Rohde’s May Organic Gardening Calendar
We are in USDA Cold Hardiness Zone 8a with an annual minimum temperature of 15 to 10 degrees Fahrenheit and in Texas AgriLife Extension District 4 (East Region) - North (Dallas).
May 5th, Cinco de Mayo
Cinco de Mayo officially commemorates the anniversary of an early victory by Mexican forces over French forces in the Battle of Pubela on May 5, 1862. It is not the anniversary of the defeat and expulsion of the French forces by the Mexicans, which occurred in 1867. It is also not, as is often assumed, the day of Mexico's celebrations of independence, which are actually held on September 16. It is believed that the origins of Cinco de Mayo celebrations lie in the responses of Mexicans living in California in the 1860s to French rule in Mexico at that time.
May 9th, Mother's Day
We all know what this holiday is for! Mom wants to be appreciated; Wined, Dined, and Gifted. We can’t feed her or get her stewed, but we do have wonderful gifts and plants, gardening Moms would love to receive. Lawn art, bird houses, feeders, bathes, wind chimes, dustables to collect, and many flowers in bloom. Come by and visit our store.
May 15th, Armed Forces Day
This was a day for the military to show "state-of-the-art" equipment to Americans. It was also a day to honor and acknowledge Americans in the armed forces. Parades, open houses, receptions and air shows were held at the inaugural Armed Forces Day. Armed Forces Day is still celebrated nationwide today and is part of Armed Forces Week.
May 31st, Memorial Day:
Last Monday of May. It was formally known as Decoration Day and commemorates all men and women, who have died in military service for the United States. Many people visit cemeteries and memorials on Memorial Day and it is traditionally seen as the start of the summer season. It is traditional to fly the flag of the United States at half mast from dawn until noon. Many people hold picnics, sports events and family gatherings on this weekend. This day is traditionally seen as the start of the summer season for cultural events. For the fashion conscious, it is seen as acceptable to wear white clothing, particularly shoes from Memorial Day until Labor Day.
These holiday tidbits came from this very interesting web site.
First Day of Summer or Summer solstice begins on June 21, 2010 at 6:28 am CDT (Central Daylight Savings Time).
The latest (April 8, 2010) NOAA ENSO (El Niño Southern Oscillation) advisory and predictions says El Niño has weakened to moderate strength during March 2010. Their climate computer models predict, during April-May-June 2010, above-average precipitation for the southeastern states, and returning to a normal weather pattern for the Northern Hemisphere summer with what I guess is the end of this El Niño. The web site for the rather humorously titled, “Summary of the Outlook for Non-Technical Users”, concludes that for the May-June-July period, that for the northern and central Great Plains, there may be below normal temperatures and above normal precipitation. Dallas seems to be in-between the areas mentioned and may or may not be outside the Southeastern states’ and Great Plains’ influence for this precipitation and temperature trends. Read for yourself at the National Weather Service Climate Prediction Center here and here.
What happens now in May? All landscaping should be done for this year. Most plants should be planted. The lawn should be coming in strong. Initial round of fertilizing should be done. We should have good rainfall, warmth, and lengthening days to start off a great new growing season. All you have to do is sit around and wait for the harvest while enjoying the landscape, along with the bugs!
See what to use to keep the bugs off your harvest in the “General Pests and Diseases” section below.
Vegetables
Most vegetables should be planted by now for maximum yield, before the server heat of summer in July and August. Many vegetables will not pollinate and set fruit successfully in hot weather. Vegetables that normally are still recommended for planting in the first part of May are as follows:
Transplants
CUCUMBER, PICKLING (Cucumis sativus)
CUCUMBER, SLICING (Cucumis sativus)
EGGPLANT (Solanum melongena var. esculentum)
PEPPER, HOT (Capsicum annuum var. longum)
PEPPER, BELL (Capsicum annuum var. grossum)
Seeds
BEANS, PINTO (Phaseolus vulgaris)
BEANS, SNAP BUSH (Phaseolus vulgaris var. humilis)
BEANS, YELLOW BUSH (Phaseolus vulgaris var. humilis)
CANTALOUPE Muskmelon (Cucumis melo var. cantalupensis)
CORN, SWEET (Zea mays var. saccharata)
CUCUMBER, PICKLING (Cucumis sativus)
CUCUMBER, SLICING (Cucumis sativus)
EGGPLANT (Solanum melongena var. esculentum)
OKRA (Abelmoschus esculentus)
PEAS, SOUTHERN (Vigna unguiculata var. unguiculata)
POTATO, SWEET (Ipomoea batatas)
RADISH (Raphanus sativus)
SQUASH, SUMMER (Cucurbita pepo var. melopepo)
SQUASH, WINTER (Cucurbita moschata)
SQUASH, ZUCCHINI (Cucurbita pepo)
WATERMELON (Citrullus lanatus)
You can still plant most everything recommended for planting during April, but the later you wait, the less yield you will have as the plants hit the hot part of summer. With the cooler, wetter summer expected due to the dying El Niño weather system, you may still get a good harvest in, if you plant early this month.
