Mixed May Month

May is a lovely month in the garden, although it’s a busy time for the gardener! It’s a good sowing month, plants will be growing strongly in the higher temperatures and light levels, and there will be some harvests on offer. You’ll also be able to watch the birds, bees, butterflies and other wildlife enjoying your organic plot!

Celebrate the beauty of May Birth Month Flowers with their vibrant and enchanting meanings. Discover the blossoms that represent this special month and the significance they hold.

It's easy not to think much about the intelligence of insects. Tiny creatures with even tinier brains—how smart can they be?

Veg Seed Sowing Plans for May To ensure a continuous harvest throughout the summer rather than a glut successional sowing of salads, radishes, beetroots, carrots, autumn giant leeks and spring onions and peas should continue. Sow basil, particularly alongside tomato seedlings to help draw white fly away plus spinach, rocket and ornamental salad leaves. Globe Artichokes and Swiss Chard for looks as well as food. Pole, French and above all Runner Beans Purple Sprouting Broccoli, Savoy Cabbage, Kale and Calabrese

Penstemon’s have been an excellent, low maintenance plant for me. They can start flowering in June and still be flowering 4 months later in October. They mostly require well drained soil and protection from heavy frosts. Dead heading is advisable as it will encourage new flowers.

I received a book for Easter entitled ‘Ornamental Shrubs for Temperate Gardens May Flowering’ by Edward Hyams. Since its publication in 1965 the botanic names of the odd variety may have changed (this is a continued source of annoyance to me as soon as I learn one Latin name it is changed into another). However the awe that spring blossom can produce may let me forget this minor issue.

As soon as the weather warms up there is great temptation to rush into jobs that have previously been deferred. Often there is a good reason for the delay and somethings should not be rushed.

Zack Snipes reports, “Everything is progressing nicely in the Lowcountry.  We got some much-needed rain last week.  Temperatures have been cool, so things are somewhat slow from a developmental standpoint.  All the crops look great, especially the tomato crop.  We have a really nice fruit set and very little disease.  I am expecting to see bacterial spot to show up sometime soon and have been getting a few calls about bacterial wilt taking down plants. I’ve also gotten a few calls about blossom end rot. That is typical on the first fruit set and will usually correct itself provided there is ample calcium in the soil AND the soil moisture is consistent.  In our sandy soils, the main cause of blossom end rot is allowing the soil to dry out during the fruiting stage. Folks might want to consider multiple 30 minute to 1-hour irrigation cycles on tomatoes per day.”

Rob Last reports, “Botrytis (gray mold) is evident in places following rainfall. Sanitation and removal of the infected berries are critical to reducing inoculum loading. Fungicide applications will also be required to prevent spore germination and further spread of the disease. Where spider mite treatments have been applied, they have effectively reduced the populations but will still require scouting and monitoring.  The yields achieved are very good. Cucurbit crops continue to develop well with a low incidence of chill injury from the cooler temperatures observed on April 21/22. Crops are running well, with some flowering being observed. Cucumber beetles are being monitored, and a few aphids are present in places. Cucumber beetles observed are currently below the threshold of 5 beetles per plant. Squash bugs are also being found on some sites. Careful monitoring will be required because numbers can increase rapidly. Crops are free from disease; however, protectant fungicides are still a critical input. Blueberries are swelling well and beginning to blush.  Blackberries are flowering with excellent fruit set and bud formation. Spider mites have been evident in these crops, too; however, miticide applications are proving very effective.

Rob Last reports, “Following some hail events last week, we find some shredded leaves in cucurbits and some small fruit crops. Strawberries continue to develop well, with isolated incidences of gray mold being seen. Sanitation is one of the critical methods for managing gray mold along with fungicide applications. Thrips are also beginning to be observed. Blueberries in the area are being harvested with good quality fruit. Keep a close eye on scouting for insects. Spider mites are still active in many crops. Cucumber beetles continue to increase as they are migrating from overwintering sites. Many populations are at or very close to the threshold of five adult beetles per plant.”

Zack Snipes reports, “It seems like everything is coming in from the fields right now. We got some rain but could really use some more. I am seeing lots of aphids on a variety of crops (melons, cukes, eggplant). I am also seeing ladybird beetles and parasitized aphids in these fields, which means our predators are out there working for us. Bacterial wilt and Southern blight are starting to appear on tomatoes as well. Knowing the difference and preparing for next season’s crop is critical. It is getting hot and is still windy, so growers might consider adding one or more irrigation cycles to their fields. Remember that in our sandy soils, any irrigation event over an hour is just wasting water. More frequent 30-45 minute cycles are more efficient.”

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