What’s Blooming For May

Maintenance Tips For May

Fertilizing needs this month:

Root and shoot growth increase as temperatures continue to warm up during the spring and summer months. This means that most warm-season grasses are actively growing by early to mid-May. This is when your lawn needs a significant amount of nitrogen, and this nitrogen demand cannot usually be met by environmental sources alone. A good rule to keep in mind while fertilizing your warm season grasses is to wait to fertilize your warm-season grass until nighttime temperatures are around 70 ºF. 

Pruning needs this month:

Late spring/early summer are critical growing season pruning months! Here is a list of plants that you should be pruning during this time:

Prune when they finish blooming:

• Camellia
• Daphne
• Forsythia
• Flowering quince
• Loropetalum
• Viburnum 
• Big leaf hydrangeas 
• Oakleaf hydrangeas 
• Wisteria 

Hedges:

Here are some hedges that may need shaping after all of the new growth from the spring season throughout the late spring and early summer as needed:

• Abelia
• Arborvitae
• Boxwood
• Euonymus
• Holly
• Juniper
• Ligustrums 

Pests and diseases to look out for this month:

Beginning in May you will start to notice all of the common spring and summer season, garden pests and diseases are out in force, including slugs, snails, caterpillars, aphids, vine weevils and scarlet lily beetles.

Additional Monthly Tips For May:

Soil testing:

Soil testing is incredibly important for South Carolina lawns to determine the soil’s pH and nutrient levels. Generally, lawns in our area perform best when the soil pH is between 6.0 and 7.0. A soil test will determine the current pH and will inform you of the nutrients that it may be lacking to be able to thrive. Annual soil testing is highly recommended to help ensure optimal soil fertility and for protection against over-fertilization