The month of May is an exciting time in the gardening world. Spring flowers are in bloom, the sounds of birds fill open windows with their song, and the garden lays waiting for the gardener to get started. Knowing where to begin can be quite overwhelming for both newcomers to gardeners and experts alike. Here at The Ample Garden, we’re hoping to help you streamline the tasks to be completed for the month of May. These tips are meant to be helpful and in no way have to all be accomplished. Rather, they are suggestions to help get you on your way to enjoying a healthy and abundant garden this gardening season.
Helpful Items for Zone 7B May Garden Tasks
Planning for Zone 7b May Garden Tasks
- Turn on irrigation system and inspect all nozzles to ensure they are working properly. Replace any heads as needed.
- A soil thermometer can be used for ideal warm weather planting time. Tomatoes, eggplant, squash, peppers, and melons can all be planted outside once soil temperatures reach 60 degrees on a consistent basis. This is usually around Mother’s Day for zone 7b.
- Inspect fruit trees for any signs of disease or pests. Spray with copper fungicide, sulphur, or neem oil as long as no buds or pink of buds is showing on trees. If pink or in bloom, wait until all flowers fall off before spraying.
- Continue mulching to keep weeds at bay.
- Apply fertilizer to established plants and flowers.
- Monitor plants for pests and diseases.
- Prune and deadhead and spent plants/flowers.
- Harvest cold hardy vegetable plants continuously.
Maintenance and Cleanup for Zone 7b May Garden Tasks
- Mulch around flower and vegetable beds. Remove any weeds as new growth emerges.
- Annual seeds can be directly sown outside at this time. We plant zinnia, marigold, borage, and sunflowers to name a few.
- Lawn fertilizer such as Milorganite can be applied at the end of May. I lay mine down on Memorial Day weekend.
Planting and Propagation for Zone 7b May Garden Tasks
Artichoke
Broccoli
Cabbage
Cauliflower
Eggplant
Kale
Lettuce
Peanuts
Sweet Potato
Tomatillo
Tomato
Direct Sow Vegetables:
Beans
Beets
Cantaloupe
Carrots
Collard
Corn
Cowpeas
Cucumber
Gourds
Kohlrabi
Lettuce
Mustard
Okra
Parsnip
Peas
Pumpkin
Radicchio
Radish
Summer Squash
Spinach
Swiss Chard
Turnip
Watermelon
Pest Monitoring and Management for Zone 7b May Garden Tasks
The month of May is when we see a lot of growth in the garden but also when pests and diseases of plants awaken as well. It’s important to monitor plant growth and to take action when needed.
Prevention is the best course of action so incorporating companion planting early on is an important step to help mitigate any issues. Using beneficial insects such as ladybugs and lacewings are effective ways of treatment of pests such as aphids.
What to look for:
Aphids:
Plants affected: Roses, vegetables (e.g., tomatoes, peppers, lettuce), fruit trees (e.g., apple, pear), ornamental shrubs.
Organic Treatment:
Use a strong spray of water to dislodge aphids from plants. Introduce natural predators like ladybugs or lacewings. Neem oil or insecticidal soap can also be effective against aphids while being less harmful to beneficial insects.
Whiteflies:
Plants affected: Tomatoes, cucumbers, squash, ornamental plants (e.g., poinsettias, hibiscus, fuchsia).
Organic Treatment:
Hang yellow sticky traps to capture adult whiteflies. Introduce natural enemies like parasitic wasps. Apply insecticidal soap or neem oil to target immature whiteflies.
Caterpillars:
Plants affected: Cabbage family (e.g., cabbage, broccoli, kale), tomatoes, peppers, fruit trees, ornamental shrubs and trees.
Organic Treatment:
Handpick caterpillars and drop them into a bucket of soapy water. Use floating row covers to prevent adult moths from laying eggs. Bacillus thuringiensis (Bt) is a naturally occurring bacterium that targets caterpillars and is safe for use in organic gardening.
Japanese Beetles:
Plants affected: Roses, grapes, fruit trees (e.g., cherry, peach, plum), ornamental trees and shrubs (e.g., linden, birch, rose of Sharon).
Organic Treatment:
Handpick beetles and drop them into a bucket of soapy water. Surround susceptible plants with a barrier of diatomaceous earth. Plant trap crops like geraniums or millet to lure beetles away from valuable plants.
Slugs and Snails:
Plants affected: Lettuce, hostas, strawberries, cabbage family, seedlings, and young plants of various species.
Organic Treatment:
Set out shallow dishes of beer to attract and drown slugs and snails. Create barriers using crushed eggshells, copper tape, or diatomaceous earth around vulnerable plants. Introduce natural predators like predatory ground beetles or nematodes.
Powdery Mildew:
Plants affected: Cucumbers, squash, melons, roses, lilacs, phlox, and other ornamental flowers.
Organic Treatment:
Spray affected plants with a solution of 1 part milk to 9 parts water, applying every 7-10 days. Remove and dispose of heavily infected plant parts. Improve air circulation by pruning and spacing plants appropriately.
Downy Mildew:
Plants affected: Grapes, cucumbers, lettuce, spinach, ornamental flowers (e.g., impatiens, snapdragons).
Organic Treatment:
Apply a solution of 1 tablespoon of baking soda and 1 teaspoon of vegetable oil mixed with 1 gallon of water. Spray affected plants every 7-10 days. Ensure good air circulation and avoid overhead watering.
Leaf Spot:
Plants affected: Tomatoes, peppers, cucumbers, roses, hydrangeas, dogwoods, and various other ornamental plants.
Organic Treatment:
Remove and destroy infected leaves. Apply a solution of neem oil or potassium bicarbonate following label instructions. Ensure plants have good air circulation and avoid overhead watering.
Botrytis Blight (Gray Mold):
Plants affected: Strawberries, grapes, tomatoes, lettuce, petunias, geraniums, and other ornamental flowers.
Organic Treatment:
Remove and dispose of infected plant parts. Improve air circulation by spacing plants and pruning to increase airflow. Apply a solution of 1 part hydrogen peroxide to 4 parts water to affected areas.
Tomato Blight (Early and Late Blight):
Plants affected: Tomatoes (particularly susceptible), potatoes, peppers, eggplants.
Organic Treatment: Remove and destroy infected plant parts. Apply copper-based fungicides or potassium bicarbonate following label instructions. Mulch around plants to prevent soil splashing onto leaves.
Final Thoughts
May in zone 7b if one of my favorite times in the garden. The earth reawakens and gives many gifts to the working gardener. I’m hopeful the tasks laid out in this post will help you in your planning and caretaking and that it helps you organize the tasks that need to be completed for a thriving garden. Let us know in the comments below if you have any questions. Happy Gardening!