Transplants
TOMATOES, LARGE-FRUITED (Lycopersicon esculentum)
TOMATOES, PASTE (Lycopersicon esculentum)
TOMATOES, SMALL-FRUITED (Lycopersicon esculentum var. cerasiforme)
TOMATILLO (Physalis ixocarpa)
Seeds
BEANS, LIMA BUSH (Phaseolus limensis var. limenanus)
BEANS, LIMA POLE (Phaseolus limensis)
BEANS, SNAP POLE (Phaseolus vulgaris)
PUMPKIN (Cucurbita pepo var. pepo) You still need to do a fall planting in July for Halloween pumpkins.
FYI, the most common pumpkins are varieties of Cucurbita pepo. The large-fruited pumpkins, weighing up to 400 pounds, belong to the species Cucurbita maxima. Don't use “jack-o-lantern” pumpkins for cooking. They’re stringy and not too good to eat. Some other pumpkins can be cooked, but better canned pumpkin use winter squash varieties such as butternut, Hubbard, and Boston Marrow. They are better tasting, smoother, and more nutritious. Libby produces most of the canned pumpkin and they use their own variety of butternut called “Dickinson”, a C. moschata specie, picked for its eating qualities, and shaped for ease of processing.
Fertilize
Fertilize your seed starts and transplants each week for three weeks or so, with Rohde’s Foliar Juice to get them started. This product contains Manure tea, fish solubles, kelp extract, molasses, and magnesium sulfate (epsom salts). Everything a growing young plant needs in a quickly usable form.
Add Green Sense Worm Castings, Green Sense Vegetable and Flower food or Green Sense Rose food to the holes and soil when you plant. Green Sense All Purpose Lawn and Garden fertilizer isn’t a bad choice either. Rock Phosphate mixed into the planting holes is beneficial also.
Side dress plants with fertilizer each month after planting.
For other fertilizing considerations, Rohde’s carries Alfalfa Meal in 50 pound bags. Alfalfa in is a nutritious forage grass used for animal feed. It’s a good organic fertilizer by itself, but it’s fame is that it contains triaconatol, a fatty acid that is a potent stimulant of plant growth. It is included in our Rose Food. Rohde’s also carries Cotton Seed Meal in 5 pound and 50 pound bags, which is an excellent source of slow release organic nitrogen, the main nutrient in our black clay soil that is usually lacking.
Green Sense Kelp Extract contains a large number of trace minerals plus growth-promoting hormones called auxins, gibberellins and cytokinins which work as potent rooting hormones for soaking or drenching new transplants from three inch herbs to 65 gallon trees. Kelp helps improve seed germination, helps increase storage life of fruits and vegetables, helps strengthen frost resistance in hardy plants and helps build resistance to insects and fungus diseases.
Herbs
Like most perennial transplants, you can plant perennial herb anytime. Some herbs also do well in pots and mixed in with flowers and vegetables.
We carry over 130 varieties of herbs throughout the spring, summer, and fall. While all are not available at any one time, here are some herbs to consider.
Basil (full sun): Ocimum spp. Takes summer heat. Frequent light harvesting will prevent basils from going to seed quickly. Sweet basil, O. basilicum, used with tomatoe dishes. Lemon basil (O. b. citriodorum), ‘Cinnamon’ basil, ‘Licorice’ basil, ‘Thai’ basil, purple leaved basils, and any of the mini-basils are excellent for edging and containers.
