May

Plant tender vegetables.

After your last frost date, direct-sow summer vegetables like squash, melons, green beans, lima beans, swiss chard, sunflowers, corn, and similar plants. Direct-sow or transplant seedlings for cucumbers and tomatoes. Peppers, okra, sweet potatoes, eggplant and roselle are more tender, and should only be planted out once soil temperature is above sixty degrees and there is zero chance of another frost or freeze. For me, that’s usually late May.

Harvest spring vegetables.

Lettuce, spinach, cabbage, kale, broccoli, peas and other spring vegetables should be harvestable by late April and early May. Enjoy! If you’re in a cooler climate than mine, succession sow seeds for lettuce, radishes or spinach now. By the time the current lettuce has bolted, the new crop will be coming in line for harvest. Our summers get too hot, too quickly, and this doesn’t work for me. I instead plant swiss chard and other hot-weather greens now (among other things, we eat sweet potato leaves all summer).

Weed.

If you think you don’t need to weed, or that it’s OK to wait a week, you’re wrong. They’re just waiting for you to turn your back. Just waiting.

Water young plants as needed.

I have a policy to not water plants in the garden unless they’re visibly dying, with the exception of just-planted seedlings. Seedlings need water to get established. Don’t use a sprinkler; use a watering can or point a hose directly at the plant base. Give them a good soak, then leave them alone. Water an inch of water once a week, unless it’s exceptionally hot and dry and your plants are obviously suffering.

Harvest herbs.

Perennial herbs like oregano, thyme, chives and rosemary are likely to begin blooming by the end of the month. Cut fresh herbs before they bloom for best taste, and dry or freeze them. You’ll be able to gather another perennial herb harvest in autumn.

Plant new annuals, perennials and bedding plants.

It’s high season at plant nurseries right now. Now’s the time to plant out all those beautiful flowering plants. My favorites are pelargoniums, salvia, daisies, zinnias, herbs, rudbeckia, echinacea, and roses.

Thin out fruit trees.

Your fruit trees should have small fruits by now. Thin out any that seem overcrowded; thin to two fruits per spur, or one fruit every six inches or so (depending on the tree).

Plant summer bulbs.

Now is about the last chance to plant out dahlias, lilies, gladioli and other summer bulbs, if you haven’t already.

Empty the greenhouse or cold frame.

Now’s the time to pull over-wintered plants out of the greenhouse or cold frame. I bring out my succulents, pelargoniums, lemon tree, tender ferns, and anything else that has accumulated in there. Now is also a good time to scrub out old pots and seed starting trays to prevent the accumulation of fungal spores or other disease vectors.

Keep the compost pile going.

You probably have lots of weeds, plant materials, grass clippings and other materials accumulating now. Put it all on the compost pile and turn it several times a week. In warm weather, the compost should rot down rapidly.