May Gardening Tips for the Southeast
Last updated: May 26, 2014
This is the last Monday of May and we are covering the last region in our regional gardening series.
Landscaping Tips:
- Water early in the mornings. This allows for the grass, plants and trees to soak up the water before the sun evaporates it.
- Make sure you are ready for the summer’s heat by running your irrigation system and replacing any broken or damaged sprinkler heads.
- The best way to rid yourself of weeds is by tackling them early before they grow too large or take deep root.
- Here are the recommended heights for your lawn depending on the type of grass. The recommendations are provided by The Farmers’ Almanac,
- St. Augustine and Bahia: 3 to 4 inches
- Centipede: 1.5 to 2 inches
- Dwarf St. Augustine: 2.5 inches
Fruit and Vegetable Tips:
- Continue planting warm-season vegetables like peppers, tomatoes, eggplant and corn.
- A great solution to keeping your crops from losing too much moisture is to add plenty of mulch. Mulch does a really good job at holding in moisture.
Annual/Perennial Tips:
- May is a great month to fertilize your flowers beds.
- Removing dead flowers is a great way to encourage new growth.
- If you are looking to plant summer bulbs, make sure to plant annuals that can handle the summer’s heat like angelonia and ornamental pepper.
General May Gardening Tips:
- Make sure to watch out for insects like aphids. For more information on aphids check out the article we published on Friday,
- Add some herbs to your flower beds. Herbs like dill fennel are a great way to ward of uninvited insects by inviting beneficial insects.
Your Turn
What gardening projects are you planning this weekend?
