Philadelphia County Cooperative Extension

May is probably the busiest month of the year in the garden. There is so much to do. Just remember – there are usually a few weeks in which each activity can be done. So exercise restraint and wait until mid-month to set out tender plants.
* Move houseplants outside for a summer vacation by gradually acclimating them to brighter light. Repot and prune now for good summer growth.
* Harden off tender plants by putting them out during the day in a protected spot. Bring them back in at night for about one week.
* Transplant on a cloudy day or in the evening. Provide shade for new transplants for the first few days they are in the ground. Don’t forget to water them.
* Buy seeds and lime for fall crops while they are still available.
* Plant hardy annuals now: impatiens, coleus, torenia and caladium for the shade; petunias, alyssum, salvias and zinnias for full sun.
* Remove faded blooms and prune spring flowering shrubs. Keep clematis roots shaded and moist, but give the vine full sun.
* Pinch terminal buds of chrysanthemums until late July, then allow flowers to develop for fall bloom.
* Plant warm season vegetables (those which can be planted outdoors after last frost) between early May and late June. Do succession plantings of beans from mid May to mid July.
* Start an asparagus bed between mid April and mid May.

* Be sure your herbs get full sun and good drainage. They hate having “wet feet”. Tuck them in around other plants to repel insects. Allow some to flower and attract bees. The flowers of most culinary herbs are edible.
* Don’t forget to keep your container grown plants well watered. Make sure that water runs through the drainage holes and that soil does not pull away from the sides of the pot.
* Cut grass on the higher side – 2 1/2 to 3- inches depending on variety. This will crowd out weeds and encourage deep roots. Water infrequently and deeply. Fertilize on Mother’s Day and July 4, using one quarter the recommended application.

June is the time to prune yews, junipers and other hedge plants.
> Plant seeds of collards, cabbage family and celery to be harvested in fall.
> Create a nursery bed for those seedlings to grow in.

> Continue to deadhead spent flowers. Fertilize everything and water regularly.
> Make softwood cuttings of deciduous shrubs such as forsythia, spirea and viburnum.
> Clean up your strawberry bed.
> Stop cutting asparagus and rhubarb.
> Keep everything well weeded.
> Start perennials and biennials like shasta daisies, primroses, foxglove and delphinium.
> Turf – continue as in May.

From early July to mid August
ðStart planting root crops from seed. Put in cabbage family plants.
ðIn August more collards, mustards and peas can fill the garden space along with salad greens and spinach.
ðStart thinking about cover crops to over winter in the garden. Winter rye will germinate in the cool nights of late fall and then die back.
ðOrder fall bulbs ( for spring flowering).

ðEnjoy summer blooming hydrangeas, buddleias and caryopteris. Buddleias and forsythias root easily from cuttings taken from June through August.
ðDon’t forget to consistently harvest crops for optimum flavor and nutritional value as well as to maintain plant productivity.
ðIn July and August when weather conditions are hot and dry, turf may go dormant. Don’t worry – it will return. Try not to walk on it.
ðPrune summer-blooming raspberries in August.
ðStop fertilizing roses to avoid late season growth.
ðIn late August, transplant evergreens, divide ground covers or prepare beds for new areas to be planted in spring.
ðStart a compost pile – a perfect place for fall leaves to over winter and decompose.
ðPlant cover crops of grains and clovers or other legumes to give back to the soil.
ðPlant chrysanthemums for fall color.
ðEnjoy the harvest.

Soil -Test your soil every 3-4 years to learn its pH, fertilizer and lime needs

Compost – Add finished compost into soil before planting in spring and again in fall. Also use compost as a mulch and as a side- dress.

Crop rotation – If you have room. Rotation discourages disease and pest build-up.

Plants -Choose the right plant for the right place for the right season. There are cool and warm season vegetables, spring and summer flowering bulbs, and early and late maturing varieties as well as annual, biennial and perennial vegetables, herbs and flowers. If buying plants, look for compact, short, stocky plants with dark green leaves that are disease and insect free.

