May 2001

Edible Garden

After mid-May plant tomatoes, peppers, eggplant, cucumbers and squash.

Use a polyester row cover instead of insecticides to control cucumber beetles. Keep cucumber and other vining plants covered until flowering. Remove the cover so pollinating insects can get to the flowers.

Mark the handle of your hoe in inches for a handy measuring device.
Water transplanted tomatoes using a two liter plastic bottle with the bottom cut off. Drill a hole in the cap. Stick the cap end 6-8" into the soil and fill bottle with water. Place bottle about 6-8 inches from transplant.

Ornamental Garden

Plant the tubers of caladium, cannas, dahlias around mid-May.

Plant gladiolus corms every 7 to 10 days to have a continuous supply of blooms.

Plant your Easter lily in a sunny spot. Keep the leaves growing as long as possible. It will bloom next June.

Disbud peonies for larger blooms. Keep the tip bud and pinch out the side buds as soon as they appear.

Prune spring flowering shrubs after they bloom.

Check roses for blackspot. Start a fungicide spray program as soon as the new leaves appear in the spring. Factsheet available.

Use a garden hose to outline a new garden bed.

Remove spent flowers from spring bulbs. Allow bulb foliage to dieback naturally. Leaves make food resources which are stored in the bulbs for a repeat showing next year.

Choose flowers that do not need deadheading: begonias, impatiens, alyssum, lobelia, vinca and salvia.

Try a new type of petunia called 'Tidal Wave' hedgiflora. It grows up and out into a hedge. Plant one foot apart. 'Tidal Wave' will form a two foot high mound three feet wide. Factsheet available.

Make a tomato cage birdbath. Buy a tomato cage, a large plastic flower pot saucer, morning glory seeds and string. Criss-cross string through the cage. Place saucer on top of cage. Plant morning glory seeds around cage. Fill saucer with water.