“At last has come the golden month of the wild people – the sweet month of May, when the birds return, and the flowers come out, and the air is full of the fragrances of the rising sun and the songs of the dawning year. ” –Samuel Scoville Jr.
“The world’s favorite season is spring. Everything seems possible in May. – Edwin Way Teale
“Step aside for a brand new day, in the month of May I feel like I can start again. Life feels new, it’s hope, it’s love, it’s where we all won, if you call, I’ll hear, I’ll listen for you. – Mychal Simka
As temperatures gradually rise each day, the month of May continues to sail. As the weather encourages more outdoor activities, you might want to consider this list of lawn and landscape maintenance activities.
Annuals: Remove all faded flowers to prevent annuals from going to seed and consuming needed food reserves, encouraging continued blooming. Remove all weeds that compete with annuals for space, light, air, moisture and nutrients. Inspect all beds and plants for insect and disease activity. If detected, spray appropriate chemicals according to label instructions.
Chrysanthemums (mums): Prune your mums to avoid unnecessary elongated growth. Pinch off these plants by about four inches and continue to prune new growth when it reaches three inches in length. Stop pinching when flower buds begin to form and develop.
Red ants: Fire ants are very obvious due to their mounding activities and fiery bite. Select the appropriate chemicals of your choice from local garden centers and follow the directions for use on the label. Treatment can be mounded or broadcast depending on the specific insecticide and the severity of the problem.
Gardenias: Inspect your gardenias for yellowing of the leaves, especially between the veins. This is usually an iron deficiency called iron chlorosis. Correct this problem by applying Epsom salt to the soil and iron chelate as a foliar spray.
Geraniums: When outdoor geraniums get long, take cuttings to root in pots for your patio, deck or deck. Insert three six-inch cuttings into an eight-inch pot of well-drained, peaty soil or promix (or similar). Keep moist, but not wet, until roots form and new growth is evident. Then, reduce watering to the amount needed only to prevent wilting. Keep growing these plants into well-developed specimens for your viewing pleasure.
Irrigation: Regularly inspect your irrigation system to verify proper operation and uniform flow with each head. Simply watching it cycle through the stations is a basic means for visual assessment. Periodically place collection containers in particular areas to measure actual production or flow. Do not overwater.
Lawn repair: Don’t delay lawn repairs. If you reseed, plug, or lay new sod over eroded or damaged areas now, the new sod will have plenty of time to establish itself by the end of the growing season. Prepare soil in bare areas before seeding, filling or sodding. Consider using sod to repair most areas of any large size, and seeds or plugs in smaller situations. The rate of establishment with turf is rapid, limiting the opportunity for most weeds to establish and invade. Be sure to keep these areas moist to promote survival and rapid establishment. Do not waste water but keep moist until established. If you use herbicides to kill existing vegetation before sodding, wait 10 to 14 days after application to prepare the ground and lay the new sod.
Courtilières: Mole crickets are getting very active at the moment. Chemicals are most effective during this part of the season due to the sensitivity of youngsters to pesticides. Mole cricket kills by eating the roots of grasses and/or by digging tunnels in the ground, causing desiccation and death. Choose a recommended chemical based on its identification and advice.
Mulching: This is one of the most important stages in passing the landscape during the summer. Mulch creates a positive attraction, discourages weeds, conserves moisture and insulates the soil against excessive heat. The most readily available organic mulches are pine straw, wood chips, bark chips, peanut shells, pecan shells, grass clippings, shredded leaves, among others. To be most effective, the mulch should be distributed at a depth of 3 to 4 inches.
Perennials: Remove faded blooms for curb appeal, plant health, and an aesthetically pleasing landscape with showy new blooms. Be sure to prune any perennials that will outgrow their site. Remove about one-third of the plant (leaving two-thirds) and the resulting plants will be more compact and floriferous. Remove all weeds that compete with perennials for space, light, air, moisture and nutrients. Inspect all beds and plants for insect and disease activity. If detected, spray appropriate chemicals according to label instructions.
Shrubs: Many container-grown shrubs can be planted, including gardenias and azaleas, as long as you water them faithfully during the hot, dry weather of June, July and August. Another approach is to buy plants now at discounted prices and plant them in decorative pots to use around the house. These potted plants dry out more frequently, so remember to adjust your watering schedule accordingly. Prune arborvitaes and junipers now for good structure as they complete their main growth for the season.
Think in terms of native and sustainable plants in the landscape. May this awareness stimulate your desire to learn and ask questions, encourage you to further apply your acquired knowledge and lead you to realize more that environmental stewardship and sustainability should be at the foundation of all your activities. landscaping.
Many thanks to everyone who has read this column which strives to provide every reader with timely and useful information. This is a small contribution from me to “pay it forward” to my readers. In keeping with this thought, many of you know that we are planning our annual mission trip (discipleship trip) to Peru in early June. We are currently fundraising to help fund this mission trip. If you feel inspired to do so and would like to make a donation to this cause, please make a check payable to Heritage Church and send it to Eddie Seagle, Peru Mission Team, 108 Tallokas Circle, Moultrie, GA 31788. We would appreciate your prayers for a Bon Voyage as well and thank you to each and every one of you.
“Be joyful in hope, patient in affliction, faithful in prayer.” – Romans 12:12
“If my people, who are called by my name, humble themselves, pray, seek my face and turn from their wicked ways, then I will hear from heaven, forgive their sin and heal their land.” – 2 Chronicles 7:14
“Do not worry about anything, but in everything, by prayer and request, with thanksgiving, present your request to God. And the peace of God, which transcends all understanding, will guard your hearts and minds in Christ Jesus. – Philippians 4:6-7
Dr Eddie Seagle is Sustainability Auditor, Golf Environment Organization (Scotland), Agronomist and Horticulturist, CSI: Seagle (Consulting Services International), Professor Emeritus and Honorary Alumnus (Abraham Baldwin Agricultural College), Distinguished Professor for Teaching and learning (University System of Georgia) and short-term missionary (Heritage Church, Moultrie). Address your inquiries to csi_seagle@yahoo.com.