Seeds – Avail yourself of the huge selection of heirloom and hybrid, disease resistant varieties.

Water – Water long, deeply and infrequently rather than quickly, shallowly and often. Vegetable plants need one inch of rainfall per week.

Some gardeners may be fourteen weeks into the gardening season, having started seeds indoors in January (ideally under florescent lights). That’s how to get the tomatoes, eggplants and peppers ready for their appearance in the garden right after that last frost. It is good timing for perennial flowers that need a full season to develop before being moved to the garden. Some of those more seasoned gardeners, practitioners of season extending, may have sown peas in their gardens in mid - March. Four weeks ago they transplanted cold weather crops (collards, kale, spinach, mustards, escarole, etc.) into their gardens, mulched with 2 inches of salt hay, under row covers or other protective garden cover. If you’re feeling as if you missed out, don’t worry. You can extend your gardening season well into the winter. Actually you can have a garden that’s producing at a minimal level year round.

However, if you’re just beginning to till your raised bed or modified raised bed garden, remember deep tilling is not necessary. Going down 8 to 12 inches will bring dormant weed seeds to the surface. If you are starting a new garden or if you have inherited a garden, this is a good time to have your soil tested at the Penn State University lab for $6.50. Call the garden phone for details at 215-471-2224.

If you planted oats as a cover crop in the fall, you’re ready to cultivate and plant. If you used one of the clovers or annual rye,cut down and till them under. Wait two-three weeks for them to decompose or use them as mulch. While this is happening, you can add composted manure to areas where you will be planting heavy feeders: broccoli, brussels sprouts, cabbage, chard, cauliflower, celery, cucumbers, endive, kohlrabi, leek, lettuce, spinach, squash and corn.

During this time you can take steps to control garden pests. If you have had problems with slugs in your garden, this is the time to apply preventatives. If crushed eggshells and wood ashes have not been totally effective, there are two commercial non-toxic alternatives. Sluggo and Escargo are the brand names; these products contain iron sulphate, the active ingredient, and bait. There may be other products on the market. Check their labels for the ingredient list.

If you’ve had serious problems with rabbits and ground hogs, the manufacturers of McGregor’s Fence recommend their low-voltage product to be 100% effective. It is available in a few different lengths. However, the low voltage fence can be a hazard to persons who have pacemakers. Call the garden phone if you can not find it at your local garden center.

To encourage beneficial insects and spiders in your garden, plant the herbs and flowers that provide shelter for them and their off spring.

Row covers can be an important aid in the garden, especially from mid-May to early June. They keep transplants warm and protected from egg laying pests. A layer of salt hay and a row cover will protect plants down to 28°. Early in June, a lightweight cover will provide a barrier to pests. It will transmit 95% sunlight with very little heat build up. Shade netting is available that will protect lettuce, broccoli and spinach, reducing sunlight by 50% while allowing good air circulation.

Collars made of cardboard and tar paper will protect transplants from cutworms and cabbage maggots. Later in the season you can use bird netting to effectively protect your berry bushes and fruit crops from the birds.

Tangle foot will deter ants that are making a rapid accent up the trunk of fruit trees to help themselves to your ripe fruit. Read the label and follow the directions. It should not be applied directly to the bark.

String, Lima, pole, bush, green, shelled, Japanese, snap, wax, yard-long, and dried—whichever you grow, you can be assured of a bountiful crop of good nutrition, flavor, and color. Beans are a good source of fiber, potassium, B vitamins, and vitamin A; the dried types are full of protein, as well. Beans are also excellent for your garden, because they take nitrogen from the air and put it into your soil. Plant them before or after a crop that uses up a lot of nitrogen, such as tomatoes or squash.

Planting: Beans are a warm-season vegetable, best started directly in the ground between mid-May and mid-July. Check seed packets for maturity dates. All beans grow better when pretreated with a bacterial inoculant, purchased at a garden center. To get a continuous harvest, sow beans weekly.

Maintenance: Depending on the variety you plant, you may need to support the beans. Pole beans produce twice as many beans as green bush beans, making them a good choice for small-space gardeners, but they do need tall supports for climbing. Mulching is the best way to control weeds, since beans have shallow roots and may be disturbed if you try to hoe away the weeds.

