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You can plant
tender annuals, perennials, herbs and summer-flowering bulbs once the
danger of frost is past—around Mother’s Day along the Front Range.
Be sure to harden off young plants prior to planting them outdoors. |
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Begin deadheading
(pinching or cutting off dead flowers) once annual and perennial flowers
bloom. This improves the appearance of plants and promotes continued bloom.
Cut back the foliage of spring-blooming bulbs only after it has
died.
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Roses
can safely be pruned in early May except at the coldest elevations. Cut
off all dead and weak canes. Remove
canes that cross or rub against others.
Prune the remaining canes back to healthy tissue—usually to a
length of 6 to12 inches. The
cut should be made at an angle about ¼ inch above an outward pointing bud
eye. (A bud eye is a green
nodule that produces new leafy growth). |
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When
you purchase plants for your containers, don't limit yourself to buying
only annuals. Herbs,
ornamental grasses, summer-blooming bulbs and perennials can also go into
containers. The foliage and fragrance of many herbs make them great
additions to container gardens.
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Plant
tomato plants as soon as the danger of frost is past.
Be sure to harden off tomato bedding plants prior to planting.
Popular varieties for Colorado gardens include ‘Big Beef,’
‘Celebrity,’ ‘Early Girl’ and ‘Medina.’ For an
explanation of "determinate", "indeterminate" and
"V/F/T/N", please see Tomato Terminology in our Tips page. |
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Fertilize
lawns with a nitrogen fertilizer during May to mid-June.
For tall fescue, Buffalo grass, and Bermuda grass use ½ to 1 pound
of nitrogen per 1000 square feet of lawn.
Use one pound of nitrogen per 1000 square feet for Kentucky bluegrass.
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Sow warm-season
grass, such as Buffalo grass, in May or June. You may also sow
cool-season lawns in spring, although the preferred time is late summer or
early fall. Check your local water restrictions prior to seeding or
laying sod. Some areas will not permit you to do the additional
watering needed to establish a new lawn. In that case, you will need
to wait until water restrictions are lifted to put in a lawn.
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Don’t
assume that your sprinkler system or drip system is working properly in
spring just because it was fine last autumn when it was shut down for
the winter. You should check
to be sure all the sprinkler heads and drip emitters are functioning
properly. |
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By
mid-May be on the alert for garden pests.
Early detection often provides an opportunity to manage pests with
interventions that do not have a negative impact on the environment.
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Preventive
spraying for Mountain Pine Beetle
(MPB) should be done between May 1 and
July 15 in areas where the risk of beetles is high.
For additional information contact the nearest office of the
Colorado State Forest Service, the U. S. Forest Service, or Colorado State
University Cooperative Extension Service. |
