Plant fond - season veggies . For persevering vegetable gardeners , sometime in May is often a proficient metre for the second circle of planting for some fond - time of year crop ( corn , cucumbers , and tomato plant ) . Planting them now is a harvest - extending technique to ensure that production continues later in the time of year . Squash vine borer(Melitta curcurbitae)is a problem for almost everyone who grows courgette or squash in the South . This pestilence is hard to control using constituent method . Just as yield begin to form , I plant a fresh crop to replace what is already there . Do this and you will have spate of zucchini to leave on your neighbor ’ doorstep this year .
Prune woody perennials . Early May is an ideal prison term to edit out back any woody perennial that need it . But be careful not to shorten too far back into their woody staunch . They are dense to recover from such aggressive pruning — or they may not reclaim at all . Some woody perennial that can be pruned now include :
Here’ssome more advice on how to prune woody perennials .
Hard - prune sun - loving hydrangea . Panicle hydrangea ( Hydrangea paniculataand CV . , zone 3–8 ) and its many cultivar can be hard - pruned anytime in May . Pruning them now will do a couple of things . First , it will contract the size of the flora , which is often desired . Second , it will make the plant to bloom later in the season . When it flowers , there will not be as many heyday on other woody plants in the garden . Our Southern climate will allow you to again cut these hydrangeas by one-half in mid - June if desired , which will press the bloom even further into early fall . This construct of delay satisfaction may sound a little strange , but it will grant cocksure results . Read morehereon pruning panicle hydrangea .
Add tropic appeal with caladium . Caladiums ( Caladiumspp . and cvs . , Zones 9–12 ) demand lovesome dirt . Caladium genus Tuber will moulder if the soil is not warm enough — night temperatures should on a regular basis be above 60 ° F before plant . In the South we take to look for sun - have sex or sun - tolerant caladium . In the past , caladium have been see more as shade plants . However , there are many cultivars that can handle some sun . When planting in full sunshine you will often see some sear at first , but shortly plants will thunder back to life .
May is the proficient month for the marginally hardy . If you want to dabble in zonal disaffirmation , this is the best month to implant anything that might be marginally dauntless . This will give a long time of year of establishment to anything that is in jeopardy of not establish it through winter . For me in Tennessee , this could mean crape myrtle ( Lagerstroemiaspp . ,Zones 7–9 ) and fringe efflorescence ( Loropetalum chinense , Zones 7–9 ) . For others farther south , it might mean whale ’s natural language agave ( Agave ovatifolia , Zones 7b–9 ) or Washington palm ( Washingtoniaspp . and cvs . , Zones 8–10 ) . Whatever you choose , make certain to keep up with watering in the high temperature of summer to reduce focus when temperatures exchange .
By now , the light has formally turned green and the gardening season is underway . The piece of work you do this calendar month in the garden will yield valuable results in in high spirits summer .
— Andy Pulte is a faculty member in the plant life sciences department at the University of Tennessee .
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Plant more zucchini than you think you’ll need this month to combat potential crop lost to squash vine borer.Photo: Andy Pulte
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Lavender cotton (Santolina chamaecyparissus, Zones 6–9) should be pruned now, but be sure not to cut back too far.Photo: Michelle Gervais
The cheerful blooms of ‘Limelight’ panicle hydrangeas can be strategically pushed back later in the season with careful pruning.Photo: Andy Pulte
‘Flatter Me’ caladium can handle sun or shade but needs the warm soil temperatures of this month to really start growing.Photo: Andy Pulte
Whale’s tongue agave might not make it through our winters, but planting it early in the season gives it the best chance. Pictured: ‘Frosty Blue’ whale’s tongue agave.Photo: Andy Pulte