Pest Problems: The Mexican bean beetle is the main problem for beans—both the larvae and adults can quickly skeletonize leaves, which eventually kills the plant. But be careful! The bean beetle resembles the ladybug, but it is larger, with dusty orange rather than red wings. Look for bright yellow eggs on the undersides of leaves; the larvae are fat yellow grubs. Handpick adults, larvae, and eggs daily. Planting beans throughout the garden, rather than all together, confuses the pests so they may only bother one row. Row covers protect plants until they are stronger—be sure to remove cover before the beans flower. Introducing spined soldier bugs and parasitic wasps reduces the beetle population. If the situation is desperate, try spraying leaves with pyrethrin or neem oil, two natural plant pesticides. Most affected are green beans and lima beans. The Japanese soybean Edamame (also known as green or fresh soybeans) is a tasty, lima bean-like variety, which is unaffected by the bean beetle. An important yearly control of the pest is to do a thorough fall clean-up to remove debris, which provides a home for these overwintering pests.

Harvesting: Harvest fresh beans when crisp and before seeds have grown. Frequent picking encourages further production. For harvesting dried beans, wait until seeds have developed and the pods are papery and dry—then pull up the entire plant, shell, and store.

4 tablespoons Chinese sesame oil (a dark, flavorful oil available in most supermarkets)
2 pounds fresh green beans, trimmed
8 medium-sized cloves garlic, minced
½ teaspoon salt
crushed red pepper, to taste

Place a wok or heavy deep skillet over medium-high heat. After a minute, add the oil. In another minute, add the green beans. Turn the heat to high and stir-fry for about 5 minutes, or until the beans are well-seared. Add garlic, salt, and crushed red pepper. Stir-fry for several more minutes, then remove from heat. Serve hot, warm, or at room temperature.
Sources: Organic Vegetable Gardening, The New Seed Starters Handbook, Still Life with Menu

A GREEN CITY IS A GREAT CITY
Celebrating Neighborhood Gardens and Parks
Neighborhood Gardens Association/
A Philadelphia Land Trust
NGA’s First Annual Green City Month

The Neighborhood Gardens Association/A Philadelphia Land Trust (NGA) announces the first annual Green City Month in June 2003. NGA, in cooperation with the Pennsylvania Horticultural Society and the Penn State Urban Gardening Program, is planning a series of workshops, tours, and related events highlighting Philadelphia’s green treasures. The purpose of the event is to celebrate the twenty-four land-trusted community gardens and to raise awareness about the importance of community green space in our neighborhoods. For a complete listing of the Green City Month activities, please check the NGA website at www.ngalandtrust.org or call 215-988-8797 for a calendar of events. A Green City is a Great City!

The Penn State Urban Gardening Program had to say goodbye to two of its garden advisors, Mary Buckno and Jessica Manlin, this winter. Mary Buckno, the advisor for the Northeast and Northwest neighborhoods of the city decided to leave our cold climate and moved to Florida.

Jessica Manlin, our youth programming and North Philly east of Broad Street advisor, has decided to take an extended period of time off to care for her new baby. We know you join us in wishing Mary, Jessica and her little one all the best that life has to offer. The Urban Gardening door is always open for them to come and visit.

May 2003

1-11 May, 2003 Philadelphia County Fair Mann Music Center, North Concourse

2 May, 2003 ‘The Gardening Spot’ Channel 10 TV with Jeff Myers Urban Garden Advisor. Every 1st and 3rd Friday of each month.

3 May, 2003 Home Depot ‘Ladies Night Out’ Delaware Avenue store. From 4-8 p.m. Look for us in the gardening section.

3 May, 2003 Historic Bartram’s Garden Annual Plant Sale 10 a.m. -4 p.m. Also, River Cruises at 2 p.m. and 4 p.m. Call for details, 215-729-5281.

