May

 

May 2020

Pickaway to Garden

May

By Paul Hang

 

It has finally arrived, the calendar says so. Typical May weather has yet to appear. May, the name, comes from the Roman Goddess of fertility Maius. The name appears in many forms, May Day, mayday, maypole, Mayflower, May apple, mayfly, May Wine, maypop, mayhem. As a month it conjures up warmth, Sun, love, flowers, freshness, bees and birds and the Birds and the Bees, the Merry Month of May.

 

A month for poets, songs and gardeners, May may be the busiest month in the garden. May also means possibilities. Spring may arrive. We may be able to plant our tomatoes soon. It can also ask for permission. May we work in the garden Dr. Fauci? It can also express a wish. May the pandemic end soon. There are actually several other meanings of the word but I mayn’t go on with this. It would maybe be too much.

 

As we isolate ourselves at home once the usual May weather arrives we may feel even more deprived. For those of us who may have the space, we can get outside and walk and see what plants are blooming. A walk in the woods or in your yard may reveal much in the awakening of wildflowers, trees and shrubs. My apple tree has been in bloom for a couple of weeks. The cold days and nights hav also extended the blooming of lilacs, honeysuckle, Lilies of the Valley. Everything is suspended, the botanical version of arrested development. Everything has slowed down.

 

Many gardeners may have more time now to get things done. There is no rush to get plants in the ground - too cold, prune shrubs - haven’t finished blooming, mow the lawn - not growing much, no mulching - ground’s too cold. They feel like they are moving in slow motion. With all the time it is easy for them to put things off. I know this by the observation of others, of course. If I may, I would like to make a wish. May the weather please not go immediately from this to the heat of summer.

 

Our Helpline can be reached by calling the OSU Extension Office at 740-474-7534.

 

Things to do in the garden:

 

You can direct-seed corn, beans, potatoes, melons, cucumbers and squash. Place cheesecloth or row cover cloth over vines until they bloom. With any luck you will have prevented the cucumber beetles from invading the plants.

 

You can set out tomato, pepper and eggplant plants if the soil is warm (60 degrees). There is still a chance of frost but each week the chances become less and less. Be prepared to cover those tender plants if frost threatens. Don't be tempted to over-fertilize tomatoes, extra nitrogen will delay ripening and produce more vine than fruit. Remember tomatoes can be planted deep with the top few branches of leaves above ground. Roots will form along the buried stem. If you stake your tomatoes put the stakes in before you plant.

 

If you plan to put houseplants outside for the summer, a period of transitioning to the new environment will help assure their health and vigor. You can divide and move perennials. As the soil warms (50 degrees) you can plant summer-flowering bulbs such as caladiums, cannas, dahlias, and gladioluses. You can begin spraying roses for black spot following the directions on the product.

 

Cut the seed pods off your lilacs, but do not prune the stems. If your lilacs are getting overgrown and leggy, cut a third of the stems this year at the ground. Do this to a third next year and the final third the year after that. This way you will rejuvenate the bushes.

Thin apples, peaches and other tree fruit (not cherries) to a fruit every six inches. Remember "June drop." It is a time when fruit trees rid themselves of excess fruit. This is a natural process.

 

Mulch your beds after the soil has warmed. When you set out those tender plants protect against cutworms that can chew off new transplants. Use collars of aluminum foil, plastic, cardboard or other material to encircle the stem. The collars should extend into the soil an inch and above an inch or two. There are pesticides that can help control these pests (Google "cutworms extension”). I have also placed a toothpick in the ground right next to the plant stem with success.

 

This is a busy time for pollinators. When you spot a bug identify it before reaching for the spray. Fully 97% of the bugs in our gardens are beneficial or of no threat. Singular bugs are almost always beneficial predators. Crowds are often pests. Know your enemy!

 

Now is a good time to get rid of invasive and harmful plants. Poison hemlock is very poisonous and a biennial. Second year plants have hairless stems bright green to bluish green with obvious purple blotches. Mowing and tilling are partial controls. Post-emergent herbicides are effective this time of year. Don’t get the sap on your skin.

 

Finally, it’s not how fast you mow but how high. Mow at least 3 inches high for a healthy lawn.