Miscellaneous Gardening Calendar for May

• Greenhouses and conservatories can heat up quickly in May - shade with greenhouse shading fleece or greenhouse shading spray.
• Experiments in England suggest that sugar water might be a more effective bait for slugs than beer. Slugs preferred an agar gel containing 2 to 5 percent sucrose (table sugar). Artificial sweeteners were ineffective. (HortIdeas June 1993)
• Chitin has been found to reduce nematodes in garden soil. Chitin can be found in seafood meal made from dried and pulverized crab and shrimp parts.
• Watch for pests in outdoor containers. Weeds may develop fromseeds blown into the pot, and insects need to be controlled using appropriate measures. Be on the lookout for chewing insects, such as caterpillars and loopers, since they can do a great deal of damage in a short time. Spider mites, another offensive pest of many plants, can be partially controlled by frequent spraying ofwater from the garden hose.
• USDA entomologists are testing the biological control potential of an insect that preys on the azalea's worst enemy, the lacebug. Lace bugs suck nutrients from azaleas and other plants producing unsightly white spots on leaves. An adult of the insect predator, Stethoconus japonicus, can consume two to six lace bugs per day.
• Transplants become less stressed when they are set out on a cloudy, calm day. Unfortunately, gardeners may need to transplant when they have the time, regardless of the weather. Strong sun and wind are hard on new transplants, so set out plants in the late afternoon when the wind comes down and the plants have overnight to acclimate. Provide shade and wind protection with berry baskets, small crates, or screens. Mulching helps since it lowers the rate at which water evaporates from the soil and controls the soil temperature.
• Birds have five basic needs: food, water, shelter from hot and cold weather, nesting sites, and protection from predators. Supply these and you will have many more birds around your home to entertain you and control insect pests. Be sure feeders and nesting boxes are located where they cannot be reached by cats. A smooth, metal cylinder or cone at least 12 inches long attached to the pole or tree will cat-proof most locations.
• Cover sprouting seedlings with berry baskets to keep birds from pulling them up. When the young plants outgrow their protective covers, they are at a size where birds have little interest in them.
• To keep garden plants growing at a steady rate, fertilize them with manure tea or diluted fish emulsion every six weeks.
• The efficiency of air conditioner compressors can be increased by up to 10 percent if they are shaded by trees or shrubs. However, if you have an evaporative cooler, let the sun shine on it. Evaporative units need the sun to operate efficiently.
• Toads eat cutworms and other insect pests. Give them a home in your garden by placing inverted, clay flower pots in shady spots. Chip out a piece of the pot rim to give the toads an entrance tot heir home.
• Recycle kitchen scraps, such as meat trimmings, in a compost trench to avoid attracting birds or animals to your compost pile. Dig the trench between garden rows, and cover each addition with garden soil. The material will enrich your soil as it breaks down.
• To better evaluate your gardening successes, keep weather records along with garden records. The most important items to report are daily minimum and maximum temperatures, precipitation, cloud cover, and frost occurrences.
• Where earwigs and sowbugs are a problem, try trapping them with rolled up newspapers moistened with water. The insects will hide in the papers by day. Gather up the traps and dispose of them frequently.
• Algae and lichens are primitive plants that grow nearly anywhere there is adequate moisture for them. Although they are often found growing on tree trunks, algae and lichens generally do not harm trees; often they indicate stressful conditions, such as soil compaction, poor drainage, or insufficient fertilizer.
• Large, plate-glass windows are apparently invisible to birds. Hang small, mobile twists of reflective ribbon or hanging baskets in front of the glass to prevent crashes.
• Avoid using peat moss as a mulch. It tends to form a tight mat, virtually impermeable to light rain once it becomes dry. It is best mixed in with soil as a conditioner.
• Most snakes are beneficial to the farmer and gardener. They eat insects and rodents. Of particular value is the large, black, rat snake which consumes large numbersof mice, rats, and other small mammals.
• Introducing your children to gardening can be a rewarding experience for the entire family. Give them a small plot of their own with full sun, good soil, and drainage. Geraniums and begonias from pots are easy for little hands to handle, and marigolds, radishes, and favorite vegetables can be added. It's a pleasant and productive way to spend time together.
• When you see ants crawling about on garden plants, look for aphids as well. Some ant species protect aphids, moving them from plant to plant and even taking them underground into the anthill for overnight safety. The ants do this to ensure a supply of honeydew, a sugary water substance secreted by aphids, on which ants feed.
• Insect plant galls may be unsightly, but cause no damage to the plant affected. They are nothing more than an insect dwelling formed when the insect injects a growth-promoting chemical into the lant. The plant walls off the insect to prevent damage to other tissue, and the insect is protected by the gall until it emerges as an adult.

 

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