May Lawn & Landscape Tips
May, the month that your lawn, your landscape, and your life transition from spring to summer.
As much as I love May, I’m not ready to leave April just yet, how about you? But, ready or not, here comes May!
May, another wonderful month to spend outdoors enjoying your lawn and landscape.
May, a month of pleasant evenings and gradually warming days.
May, the month the green of lawns become deeper and the colors of flowers become brighter.
May, the month your attention turns toward summer trips and activities.
But, let’s not jump too quickly to summer. There are several important lawn and landscape tasks to get your lawn and landscape ready for summer.
Turf Fertilizer – Bermuda lawns need a good feeding between late April and the end of May. Bermuda will respond well to a balanced fertilizer with at least 28% to 30% nitrogen and only a small amount of phosphorus and potassium. Fescue turf needs to receive one more fertilizer application between mid-April and mid-May to get them ready for warm days of summer. Once temperatures consistently reach 90 degrees, fertilizing fescue will do more harm than good.
Weed Control - Weeds that were not prevented, both grassy and broadleaf weeds, require additional treatment to control. Now that warm season turf is out of dormancy, control of weeds can be stepped up. During May, it is best to spot spray any persistent perennial weeds, being careful to limit turf damage. Remember, the absolute best weed control is thick and healthy turf.
Nutsedge
Nutsedge will start growing in lawns this month. Because there isn’t a way to prevent nutsedge, spot treatments can be expected. If nutsedge has been a chronic problem in your lawn, annual aeration will make a difference. Nutsedge thrives in tight, wet soils and since aeration reduces compaction, we find yards that are aerated annually have less nutsedge issues.
Maynight Salvia, the perfect name for the perennial that adds bright blues and purples to the May landscape.
Anytime we make an application of weed control or fertilizer, please let us know if you have any concerns 10-14 days after our visit. If the turf isn’t greening up properly, or if weeds are not wilting, we want to know. If you are new to our program, we know it will take time to get your lawn to the healthy condition you desire. But, we expect to make progress with each visit. We know this may require additional visits and if you are on our full 7- Step Program, we will make the needed extra visits.
Oakleaf Hydrangeas will start gracing the landscape with their white blooms this month.
Tree & Shrub Care – We subscribe to an integrated pest management approach. When it comes to insects and disease, you always have to be on the lookout. Take a few minutes each week to inspect your landscape for insects and disease.
Spider Mites – During the summer months when it is hot and dry, we are on the watch for spider mites, the Two-spotted Spider Mite. But, there is also the Spruce Spider Mite that is active in the spring and fall. They can be found on spruce, pines, junipers and arborvitae. It can cause considerable damage early in the season before we are even thinking about spider mites. The first indication of the Spruce Spider Mite damage is off-green color needles. Spider mites are not controlled by normal insecticides. If you try to control them yourself, you must use a product labeled as a miticide. Insecticides will not control spider mites.
The first indication of Spruce Spider Mite damage is an off-green color on your spruce, pine, juniper or arborvitae.
Bagworms - May is the month to be watching for bagworms on needle evergreens. Bagworms are quite easy to control when they are small. But, they are very hard to see when they first start to develop. If you notice bagworms, or have a concern about your plants, please let us know.
Bagworms
Spider mites are small and almost impossible to see on the plant. If you are concerned you have spider mites, shake the plant over a white sheet of paper. If the little specks start moving they are spider mites.
Be on the lookout for bagworms this month. They are much easier to control when they are small.
Leaf spot
Leaf Spot - Leaf spots will develop if we have periods of sufficient moisture and temperatures are just right for development of the fungus. The best host for leaf spot is an already unhealthy plant in an area with poor air circulation. Control includes spraying with a fungicide at least two times in a 10–14-day period, keeping fallen leaves picked up and disposed of, and thinning the tree or shrub to improve air flow.
Aphids – A small insect that isn’t easy to spot, but the honeydew, sticky substance they excrete is easy to spot. Aphids develop on the underside of leaves, often reaching large populations before you notice them. Early detection is important, and if caught early, a high-pressure blast of water may do the trick. As the weather warms, populations increase, and insecticide treatment will be needed.
