This weblog publish is your information to Might gardening in Arizona’s low desert. Be taught what to prune, when to fertilize, methods to regulate your watering schedule, and the perfect methods to guard your backyard from rising temperatures.
As the warmth units in, Might brings among the most essential backyard duties of the yr. Mulching, watering deeply, and including shade could make all of the distinction in serving to your crops survive the looming excessive temperatures.
Questioning what to plant this month? Head over to the What to Plant in Might weblog publish for an in depth checklist of greens, herbs, and flowers that develop properly within the low desert this time of yr.
Obtain the Might Backyard Guidelines on the prime of this publish to remain on observe all month lengthy.
This information is designed for low desert gardeners within the Southwest—together with areas under 3,500 toes in elevation like Phoenix, Tucson, and surrounding communities.
Click on on the title to leap to that part and study extra about what to do throughout Might:
“It was such a pleasure to sink one’s palms into the nice and cozy earth, to really feel at one’s fingertips the chances of the brand new season.”
~ Kate Morton, The Forgotten Backyard
Vegetable Backyard Duties in Might
Put together & Plant
Put together backyard beds earlier than planting summer time crops. Add compost and worm castings to enhance soil well being, and blend in a balanced natural fertilizer if wanted.
Use shade strategically. Afternoon shade or shade material may help defend tender crops from the extreme Might solar. If you happen to’re in search of the hyperlink to the shade material I exploit, I exploit this one and this one, too.
Apply mulch as soon as your summer time crops are rising properly. A thick layer of mulch helps retain moisture, regulate soil temperature, and defend roots.
Begin seeds indoors this month in your monsoon tomato planting. It’s additionally time to examine your low desert planting checklist to see what else you can begin from seed indoors.
Harvest
Tomatoes are normally prepared to choose all through Might. As soon as nighttime temperatures keep above 75°F, fruit set slows, however current fruit will proceed to ripen. Decide tomatoes on the first blush of crimson and allow them to end ripening indoors.
Beans are finest harvested when the pods are small and tender. If left to mature, the pods swell with seeds, and the plant could cease producing.
Garlic and onions are sometimes prepared to reap this month.→ The way to Harvest Garlic→ The way to Harvest Onions
I’itoi onions might be harvested now or left within the mattress. Wait till the tops utterly die again for the perfect storage.
Pest & Plant Care
Look ahead to squash bugs on summer time squash. Test the undersides of leaves every day for clusters of eggs and grownup bugs. Handpick when potential. If populations develop rapidly, it could be finest to take away closely infested crops. Get extra suggestions for controlling squash bugs right here.
Summer time Transition Suggestions
Take into account utilizing cowl crops for any backyard beds that received’t be planted on this summer time. A summer time cowl crop retains soil alive, shades the floor, and reduces erosion.→ Be taught extra about summer time cowl crops
Vegetable Watering Tips:
As temperatures warmth up, annual greens will want extra frequent watering. Water to a depth of about 8-12 inches each 2-5 days; permit the highest of the soil to dry out earlier than watering once more.
I exploit the backyard grids from Backyard in Minutes to water my raised beds. Use code Angela10 to avoid wasting $10 off $100 or ANGELA to avoid wasting 7 p.c on any dimension order.
As each cool-season and warm-season greens and flowers come to an finish, it’s time to guage your container setup for summer time.
Put together for Summer time Warmth
Put small containers away till fall—they dry out too rapidly in the summertime warmth. You’ll be able to repurpose the soil as mulch in backyard beds or add it to your compost pile.
Transfer remaining containers to areas that get pure afternoon shade, just like the east or north aspect of your yard.
Group containers and develop luggage shut collectively to assist insulate them and scale back warmth stress.
Watering & Soil Care
As temperatures rise, monitor containers intently and water regularly.
If soil dries out utterly, it might turn out to be hydrophobic (repelling water). All the time examine that water is soaking in and never operating off the floor.
Take into account including ollas (unglazed clay watering pots) to assist keep moisture. I exploit ollas from Growoya.
Fertilizing Containers
Feed container crops about as soon as a month with a low dose of water-soluble fertilizer like this one. Containers lose vitamins extra rapidly as a result of frequent watering.
For extra container gardening suggestions, seek advice from my complete guides to container gardening.
