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Final Touches for Your Garden
By: Howard Galin / Happy Gardening
In May, we should spend a great deal of time
putting the final touches on our
garden and landscaping before
the long hot summer months arrive. Anything you
wish to plant, or to upgrade should now be done while
the daytime temperature is pleasant and the sunshine
is not intense.
In particular, if you have been waiting to plant palm
trees or to apply fertilizer to existing ones, now is the
time to begin! The ambient soil temperature will be
above the required 70F needed for root growth and
nutrient absorption.
The six-day watering schedule is now in effect. Reset
your irrigation clock to include both a pre-dawn
and post sunset run time of 30 minutes.
This will ensure proper water absorption without the
risk of residue water magnifying the sun’s rays and burning leaves.
Make certain that all water emitters are functioning and directed
towards the soil where the plant roots are, re-positioning if necessary.
With the exception of palm trees, stop applying fertilizer by the end
of the month since you do not want to add additional nutrients that
may stimulate new growth that can be damaged by summer’s weather
extremes. You can, however, continue to add compost to enrich and
cool the soil and/or chelated iron if you find that plant leaves are
losing their green color due to iron deficiency (Chlorosis).
You should apply systemic insecticide around the
soil of non-edible plants to protect them during the hot
months when your garden is prone to insect attacks.
If, however, you are growing fruits or vegetables, use
spray insecticide instead several weeks prior to harvest.
If you are planning to add organic mulch to your
soil, first apply a covering of diatomaceous underneath.
This will limit infestation of exoskeleton insects such
as Palmetto Bugs (large cockroaches) in your garden.
Remember to prune off dead flowers. This will
stimulate new blooms. The same holds true for any
date palms. Remove the yellow fruits before they ripen
and fall off the trees attracting rabbits and rats and
littering your ground.
Have any questions? Contact me at:
Theplantwhisperer28@gmail.com
Howard Galin, a/k/a: “The Plant Whisperer” is a retired NYC
school administrator, transplanted in Las Vegas who devotes his
time to communicating with and lecturing about our native
plants.
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