May 2020 Kitchen and Garden Chores

Last updated on May 1st, 2022

May 2020 Kitchen and Garden Chores. Take a tip from the nesting robins – May isn’t the month to snooze! Garden work we accomplish now will determine our success for the remainder of the growing season. Not sure what to do for your perennials, annuals, and vegetables? Maybe I can help:

Perennials

Weed, Feed, and Mulch. Get out every weed from the flower beds, apply an organic, balanced plant food, and then spread a 2-to-3-inch layer of mulch. Remember that mulch is our greatest ally for conserving moisture, inhibiting weeds and improving soil quality.
Newspaper Mulching. If you’d like to eliminate your weeding chores for an entire season, do what I do, and apply cardboard or newspaper to garden beds. The thickness of newsprint depends on how tenacious your weeds are. So use your own judgement as to how many sheets to lay down. Top the paper with shredded leaves, weed-free chopped straw, or wood chips. More details in this fascinating post.

Pruning. If you have let shrubs get out of hand, do a big pruning job now on the already-finished early spring bloomers, including forsythia and quince. Pictured above is Quince ‘Crimson and Gold,’ now in bloom in my Serpentine Garden. (Click here to tour this garden.)

Layering. Wanna increase your stock of Weigela (above) and other flowering shrubs without spending a penny? Layer the stems. (Click here for details.)

Groundcovers. Water deeply as needed. Weed and fertilize pachysandra, ivy, and vinca minor; once weed-choked, groundcovers are difficult to get right again. Also, thin out or take cuttings now to extend coverage elsewhere.

Hostas. Divide and transplant these jewels of the shade. If you need gold-washed types to brighten a dark spot, consider ‘Paul’s Glory,’ ‘Wide Brim,’ and ‘Frances Williams.’ These three have done wonders for my dimly-lit Woodland Garden.

Iris. If the season is dry, give plantings a deep soaking to improve flower quality. If borers were a problem last year, cut off any punctured leaves well below noticeable points of attack. You might plant, as I have, Pyrethrum as a companion for iris. Not only does pyrethrum provide beautiful, daisy-like flowers for cutting — it repels the iris borer, too.

Roses. Cut out suckers (canes with seven instead of five leaflets) close to the main stem below the soil line. Train canes of climbing roses, like my beloved ‘Zephirine Droughin’, above, to grow horizontally; this will force a bevy of new, vertical flowering stems to emerge.

Boxwood. Shear these alluring shrubs to desired shape (this is a job I hire out). Be sure to save at least some of the trimmings; these, inserted in soil, will form new boxwood plants in about six week’s time. Click here for more boxwood propagation details.

Hardy Bulbs. Feed hyacinths, tulips, narcissus, and etc. while they are still in growth and making embryo flowers for next year. Cut off faded flowers for tidiness, but don’t remove foliage until it dies down naturally. And if your daffodils made a poor showing this spring, be sure to read this riveting post: First Aid for Non-Blooming Daffodils.

Winter-Sown Perennials. Plant these out before they get too big for their milk jug containers. Click here for my nifty transplanting instructions.

ANNUALS

Seeds To Sow. When soil has warmed up (and don’t be in too big a hurry if you live in the Northeast — frosts often occur here as late as May 17), sow the tender annuals — marigold, nasturtium, salvia, zinnia, and etc.

VEGETABLES

Rhubarb. Stems are ready for picking this month; why not dice them up for something scrumptious, like this no-run rhubarb pie? Or, if you’re in a rush, you might like to make my too-easy Rhubarb Streusel Puffs!

Tomatoes and Other Indoor-Started Seedlings. Begin the hardening-off process this month. On warm days, set seedlings in a shaded, sheltered position for one hour. Then gradually increase outdoor time and exposure to sun over a matter of weeks. Follow these tomato tips for an extra extravagant harvest. (I winter-sow my tomato seeds; no hardening off required!)

Salad Greens. Continue to sow lettuce and spinach at 2-week intervals.

Frost-hardy vegetables. Go ahead and sow these now. Frost-hardy veggies include broccoli, kale, cauliflower, carrots, beets, and onions. If you buy onion and beet seedlings from the garden center, be sure to separate them first, as described in this post.

Frost-tender vegetables. In zone 5-b, wait until Memorial Day weekend to direct-sow beans, cucumbers, summer- and winter-squash. These rarely benefit from an early start.

Plant Radishes! Need a good excuse to grow these easy, super-fast globes? Here we go: Roasted Radishes with Honey, Lemon, and Thyme. I like to use the roasted wedges for the Radish Crostini pictured above. Click here for recipes.

Or, you might like to make a Classic French Radish Sandwich! Click the “play arrow” to watch the easy-peasy video recipe.

Chives. If you have the common variety in your garden, my advice is to make this screamingly delicious pesto.

Containers

In the Northeast, it’s probably wise to wait until Memorial Day weekend to arrange window boxes and hanging baskets. Be sure to locate these near a hose; they demand water daily (twice daily in periods of high heat). Last year, I installed drip irrigation for all of my container plants. Now, instead of dragging out hose and sprinkler, I simply…turn a lever.

HOUSEPLANTS

Because window garden subjects are growing fast these spring days, they require plenty of food, water, and fresh air. Watch for signs of trouble after the long indoor winter. Get after any infestation promptly; many plants are somewhat tired now and not in shape to cope with pests. Begin to discard the plants that didn’t perform well for you. I wait until June to bring my “keepers” outdoors.
African violets. If plants are getting long-necked, remove them from their pots, slice off some of the lowest roots and return to the same pots, setting plants low enough in the soil to cover the bare necks. And be sure to read my African violet tutorial.

Ferns. These are busy making new fronds now. Water freely, but don’t let the pots in decorative jardinieres stand in water.  Here are my tips for propagating and growing the Boston Fern and Rabbits-foot Fern.

Enjoy the Birds! Birds are at their most active now; take time from your garden chores to observe their nervous, and sometimes humorous, nest-building antics.

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