4 May, 2003 Chestnut Hill Gardening Days 11 a.m. – 5 p.m. 8----8600 blocks of Germantown Avenue. Look for us in the Gardening, Environmental & Education area.

4 May – 10 May, 2003 Wildflower Week www.wildflower.org. 512-292-4100.

6 -8 May, 2003 Kids Grow Expo (Junior Flower Show) 3 p.m. – 5 p.m.

7 -8 May, 2003 Philadelphia County Fair Adult Horticulture Activity. 6 -8 p.m.

9 May, 2003 Philadelphia County Fair Kids Day Activity. 10 a.m. -2 p.m. Looking for us at the 4-H Exhibit.

10 May, 2003 Garden Mosaics Education Training. 4601 Market St. 2nd floor, PSU Extension

office. 9 a.m. – 2 p.m. Call 215-471-2224 for more information.

10 -11 May, 2003 Morris Arboretum Annual Plant Sale. 100 Northwestern Avenue.
2 p.m.-4 p.m.

16 May, 2003 ‘The Gardening Spot’ Channel 10 TV with Jeff Myers Urban Garden Advisor. Every 1st and 3rd Friday of each month.

22 May, 2003 ‘Edible Herb Wreath’ (Bronze Award Winner) Workshop conducted by Blanche Epps, Master Gardener. 10 a.m. – 12 p.m. Call 215-471-2224 for more information.

24 May, 2003 Growing Vegetables and Flowers in Containers. Christine Tilles, Urban Garden Advisor, 4601 Market St. 2nd floor 1 p.m. – 3 p.m. Call for reservations.

1 June, 2003 Perennial Gardening Month. The perennial plant for this month is Leucanthemum ‘becky’. For more information pps@perennialplant.org. or call 614-771-8431.

4 – 21 June, 2003 Neighborhood Garden Association, Green City Month. Call for details 215-988-8797 or e-mail ngastaff@nglandtrust.org.

5 June, 2003 Hunger Awareness Month at Philabundance. Call for details 215-339-0900.

6 June, 2003 ‘The Gardening Spot’ Channel 10 TV with Jeff Myers Urban Garden Advisor. Every 1st and 3rd Friday of each month.

14 June, 2003 NGA, Green City Month ‘Plant Propagation Workshop’ West Fairmount Horticulture Center. Penn State UGP ‘Butterfly Garden’ at 1:20 p.m. with Christine Tilles, Urban Garden Advisor.

21 June, 2003 NGA, Green City Month 'Plant Propagation Workshop' West Fairmount Park Horticulture Center. Penn State UGP 'Edible Landscape Demo Garden' at 1:30 pm., with Christine Tilles, Urban Garden Advisor.

NOW YOU CAN WATCH UPG ON TV!
Tune in for great gardening information.
The Gardening Spot with Jeff Myers
10:00 a.m on Channel 10 TV the first Friday of every month.

The Community Garden Club of The Awbury Arboretum is having its FIRST ANNUAL PLANT SWAP!

Here is how it works. You get a ticket for each plant you bring. You use those tickets to swap for plants you want!

PLACE: COPE HOUSE - AWBURY ARBORETUM - Entrance is on Chew Ave. (between Haines St. & Walnut Lane Accessible by 18 and XH bus routes or the R& train-Washington Lane Station)

Please bring rooted plants in pots. Bring bulbs and rhizomes in paper bags. Please label all pots or bags with plant name (if you know it) and your name! Other garden items may be considered for swap.

This publication is available in alternative media. The Pennsylvania State University is committed to the policy that all persons shall have equal access to programs, facilities, admission and employment without regard to personal characteristics not related to ability, performance, or qualifications as determined by University policy or by state or federal authorities. The Pennsylvania State University does not discriminate against any person because of age, ancestry, color, disability, or handicap, national origin, race, religious creed, sex, sexual orientation, or veteran status. Direct all inquiries regarding the nondiscrimination policy to the Affirmative Action Director, The Pennsylvania State University, 201 Willard Building, University Park, PA 16802 Tel. (814) 865-4700/V, (814) 863-1150 TTY. Handicap accessible.

The Garden Post May 2003