May Gardening Tips for a Thriving Garden

May is an exciting month for gardeners, with plenty of opportunities to prepare, plant, and nurture your outdoor space. Here are some essential tasks and tips to ensure your garden flourishes throughout the season.

Start by hardening off your seedlings, especially tomatoes, peppers, and eggplants. Gradually introduce them to the outdoors by placing them in a protected area for one hour on the first day, increasing exposure by an hour daily for a week. This process strengthens their stems, making them ready for transplanting.

Check your soil before planting. Use a soil thermometer to ensure it's warm enough—around 70°F for crops like cucumbers, melons, and squash. Boost soil nutrients with an All-Purpose Vegetable Fertilizer or a soil inoculant if needed.

Irrigation is crucial in May. Inspect your drip lines, timers, and batteries to ensure everything is functioning properly. This proactive step will prevent watering issues when your garden is in full swing.

Pest control is another priority. Look for signs of aphids, cabbage worms, or other pests. Use sticky traps, appropriate sprays, or beneficial insects for organic pest management. If gophers or moles are a problem, set traps and monitor their activity.

May is also the time to prune flowering shrubs like lilacs, fertilize acid-loving plants such as blueberries with an acid mix, and divide spring-blooming perennials that have finished flowering.

Finally, consider successional planting of early spring crops like radishes and greens to extend your harvest. Install bat houses to reduce mosquitoes and have remedies for stinging insects on hand.

Enjoy the beauty of your garden this May and grow organic for life!

In this video, Tricia shares 19 tips on how to prep and care for you garden in the month of May.