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Gardening Calendar
We had an extremely cool spring, and many of our gardens were slow to get
growing this year. Cool weather actually gave us an extended spring floral
display. Our tulips lasted longer than normal and it has actually turned into a
gorgeous spring. Weather delays had many planting later than normal, and there
is still plenty of time to plant, prune and even harvest.
Vegetable gardens are showing us the fruits of our labor - from broccoli,
spinach, lettuce and onions we have plenty of fresh produce to choose from. As
you harvest, replant with heat loving vegetables and herbs. Southern peas, okra,
melons, and eggplant are just now ready to get growing. Don't worry if you
didn't plant tomatoes, peppers and even corn - there is still time. Late season
planted corn will need to be monitored more closely for corn earworms, but all
corn can be attacked. Using a few drops of mineral oil directly on the silks
when it begins to form is one way of keeping the insects at bay. Mulch your
vegetables with shredded leaves, newspaper or similar product. Not only does
mulch maintain soil moisture and help to keep weeds away, but it also keeps soil
from splashing on the stems which can impact diseases.
Fresh herbs are a wonderful addition to your culinary efforts, but they also
make great ornamental plants. Whether you are interspersing them with flowers or
in the vegetable garden or in a stand-alone herb planting, herbs are easy to
grow. Perennial rosemary, sage and oregano do well year-round, while the annual
basil and dill thrive in our summers. Fennel, both green and bronze is showy and
adds great fill to cut flower displays.
There are still flowers on spring blooming shrubs, but pay attention now to
any pruning needs. Depending on where you live and how protected your plants
were, some azaleas, camellias and loropetalum may have had a little winter
damage. Let them finish flowering then prune to correct. If your plants need
pruning, do so as soon after flowering as possible. This allows the plants
plenty of time to recover and start growing before the weather gets too hot. Do
the once annual application of fertilizer now as well. Water as needed
throughout the summer. Gardenias and hydrangeas also took a hit in some gardens
this winter. By now all plants are actively growing. Since gardenias and
hydrangeas bloom in the summer, you don't want to prune unless absolutely
necessary. The only pruning I would do prior to bloom is to deadwood them -
removing any branches that have not shown any new signs of life.
Two insects which normally start to attack our shrubs this month are bagworms
on junipers and cedars, and lacebugs on azaleas. If your plants get attacked
with these pests every year, be proactive this season. Systemic insecticides
containing Imidacloprid work well for lacebugs, and the organic BT sold as Dipel
or Thuricide works well for small bagworms. The key to both insect problems is
catching them early. Once well established the damage is done and there is
little you can do to stop them for that season.
Houseplants and heat-loving tropical flowering plants can all go outdoors
safely this month. If you were tempted to start things outside in early April,
they probably haven't grown in leaps and bounds with the cooler than normal
weather. Most tropical flowering plants need bright light to bloom well. If you
are growing plants that you have kept for several years, repot them now and
fertilize regularly or you won't see as many flowers this growing season.
Tropical's such as mandevilla, hibiscus and the like, bloom on new growth and if
they are old and root-bound, you won't see much new growth, and you won't see as
many flowers. As temperatures heat up, watering needs increase. The more you
water the more fertilizer you need.
It is the beginning of berry season in Arkansas. We start with strawberries
in May and end with muscadine's in October. These small fruits are easy to grow
in a home garden, provided you have at least six hours of sunlight a day.
Strawberries work well as a groundcover or at the edge of your vegetable garden.
They are perennials, but do need thinning annually after harvest. If you let
them get too crowded you will end up with a mass of foliage leading to smaller
fruits and more fruit rots. Fertilize after thinning, water and mulch and they
can give you great fruit for weeks each May.
Color in a garden is important, and can be achieved easily with annuals and
perennials. Every year there are new plants to try and the options appear almost
endless. When choosing annuals mix in one to three colors and group plants in
blocks to make the "wow" factor. For full sun try the new Zahara zinnias,
angelonia or summer snapdragon, lantana's, or one of the myriad new sun coleus
plants. Shade loving coleus, impatiens and begonias brighten up even the darkest
shade. Choose perennials that bloom in a variety of seasons, or stay pretty all
season long like heuchera or hostas. If your winter annuals are still going
strong - and many are blooming better now than they did all winter, enjoy them
and plant your summer color a bit later. As temperatures heat up though, these
plants will start to play out. Annuals need regular fertilization to get the
most out of them. Start with a complete slow release fertilizer at planting,
then use a water soluble form every two to three weeks throughout the season. If
you are growing them in containers, increase the water soluble form since the
more you water, the more the nutrients gets leached out.
Lawns are fully green and growing now. Winter weeds are on their way out, so
don't worry about them. Summer weeds are beginning to show. Fertilize your lawn
now with a high nitrogen slow release fertilizer. Monitor for weeds, and mow
often, trying not to remove more than one third of the leaf blade at a time.
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