This Month in Your Southwest Yard
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May Garden Tasks
Due to warmer weather, it is best to water during the early morning and late evening hours to reduce evaporation.
Rising temperatures cause changes in plants…prepare for summer!
~ Change watering schedule from mid-day to early morning or evening as weather heats up to minimize loss through evaporation.
~ Maintain a good mulch of organic matter (such as leaves, bark, or chipped wood) covering garden soil throughout the summer to hold in moisture, moderate soil temperatures for optimum root growth, improve the soil as it decomposes, and prevent weeds from germinating. Mulch allows you to water less often (but still deeply). Keep mulch several inches away from tree trunks and plant stems for good air circulation.
~ Remove spent flowers from annuals, perennials, and shrubs—unless you want to collect seeds (such as from Penstemons); “deadheading” old flowers stimulates repeat blooming.
~ Work compost or soil amendments into planting beds to improve moisture retention as summer approaches.
~ Encourage your plants’ roots to grow deeply for moisture. In spring, for average soils, water established plants deeply only every two to three weeks. By the time summer’s heat arrives, plants’ feeder roots will be growing deeply for moisture, and the plants won’t need watering more than once a week during very hot spells.
Check out our featured “Plant of The Month” for May
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