Garden Column for the Salisbury Post

Darrell Blackwelder

May 14, 2004 
 

 May is a the transition month for many garden activities.
Unpredictable weather is a challenge for gardeners.  Below are
May gardening activities that many home gardeners will face.
 ***Pansies are beginning to fail.  Even though the plants
still look fairly well, it is time to decide which annual
replaces them.  Now is the time to plant colorful annuals.  Take
up pansies and plant annuals as soon as possible because the
longer you wait, the slimmer the selection of annual and other
plants at garden centers and retail outlets throughout the
county.
 ***Those lucky gardeners that escaped the late frost and
have apple and peach fruit still clinging on their trees must
thin them now. Clusters of apples and peaches weaken the tree,
cause limb breakage, harder to spray and don't taste as well as
thinned fruit. The fruit should be the size of a quarter. Thin
damaged or small fruit away from tree limbs leaving a space of 4
inches between each fruit. Be consistent with fruit tree sprays.
Home orchard sprays contain both insecticides and fungicides for
complete pest control  Be prepared to spray very 10-14 days for
insect and disease free fruit.
 *** Warm season vegetables such as okra, southern peas,
peppers, melons, sweet potatoes can be planted now. Most of the
fertilizer applied to survivors of the initial plantings of
tomatoes and other transplants have leached out by now from the
rains we've had over the past few days.
 ***Lawns still look good, even though it's too late to
fertilize with high nitrogen fertilizer.  Brown patch may be a
problem in late May.  Cut lawns high, 3-4 inches and when the
blades are dry to prevent spread of the disease.
***Clover is a problem in lawns. It is a difficult weed to control.  Post-emergence weed control herbicides work poorly.  Turflon is a herbicide that gives some control poor soils tend to favor this weed. Keep lawns adequetly fertilized.                                       

 ***Insects such as wooly alder aphids can be a problem on
trees, especially silver maples.
 ***Cool season crops such as cabbage, broccoli, lettuce and
onions should come into harvest later this month.  Watch out for
loopers.  These green worms can hide anywhere.  Soak broccoli and
cauliflower in salty waster for 15 minutes to make them turn
loose.
 
Darrell Blackwelder is an agricultural agent in charge of
horticulture with the North Carolina Cooperative Extension
Service in Rowan County.