to as Mexi­can-sunflower, develop 5 to six toes tall, and the crops bear brilliant orange-red, daisylike flowers. The seeds are sown this month. They may flower properly in the summertime.

Tropical Vegetation. Evergreen shrubs could also be planted this month, additionally varied tropical crops, similar to paperplant (Pa­pyrus), bamboo, elephants-ear, and bird-of-paradise-flower.

Propagate from cuttings the succu­lents, similar to cactus, Aloe, Crassula, Echeveria, Sedum, and Mesembryan-themum.

Bulbs. Take up such bulbs as have ripened their foliage, particularly after the clumps have gotten crowded. They could be saved in strange paper sacks or in dry buckwheat hulls or peatmoss. Freesias must be saved dry all summer time in any other case they need to be dug.

Bugs. Aphids, thrips, and purple spiders are ample this month. See web page 65 for his or her management.

The South

Within the Gulf states Could is for a lot of gardeners largely a upkeep month, when, aside from cultivation and different care, one can calm down a bit.

Transfer palms, particularly giant ones, late this month or early subsequent, concerning the time the rains set in. Fertilize with natural plant meals.

Make cuttings of chrysanthemums and root in sand.

Vegetation of tropical waterlilies can be found.

Shrubs. As quickly because the shrubs have completed bloom, they might be given a thoro pruning to induce a development of fine sturdy branches for subsequent 12 months’s bloom.

Annuals. To exchange a number of the early annuals which have handed, plant Torenias, Vincas, petunias, and varied semi-tropical foliage crops.

Oleander is well grown from minimize­tings, rooted in sand, and even in water. These cuttings must be produced from the mature wooden. The Oleander ought to by no means be partially in the reduction of, however ought to have the outdated canes minimize out clear to the bottom.