Might is a stupendous time for flowers within the low desert—cool-season blooms start to fade, and warm-season flowers take heart stage. Right here’s methods to hold your flower backyard thriving:
Look after Present Blooms
Deadhead repeatedly to encourage steady blooms. Take away spent flowers from zinnias, salvia, coreopsis, gaillardia, marigold, and cosmos.→ Learn extra about heat-loving flowers
Take away spent winter annuals which might be fading within the warmth to make room for summer time blooms.
Mulch round flowers to assist scale back soil temperature, retain moisture, and add natural matter to the soil.
Wildflowers
Planting Heat-Season Flowers
Plant extra warm-season annuals now, together with sunflowers. I like this branching sunflower selection—it provides brilliant shade and attracts birds.
Hollyhocks bloom from late April via June. Get pleasure from their stunning show and save seeds to unfold round your backyard or share with associates.
Watering Tips for Flowers
As warmth will increase, water annual flowers deeply each 2–5 days to a depth of 8–12 inches. Permit the highest of the soil to dry between waterings to stop rot.
Roses are nonetheless going sturdy in Might. With slightly care, they’ll proceed blooming via early summer time.
Ongoing Rose Care
Don’t fear about leaf cutter bees—the harm is just beauty and received’t hurt your roses.
Deadhead spent blooms repeatedly to maintain flowers coming via early summer time.
Frivolously fertilize roses this month to help continued progress and blooming. I exploit this rose fertilizer from Amazon. As temperatures rise, lighter doses of liquid fertilizer are simpler in your crops if you wish to proceed feeding them.
Refresh and Mulch
If you happen to’re rising alyssum round your roses, it could start to fade within the warmth. I let mine go so long as potential, then refresh the world as soon as when the alyssum is completed.
To mulch your roses for summer time, apply a 1-inch layer of compost across the base of the plant, then prime it with 3 inches of wooden chip mulch.
The compost feeds the soil and helps wholesome microbial exercise.
The wooden chips assist retain moisture, defend the soil floor, scale back evaporation, and hold the basis zone as cool as potential in the summertime warmth.
Roses sometimes cease blooming within the excessive summer time warmth, however this mulch layer may help them survive and get better as soon as temperatures cool once more.
For a whole information to serving to your roses get via the summer time, see this scorching summer time rose survival information.
Might is a crucial month for fruit bushes and berry crops within the low desert. Common harvesting, cautious watering, and some key upkeep duties could make an enormous distinction within the well being of your bushes and the standard of your fruit as summer time warmth approaches. Right here’s what to concentrate on this month.
Fertilize and Mulch
Fertilize citrus bushes this month. Water properly earlier than and after making use of fertilizer. Use an natural citrus fertilizer or apply compost and worm castings utilizing this technique.
Mulch round fruit bushes with a 3–6 inch layer of natural mulch. Mulch helps decrease soil temperatures, retain moisture, and enhance soil well being.
I’ve began feeding my fruit bushes repeatedly with Nutrient+ from Arizona Worm Farm and have been more than happy with the outcomes. It’s particularly helped my bushes get better from summer time stress and harm. This yr, I’m making use of it earlier than the warmth units in—hoping it would assist strengthen and put together the bushes for the extreme summer time forward.
Harvest Time
Harvest strawberries, blackberries, and mulberries all through Might. Water strawberries persistently to stop them from drying out. Blackberries are sweetest after they flip uninteresting black, not shiny.
Early peaches and apricots are sometimes prepared this month. If birds begin pecking the fruit, decide it barely early and let it ripen on the counter. Be taught extra about rising peach bushes right here.
Pest and Illness Administration
Clear up fallen fruit beneath each deciduous and citrus bushes to assist stop pest and illness issues.
Assist grapevines as they develop, and examine the underside of leaves for grape leaf skeletonizer eggs. Take away and destroy eggs for those who discover them. If caterpillars seem, deal with with Bt (Bacillus thuringiensis) earlier than they unfold.
Different Fruit Tree Care
Proceed to skinny fruit on deciduous bushes to enhance fruit dimension and total well being. Be taught extra about fruit thinning right here.
Minor citrus pruning is ok this month. Take away suckers (shoots under the graft/bud union) and prune lifeless or broken wooden. Save heavy pruning for fall when temperatures cool.
