Landscaping tips offered for May

By Bill Geer

Published: May 1, 2008

Q:Please list what should be done in the landscape during May.

A:The following are items that need to be addressed in May:

•Prune and feed azaleas immediately after blooming.

•Be alert for the following insects: bagworms on juniper and arborvitae (late May); elm leaf beetles and larvae on elms (late May); mimosa webworms on mimosa and honey locust; lace bugs on sycamore, pyracantha and azalea.

•Soak new transplants and newly planted trees unless rainfall is abundant.

•Pine needle disease treatments are needed in mid-May.

•Cool-season lawns can be fertilized again. If you did not fertilize cool-season grasses in March and April, do so now.

•Warm-season lawns may be fertilized again in May.

•Seeding of warm-season grasses such as Bermuda grass, buffalo grass, zoysia grass and centipede grass is best performed in mid-May through the end of June. The soil temperatures are warm enough for germination and adequate growing season is present to promote winter hardiness.

•Dollar spot disease of lawns can become visible in mid-May. Make sure fertilizer applications have been adequate before applying a fungicide.

•Nutsedge plants become visible this month. Post-emergent treatments are best applied for the first time this month. Make sure warm-season grasses have completed green up.

•The second application of pre-emergent annual grass herbicides can be applied in late-May or early June, depending upon timing of first application. Check label for details.

•Vegetative establishment of warm-season grasses can continue.

•Annual bedding plants can be set out for summer color.

•Plant summer bulbs such as cannas, dahlias, elephant ear, caladiums and gladiolas.

•Shake a leaf over white paper to look for spider mites. If the tiny specks begin to crawl, mites are present.

•Clean out water garden and prepare for season. Divide and repot water garden plants.

•Begin feeding fish when water temperatures are higher than 50 degrees F.

•Plant watermelon, cantaloupe, cucumber, eggplant, okra, sweet potatoes, etc.

•Fruit spray programs should be faithfully continued during the next several weeks.

•Late May is the best time to control borers in the orchard. Check for label recommendations and controls.

Bill Geer is director of the Oklahoma County Extension Service. His column addresses frequently asked horticulture questions. For more information, call 713-1125.

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