Bay, Sweet: Laurus nobilis. A nice container plant, sweet bay needs protection from hot afternoon sun and harsh winter weather.
Borage: Borago officinaliss. Harvest the young leaves and dry, or cook fresh like spinach. Blossoms have a cool, cucumber taste. Wonderful in punches, lemonade, gin and tonics, sorbets, chilled soups, cheese tortas, and dips
Caraway: Carum carvi Biennial. The first year it grows to less than 12 inches and grows a carrot like edible taproot. Harvest leaves when mature. The second year it grows up to two feet and forms the flower heads that produce seeds. Leaves-garnish. Seeds-breads, cakes, soups, sauces, salads.
Chamomile: Daisy like annual. Famous for the dried flower tea to calm the nerves to promote sleep.
Chives: onion and garlic. Cool weather but will grow it the summer.
Coriander/cilantro (full sun): Coriandrum sativum Seeds-pastries, sauces, pickles, liquors. Leaves mandatory for salsas, pico de’ gallo
Dill (full sun): Short-lived perennial. Fed on by the large Black Swallowtail butterfly larva, Papilio polyxenes, along with other species in the carrot family, Apiaceae.
Fennel
Ginger
Lavender
Lemon Balm: Perennial in mint family. Can be grown as either cool or warm. Leaf tea used as a calming agent.
Lemon Verbena
Lemongrass (full sun)
Lovage: Perennial
Marjoram, Sweet: Perennial. A woody cousin of Oregano with a more delicate, sweet flavor
Mints (partial shade)
Oregano: Perennial in mint family. Name for several different plants. Two most popular are the Italian and the Mexican Oregano.
Rosemary (full sun to partial shade)
Sage (full sun): Small short lived, two to six years, perennial evergreen shrub.
Salad Burnet: Grows best in the cool weather but it will survive most summers.
Scented Geranium (partial shade)
Sorrel
Tarragon (partial shade)
Texas Tarragon (full sun to partial shade)
Thyme (dapple sun) does better in summer if started in fall to establish the roots.
Savory
Trim back dead parts of your perennial herbs like rosemary and lavender.
Flowers
Again, we may not carry all of the following flowers at the same time, but we try to carry what we can get that is appropriate for the season. We also try to carry the unusual you wouldn’t normally find in the mass market stores. You are best off coming by weekly to see what comes in.
Annual Flowers
Plant warm-season annual flowers. Common ones good in Dallas include:
Sun:
Amaranthus, Ageratum, Alyssum, Begonia, Candletree, Chenille plant, Copperleaf, Cosmos, Ice Plant, Jacobine, Lisianthus, Marigold, Penta, Periwinkle (vinca), Portulaca, Zinnia
Shade:
Begonia, Caladium, Coleus, Geranium, Impatiens, Lobelia, Nicotiana, Plumeria
If you’re using annual transplants, small plants without flowers may get established quicker. Pinch off buds and flowers if it has them.
You can cut off old flowers to try to get annuals to flower longer.
Perennial Flowers
Plant summer- and fall-flowering perennials.
Sun:
Aster, Cannas, Corepsis, Dahlia, Daisy, Daylilies, Dusty Miller, Fall Asters, Ferns, Gayfeather, Gazania, Hibiscus, Hollyhocks, Hostas, Hummingbird Bush, Lambs ear, Lantana, Lythrum, Nierembergia, Ornamental Grasses, Oxalis, Plumbago, Purple Coneflower, Rose, Rosemary, Rudbeckia, Salvia, Sedums, Shasta Daisies, Spider Lilies, Summer Phlox, Turk’s Cap, Verbena, Wallflower
Shade:
Astilbe, Columbine, Crocosmia, Rock Rose
Fertilize
See "Vegetable Fertilizing” above.
Wildflowers
Plant transplants. Most wildflower seeds are sown in the fall.
If you are growing patches of wildflowers and want them to reseed, hold off on mowing until they go to seed.
Other Jobs
Pinch tips of new shoots of tall, lanky plants to encourage denser branching to give a bushier plant: Begonias, coleus, chrysanthemums, fall asters, impatiens, and phlox.