Lawn Maintenance – Both warm and cool season turf grasses need frequent mowing now. One of the most important things for good turf health is to avoid removing more than 1/3 of the grass in one mowing. Not only does it not yield you the best-looking lawn when you cut below the leaf and into the stem of the grass, it also weakens the root system. Try to maintain your bermuda on the middle setting or just below the middle setting in May. For fescue, raise the setting one notch this month and cut the lawn 2.5-3” tall. By early June, it is best to have fescue at a maximum height going into the summer.
When mowing frequently, only remove 1/3 of the grass, don’t bag the clippings. Mulch them back onto the lawn. Grass leaf blades are mostly nitrogen and water and are very beneficial to the lawn.
Dianthus is a perennial that graces the May landscape with vibrant blooms and gray and green foliage.
May Night Salvia, Dianthus and Gold Moneywort make a colorful combination in the May landscape.
Full sun planting of lantana, penta, angelonia, and sunpatiens.
Sun Coleus
Fescue color is at its best this month.
Lantana and Sun Coleus make a great summer combination in full sun, hot areas. May is the month to plant them.
Seasonal Color – May is the month to plant your summer annual color. Most landscapes look best with a splash of bright color creating a welcoming environment near the front door. Impatiens and Caladiums are great choices for full shade areas. Begonias, petunias, and geraniums do well in sun to part shade. For full sun, periwinkle, lantana, sunpatiens, angelonia, sun coleus and penta are good at handling the heat.
Penta
Caladium
Clematis vines produce an abundance of showy flowers starting this month and continuing into the summer.
Take into consideration the mature size when planting seasonal color. The temptation is to over plant.
Irrigation – The last two weeks of April delivered on the promise of “April showers.” Hopefully, you are taking advantage of the rainfall and turning your irrigation off. Assuming normal temperatures in the 80’s, your lawn and landscape requires 1” of water per week in May. The best irrigation management is one that includes keeping an eye on rainfall, soil moisture, and temperatures. Monitor conditions, turn your system off if when are in a rainy period. Poor water management is setting the irrigation system at the beginning of the season and letting it run regardless of the conditions.
If you have subscribed to our Irrigation Management program with the Rainbird Wi-Fi Link, we will make watering decisions based on soil temperatures, soil moisture, temperatures, and recent rainfall and adjust your controller via the Rainbird app.
Moisture Retention – Tired of high water bills during the summer months? Hall | Stewart has a new program just for you, Moisture Retention. The program includes two applications (April-May & July-August) of a unique root zone moisture management product that reduces the overall watering requirements of your lawn and landscape resulting in less frequent watering. For more details, give us a call or spend a few minutes visiting our post from April 5th.
Peonies have started to add stunning blooms to the landscape.
Peonies not only add great color to your late spring landscape, they also make excellent cut flowers.
Endless Summer Hydrangeas will produce their first blooms this month.
Oakleaf Hydrangeas are adding flower buds now that will grace the landscape later this month with large white blooms.
The same plantings in July
Wisteria
Periwinkle
Remove the brown stems on your hydrangeas left from the winter back to the first bud this mont.
Azalea Care – Azaleas were stunning again this spring. Azaleas require a little more care, but they are worth it. Fertilize azaleas this month. After blooms fade and before the end of June prune azaleas if needed. Pruning after mid-summer will result in less blooms next year. Azaleas look best when minimally pruned and allowed to retain their natural shape. Prune by removing longer shoots by reaching down and making cuts where they come off a larger branch. This will improve air moment and promote healthy growth. Avoid shearing azaleas. Add a fresh layer of mulch to keep the soil cooler and retain moisture during the warm summer months to come. The best mulch for azaleas is pecan hulls or pine bark.
Oakleaf Hydrangeas add graceful white blooms to the landscape in May.
Hydrangea Pruning – If you haven’t already, now is the time to prune the brown stems left from the winter back to the first bud. In most cases this is the only pruning recommended for hydrangeas. During the summer, if you want to you can snip off spent blooms, but it is not required. Otherwise, keep the pruners and shears away from your hydrangeas. And…never prune in the fall. Need more information on hydrangea care, visit our recent post on hydrangeas.
Gold Mound Spirea not only add interest to the landscape with their foliage, they also deliver an additional touch of color with red-violet blooms this month.
If you have any questions, please drop us an email or give us a call at (405)367-3873.
Our mission is to help you have your best lawn and landscape…one that improves the appearance, enjoyment and value of your surroundings.
Lorne Hall
Hall | Stewart Lawn + Landscape
(405)367-3873