May 2025 Gardening Tips
Thursday, May 1, 2025
Trees & Shrubs
- Prune and feed azaleas immediately after blooming.
- Insect Alert: (EPP-7306)
- Bagworms on juniper and arborvitae. (Late May)
- Elm leaf beetles and larvae on elms. (Late May)
- Mimosa webworms on mimosa and honeylocust.
- 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. (EPP-7618)
Turfgrass
- 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. (HLA-6420)
- The seeding of warm-season grasses such as bermudagrass, buffalograss, zoysiagrass and centipedegrass 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 first become visible in mid-May. Make certain fertilizer applications have been adequate before ever applying a fungicide. (EPP-7658)
- Nutsedge plants become visible during this month. Post-emergent treatments are best applied for the first time this month (HLA-6421). Make certain 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 (HLA-6421). Check label for details.
- Vegetative establishment of warm-season grasses can continue. (HLA-6419)
Flowers
- Annual bedding plants can be set out for summer color.
- Plant summer bulbs such as cannas, dahlias, elephant ear, caladiums, and gladiolus.
- Shake a leaf over white paper to look for spider mites. If the tiny specks begin to crawl, mites are present.
Water Gardens
- Clean out the water garden and prepare for season. Divide and repot water garden plants.
- Begin feeding fish when water temperatures are over 50o
Fruits & Vegetables
- Plant watermelon, cantaloupe, cucumber, eggplant, okra, sweet potatoes, etc.
- Fruit spray programs should be faithfully continued during the next several weeks. (HLA-6235).
- Late May is the best time to control borers in the orchard. Check for label recommendations and controls.