Watch for snails, slugs, and pillbugs on hostas, begonias and other tender plants. Treat with baits, traps, Sluggo, copper strips around valuable plants or pots. Garlic-pepper tea spray and pine needle mulch may repel slugs and snails.
Ornamental Grasses
Ornamental Grasses transplants can still be planted. Spring planting is better than fall as it allows for the roots to develop before winter giving the grass better cold hardiness. The majority prefer WELL drained soils in a sunny location.
Trees, Shrubs and Vines
Planting
While fall and winter were better to plant most trees and shrubs, it’s still a good time to do so now. You just want to get them in the ground as soon as possible to allow the roots to start getting established before the stress of summer comes. Careful watering will be critical. The root ball will dry out before the surrounding soil, but the roots don’t like to spread into soaking wet soil. Watering requirements may be different from normal lawn watering, so check each newly planted bush and tree and hand water if needed. You don’t want the root balls to dry out during the summer heat.
Choose plants in containers. It’s too late for bare rooted plants. Smaller container plants can get established faster and grow faster than larger balled and burlapped plants too.
If you are growing normal hybrid tea, grandiflora and floribunda roses, you also need to begin spraying for blackspot, aphids, and thrips or they will be defoliate. Better to rip them out and replaced with “Earthkind” roses or antiques roses. Earthkind roses are selected for carefree growing, and antique roses are usually more resistant to pest and disease also since they have survived so long. Rohde’s has new rose plants in now. Howard Garrett has an Organic Rose Program you can follow to ensure the best care of your roses.
Pruning
Prune storm damaged trees and shrubs.
Prune spring flowering trees, shrubs, and vines after they bloom if needed to shape them. Indian hawthorn, mountain laurel, forsythia, hydrangeas, quince, azaleas, camellias, spirea, flowering or ornamental fruit trees, wisteria, weigela.
Prune climbing rose vines after the flowers expire to allow time for new canes to develop for next year’s flowers. You can take out inside shaded branches that don’t bloom well.
Don’t prune Oaks trees that are susceptible to Oak Decline disease unless there is storm damage. The insect disease carrier, the Sap Beetle, will be active. Immediately cover the fresh cuts with Green Sense Tree Goop to keep the sap beetles away.
Other Jobs
If you have cultured pecan or other nut trees and/or fruit trees, we recommend you follow Howard Garrett’s Organic Fruit and Pecan Tree Program. It mainly revolves around the holistic approach of most of the organic program in establishing the best growing condition and health of the plants so they can ward off problems and disease before they start. It’s easier to prevent than cure.
Lawn, Turf Grasses and Ground Covers
Plant
With the warmth of May and the rains of spring, this is the best month for laying sod or plugs, or sowing grass seed. The grass will still be able to establish its roots before the summer droughts.
Grass seeding may need two waterings a day to germinate
Plant groundcovers and borders. Frog fruit and horseherb are two native groundcovers that are good for the shade. Try oregano for a border in full sun. Ground covers including horseherb, Asian jasmine, English ivy, Persian ivy, purple wintercreeper, liriope and ophiopogan.
Fertilize
If you did your first fertilizing in February, you should fertilize this month with Green Sense All Purpose Lawn & Garden Fertilizer. We recommend fertilizing every three months.
You can also apply dry molasses and Green Sense Humate to jump start the life in your soil, and get your lawn going a little faster to compete with those annual weeds.
Greensand & Humate will help keep the grass green and prevent chlorosis.
Spread a half inch layer of compost to poorly growing parts of the lawn.
May is the only month to fertilize buffalo grass.
Watering, Mowing
It’s too late for corn gluten meal to control weeds. Most cool season weeds are established, and many warm season weeds have germinated. Close mowing, not scalping, will help eliminate many of them, particularly as it warms up, and the lawn grass comes in. So mowing even a couple of times a week may be beneficial. Collect clippings and compost them will lessen weed seed dispersal.
For regular mowing, set mower to correct height: Common bermuda two to three inches, St. Augustine two to four inches, hybrid bermudas a quarter inch to two-and-a-half inches, depending on variety, buffalograss three inches, fescue three inches, zoysia two to three inches.
The Rule of One Third: Cut no more than one third the height of the grass blade. If you need to cut a lot of the grass height off, then you must do it in two or more passes, waiting two days between passes. This will prevent weakening the grass. Leave the grass clippings in the lawn. This can return maybe a third of the grass’ fertilizer requirement. If the grass clippings clumps up in piles, you are not mowing often enough. Rake up and compost.
