Hooray! It’s May! The tulips and daffodils have bloomed. The lilacs are showing their colors, and gardeners all over Acton and the region are thinking about where they will plant the treasures they found at the Acton Garden Club Annual Plant Sale on May 16. Here are a few words of wisdom to guide you, from the Garden Club’s master gardener, Judy Dembsey.
Do not plant annuals too early. They do not like nighttime temperatures below 40 degrees. The general rule is to plant them around Memorial Day unless it appears to be warming up early. Therefore, if plants are purchased early, place them in a protected area close to the house. Keep the pots watered. I have a shelf attached to the house to store and protect annuals until planting.
Prune smooth hydrangeas (H. arborescens) and panicle hydrangeas (H. paniculata) by late April or early May. These two species form their flower buds on this season’s new wood. If you wait too long, the flower buds will be cut off.
- H. arborescens : “Annabelle” or “Hass Halo” can be cut to the ground to control size and will produce large flower heads.
- H. paniculata: “Limelight” or “Quick Fire” can be pruned to 1/3 of their height.
Note: These hydrangeas can also be pruned in the late fall or early winter according to the Perenially Yours newsletter.
Prune lilacs, viburnums, deutzia, mock orange, spirea and other spring flowering shrubs when they finish blooming.
Most plants (lawns, vegetables, perennials, annuals, trees and shrubs) need one inch of water per week. It is better to water with one or two deep waterings per week than to water lightly each day, which encourages shallow rooting. Having a rain gauge is helpful. Be attentive to the Acton Water District’s water restrictions, which currently allow watering one day per week on a specific day of the week.
Edge beds to keep grass from creeping in and to create broad, smooth curves or straight lines according to your preference.
Use organic mulches as they provide many benefits, including moisture retention, fluctuations in soil temperature, weed suppression, and protection from mechanical damage from line trimmers and lawn mowers. Organic mulches such as bark mulch also look attractive and help with the addition of organic matter to the soil through decomposition. Remove established perennial weeds before mulch is applied. Avoid mulch depths greater than 4 inches and do not allow mulch to contact the base of trees and shrubs. I find that sometimes only a light dressing is needed.
Raise lawn mower cutting height this month to 2½-3 inches which will help keep turf more tolerant of drought. There is a direct correlation between shoot and root growth; the higher the top, the deeper the roots. This also inhibits weed growth. Sharpen your mower blades. Dull blades tear the grass blades, resulting in brown edges.
Cut faded flowers from tulips, grape hyacinths, and daffodils. Do not cut bulb foliage, allow it to die naturally, that is, until the leaves are yellow or limp. Do not fold over or tie foliage as this will inhibit photosynthesis and therefore, the storage of nutrients needed for next year’s flowers.
Annuals and perennials will keep a steady bloom performance if their faded flowers are continually removed, preventing seed formation.
Get out the peony cages and get them in place early to prevent possible damage as their heavy flowers develop. Cage or stake any other floppy plants as they emerge.
This is a good time to divide large hostas and daylilies into smaller clumps. Snowdrops and Winter Aconites can be divided while the foliage is green. This is the time to divide the late summer and fall-blooming perennials. In the fall, I mark with flags the hostas to be divided and dig them in spring just as the foliage appears.
About garlic mustard
Garlic mustard is showing its pretty flowers now in your gardens, fields, and compost beds. It is INVASIVE! If you see it, pull it, put it in a black plastic bag and cook it in the sun! You can also bring it to the transfer station. Thank you for doing your part to help rid us of this nuisance and save our forests.
Judy Dembsey is chair of environmental education for the Acton Garden Club.
Ann Marie Testarmata is chair of public relations for the Acton Garden Club.