Fruit Watering Tips: 2, 3
Established citrus bushes must be watered as soon as each 7-14 days to a 2-3 toes depth.
Water annual fruit and excessive water use vines each 2-5 days to a depth of 8-12″.
Water established fruit bushes each 7-10 days to a depth of 18-24″.
Grape vines want deep watering each 5 days.
Water annual fruit and excessive water use vines each 2-5 days to a depth of 8-12″.
Heat temperatures in Might convey a brand new burst of progress to many herbs. With just a few easy duties, you possibly can hold your herb backyard wholesome and productive via the summer time months.
Look after Present Herbs
Plant basil from seed or transplants this month. Hold basil repeatedly in the reduction of to encourage full, bushy crops and a gradual provide of recent leaves.
Permit biennial herbs like dill, parsley, and cilantro to flower. Their umbrella-shaped blooms entice a variety of helpful bugs, birds, and pollinators. As seeds kind, accumulate them in paper sacks as soon as they start to show brown.
Bay laurel grows properly this time of yr. Harvest bay leaves as wanted.
Lemon balm and different herbs from the mint household thrive in the hotter temperatures of Might. By now, frost-damaged or woody progress pruned in March must be filling in with new progress.
In the reduction of spent lavender flowers to encourage a tidy form and extra blooming.
Fertilize summer-growing herbs comparable to basil by including a layer of compost.
Apply mulch across the base of herbs to assist retain moisture and regulate soil temperature.
Frivolously prune borage after it has flowered to stop extreme reseeding.
Watering Tips for Herbs
Annual herbs will want extra frequent watering as temperatures rise. Water to a depth of 8–12 inches each 2–5 days, permitting the highest layer of soil to dry out between waterings.
Desert-adapted perennial herbs, like rosemary, want deep however rare watering—about each 7–21 days, soaking to a depth of 18–24 inches.
Mediterranean herbs comparable to sage, rosemary, lavender, oregano, and thyme usually tend to undergo from root rot as a result of overwatering than from drought stress. Throughout summer time, it’s particularly essential to not hold the soil too moist—let it dry out between waterings.
Because the climate heats up, it’s nonetheless potential to plant summer-flowering shrubs and do some mild upkeep within the panorama—simply be conscious of timing and plant wants.
Planting and Spacing
It’s okay to plant summer-flowering shrubs this month. Watch out to not overplant—select heat-adapted varieties and provides every plant sufficient area to succeed in its mature dimension.
Keep away from shearing shrubs into shapes. As an alternative, permit sufficient room for every plant to develop into its pure kind with out fixed pruning.
Pruning Tips
Don’t prune newly planted bushes or shrubs. Allow them to get established first.
Frivolously prune lifeless or broken branches on mature bushes and shrubs as wanted.
Save any heavy pruning for later within the fall when temperatures have cooled.
Trim spent blooms on spring-flowering perennials like Texas mountain laurel and penstemon to maintain crops tidy.
Mulching
Apply a 3–6 inch layer of mulch across the base of bushes and shrubs to cut back soil temperatures, retain moisture, and enhance soil construction over time.
Panorama Watering Tips: 2
Desert-adapted bushes, shrubs & vines each 7-21 days (Water to a depth of 24-36″ bushes / 18-24″ shrubs / 8-12″ vines).
Excessive water use bushes each 7-10 days (Water to a depth of 18-24″).
Excessive water use shrubs each 5-7 days (Water to a depth of 8-12″).
Excessive water use vines each 2-5 days (Water to a depth of 8-12″).
Additional Studying:
Sources:
1 – For additional studying, please seek advice from the unique article: “College of Delaware Cooperative Extension. (2023). Key Methods for Soybean Administration.” https://websites.udel.edu/weeklycropupdate/?p=4489.
2 – For added info on watering practices, go to: “Affiliation of Municipal Water Customers Authority. (2023). Landscaping with Model within the Arizona Desert.” https://www.amwua.org/landscaping-with-style.
3 – https://extension.arizona.edu/websites/extension.arizona.edu/information/pubs/az1151
Was this publish about gardening in Arizona throughout Might useful?In that case, please share it with a fellow gardener—it helps greater than you already know!
