Ok, go ahead and plant!  Flowers, vegetables, herbs!  Because it's May, you may do it all.  Your May to do list is very long, but the weather is so perfect,  the days are so long, chores are not a problem.

 

Fun Stuff

Put up hummingbird feeders.  if you have ever watched these birds, you know they are very aggressive and territorial, therefore feeders in the front and back yards are suggested.  Commercial nectar is good but you can make your own  (1 cup of sugar to 4 cups of water, add a few drops of red food coloring if desired).  Keep your feeders full and then watch the show these critters put on. 

 

Killing Time

Nothing gives you the willies like stepping on a slug barefooted.  Got some beer?  Put a saucer full on the ground near your hosta and check out all the little sots the next morning.  Nondrinkers can spread slug and snail bait in moist areas.  Another thing that has no redeeming virtues and needs killing are fire ants.  The major question is how.  All the experts have different opinions but a "bait" such as Amdro applied to each mound than a week later go back with a granule killer and preventer such as Amdro, Over-n-Out, Ortho fire strike, or Maxide.

 

Grass

1. Crabgrass has begun to sprout.  Use MSMA to control and note your calendar to put out crabgrass killer in Sept. & March. 2. Bermuda & Centipede Seed can now be planted.  Why plant sod when for 10% of the cost you can have a beautiful lawn?  Now is a perfect time to plant from seed.  Bring your measurements and we'll help you with what you need. 3. Fescue lawns should be fertilized for the last time until fall.  Raise your mower blade to its highest setting (helps to shade those roots from the July sun). 4. Feed established Centipede lawns with an 18-0-18 fertilizer.  Be careful killing weeds in Centipede lawns - use only products that contain Atrazine. 5. Its prime time for Bermuda.  Bermuda loves hot weather to fertilize every 6 weeks until late August, and mow at 1 1/2 inches high.

 

Water

Too much water is harder on plants and too little.  Excess water promotes disease and rots roots; therefore a good rule of thumb is 1" per week for lawns, trees, and shrubs.  Flower beds may need more but if well mulched, water needs are reduced dramatically.

 

Mulch

What is mulch?  Mulch is anything that covers the ground to hold in water and prevents weeds from germinating.  Mulch can be pine straw, bark chips, cypress mulch, gravel, marble chips, wheat straw, newspaper and whatever else you want.  The beauty of mulch is most can be turned into the soil next spring to add organic matter that improves the planting area.

 

Hunters

All hunters know that a successful hunt does not start on opening day of the season.  The hunters with the best “luck"  start now preparing food plots and setting up salt licks to make those animals feel welcome.  Pennington spring deer mix, and rackmaster seeds are ready to plant now to increase your luck come fall.

 

Portable Color

Old rusted wheel barrows, buckets, and giant pots make interesting spots for color in small niches beside your walk ways and drives.  Lantana, geraniums, scaevola, vinca, and begonias are all sun lovers that need very little water and attention.

 

Pruning

Remove low hanging and dead tree limbs.  If a branch hasn't leafed out by now, it probably won’t so go ahead and chop it off.  If you want to tree form crepe myrtles, prune sprouts from the base and any small branches on the trunk of the plant.

 

Roses

Keep a watch out for blackspot, aphids, and japanese beetles.  Dead head old blooms to keep them blooming.  Plant some Knockout and Homerun rose bushes.  The blooms are not as pretty as hybrid teas but they sure are a lot less trouble.