Water about one inch a week. This will encourage deeper drought resistant roots. Weeds are mostly shallow rooted. Take rain into consideration. Lawns should dry out between waterings though. Time your sprinkler output with flat sided bowels, tuna cans, etc to see how long it takes to deliver one inch of water. If your grass doesn't spring back when you walk in it, it may need watering. Rohde’s carries a nice assortment of rain gauges to help prevent you from over watering.
Pests, Disease anf Weeds
Use Green Sense 8% Vinegar to work it’s best on weeds, but used on a warm day with pulling and mowing can control them until the lawn comes in.
Watch out for lawn fungal problems with the wet weather we are having. Consider a preventive program with Rohde’s aerating your lawn and treating it with corn meal and or Actinovate. Actinovate is an organic bacteria (Streptomyces lydicus strain WYEC 108) that protects lawn roots from a wide range of soil borne diseases and root decay fungi. Along with a soil test and proper fertilizing, this will give you the best control over lawn fungus problems. Remember, you will have the fungus infection long before you see it, and it will more difficult to control.
Consider applying Rohde’s beneficial nematodes now, as fleas, ants, termites, and other soil pest are becoming active.
Other
Divide ground cover if needed.
General Pests and Diseases
Rohde’s carriers the full complement of organic pest and disease controls, for both inside and out. Stop by and see.
For slugs, use ‘Sluggo” bait. We also have copper tape for raised beds and special plants. Also use traps as no one treatment works as well as several different kinds.
See lawn section for soil-borne fungi.
For tomato blight, add corn meal and compost to the soil, mulch good, rotate planting beds, space plants farther apart for good air circulation, use tomato cages to keep branches off the ground. Try Plant Wash to remove spores. Garlic spray will help too.
For other foliage fungal problems like black spot and powdery mildew, we have plant oils, potassium bicarbonate, Serenade, copper sprays, dusting sulfur, Plant Wash.
Isolated cases of aphids can be treated with a strong blast of water, Green Sense Citrus Oil, one of our other selections of plant oils, insecticidal soap, and/or release of ladybugs into the garden. We have these too.
Along with the lady bugs, we also carry green lacewings, and predatory wasp to help control of aphids, spider mites, thrips, caterpillars and other pests.
We have Bt, or Bacillus thuringiensis products for control caterpillars.
Garlic sprays will keep mosquitoes away and is an effect fungicide.
Spider mites and grasshoppers like hot dry conditions and hopefully will not be a problem, at least right now.
Grubs are not a problem now. They are not eating anything. They are turning into june bugs that will come out later in the summer to mate and lay eggs. The newly hatched grubs are the grass root eaters in the late summer and fall.
Rohde’s carries D.E. or diatomaceous earth in one, five, ten, or fifty pound bags. Use it to control insects in dry environments. It does not hurt earthworms in the soil. Useful in treating cracks, wall crevices, wall voids, and attics to repel insects and deny harborage in these areas. It’s effective against pests that live in close association with humans such as cockroaches, silverfish, mites, ants, houseflies, spiders, bedbugs, fleas and crickets. It’s also effective in controlling aphids, caterpillars, codling moth, flies and ants. In the garden, apply at night or in the late evening to minimise effects on beneficial insects.
If you are spraying anything, protect yourself with goggles and at least a NIOSH N95 approved Respirator Dust Mask. This stuff may be organic but it could be hazardous to inhale. Don’t take the chance.
Other Things to Do This Month
Add mulch and/or compost to bare or thin ground.
Add compost to beds/gardens at least, and to trees, bushes, and the lawn, if possible, to enrich the soil.
Keep bird feeders and bird baths clean and filled.
Have landscape and garden soil tested now to know how to prepare your gardens and lawns for the spring. Rohde’s recommends “Texas Plant & Soil Lab” at 5115 West Monte Cristo Road, Edinburg, Texas 78541-8852, 956-383-0739. They can give you organic recommendations.
Most of this calendar is designed for Dallas, Tx in USDA Hardiness Zone 8a, with a predominant soil type of blackland prairie clay.