Time to plant
Top priorities in the garden this month
By Jonathan van Wiltenburg
In May, we can be fairly certain the frost is behind us. The general rule is that it is safe to plant out frost tender plants on the May long weekend. You can plant out earlier, but look out for those clear, crisp nights. Cover the tender plants if need be.
When the danger of frost has passed, plant out all the hot crops: Beans, tomatoes, peppers, eggplant, edemame beans, ground cherries, squash, melons, and peanuts. Your summer annuals, hanging baskets, and planters can also go out. Geraniums, angelonia, marigolds, petunia, calceolaria, and alyssum can all be put out.
Remember to keep sowing small amounts of all the other vegetables you want throughout the season. Every two weeks or so is best. Also dont forget to thin seedlings once they get crowded.
Keep harvesting the rhubarb and asparagus.
Insects ramp up their efforts in May. Watch out for pests on the fruit trees, ornamentals, and vegetables.
Now is a good time to fertilize anything that can use a boost. Use a well-balanced organic fertilizer or add compost if possible.
Deadhead your rhododendrons after flowering. If you need to prune your rhodos, post flowering is the time.
If you have not already done so, over seed your lawn to keep up vigor. Use perennial rye grass seed for best results.
And dont forget to weed! Try to hoe the ground before you see anything, otherwise invest in a good pair of kneepads, and trowel.
Now that the garden season is definitely upon us and the workload has increased, I thought it would be wise to discuss gardening fitness. I understand this may sound a bit lacklustre but it is important to identify the things you can do to make gardening easy on the body.
Always start with a lengthy warm up by stretching the muscles and tendons. Stretch your legs, back, arms, fingers, and neck, or anything else, for that matter. It should take you at least five minutes to complete a proper warm up.
Listen to your body while working in the garden. If a task or job begins to put strain or pain on your body acknowledge that you may have a potential injury starting and stop immediately.
Minimize your risk to injury by pacing yourself (especially at the start of the season). Dont do one type of job for hours on end. Break it up with other jobs and take breaks. When working, try to let your bodyweight do the bulk of the work. Avoid awkward postures, and do not overuse your muscles or tendons.
Lastly, spread out the very physical jobs between co-workers (spouses or children). It is better to work as team if it is possible. Never feel guilty about asking the neigbours kid to help you lift something or do that hard bit of labour. It will get him away from a screen for a few minutes, and put a couple dollars in his pocket.
It is important to recognize gardening as physical work. Remember to work smart, and enjoy yourself.
If you have any garden related questions email me at edenhort@gmail.com or call 604.483.6053.
Jonathan van Wiltenburg has a degree in horticulture and runs Eden Horticulture Services.
