UCCE Master Gardeners of El Dorado County

Garden Tips for May

• Set out traps for earwigs, slugs, and whitefly.
• Thin pit fruits at or before pit hardening.
• Thin apples when ½” diameter.
• Mow grass or cultivate soil around orchard to discourage thrips and plant bugs.
• Mulch around plants to control weeds and conserve moisture. Be sure to leave a small circle of bare soil around the base of each plant.
• Deep water trees and shrubs. Build water basins, but do not allow water to stand against the trunks.
• Prepare dahlia bed with rich soil.
• For continued bloom, cut off spent flowers.
• Hang strips of foil or CD’s in fruit trees to help deter birds.
• As spring=flowering shrubs finish blooming, prune to shape, removing old and dead wood.
• Trim hedges; lightly trim azaleas, fuchsias, bushier plants.
• Thoroughly clean debris from ponds, fountains and bird baths.
• Check dates of Master Gardener classes.

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