Latest / ATXGardens Podcast / What to Do in Your Central Texas Garden (May 1–15): Enjoy the Blooms, Don’t Touch Those Trees, and Summer Veggie Planting

Transcript

What to Do in Your Central Texas Garden (May 1–15): Enjoy the Blooms, Don’t Touch Those Trees, and Summer Veggie Planting · ATXGardens Podcast

• 0:08
  SPEAKER_00: Hi listeners, I'm Colleen Dieker, landscape consultant and certified arborist at atxgardens.com.
• 0:20
  SPEAKER_00: Welcome to the ATX Gardens Podcast, where every other week I share simple, timely tips for what to do in your Central Texas garden right now.
• 0:31
  SPEAKER_00: If you're watching on YouTube, tap like and subscribe for more gardening help.
• 0:39
  SPEAKER_00: Hey there, Texas Gardening Friends.
• 0:42
  SPEAKER_00: Today we're talking about what to do in the first half of May.
• 0:49
  SPEAKER_00: And as always, this episode is sponsored by my garden consulting business, atxgardens.com.
• 0:58
  SPEAKER_00: So let's get started.
• 1:01
  SPEAKER_00: So, in general, the first half of May can be a little overwhelming.
• 1:07
  SPEAKER_00: I'm feeling a little overwhelmed with how fast everything is growing.
• 1:13
  SPEAKER_00: I know at my house I'm contending with a lot more weeds than normal because it's rained so much.
• 1:22
  SPEAKER_00: I have some bamboo coming in, things like that.
• 1:26
  SPEAKER_00: It's a tough time and it can feel a little discouraging.
• 1:32
  SPEAKER_00: I am going to use the sheet mulching method in some parts of my yard where the weeds have just gotten to be overwhelming and some of the plants have not been thriving.
• 1:50
  SPEAKER_00: So I'm going to use that method, which is sheet mulching, where you cut the weeds down, then you put a couple layers of cardboard, a couple inches of compost, and then a couple inches of mulch on top of that, and then let it sit for a few months while all the plants underneath the cardboard die and the cardboard starts to decompose a little bit.
• 2:19
  SPEAKER_00: And then in the fall, I'll come back in and I'll plant some new plants in that area.
• 2:26
  SPEAKER_00: So if you're interested in learning more about sheet mulching, um, we're gonna put some instructions on the website in the show notes so you can check those out.
• 2:38
  SPEAKER_00: Now in May, make sure you take it easy out there because it's gonna be really hot.
• 2:47
  SPEAKER_00: You know, this is the time of year when gardeners tend to pass out because it starts getting hot, it's really humid, and we're not used to it yet.
• 2:59
  SPEAKER_00: We don't have our hot weather routines in place yet.
• 3:03
  SPEAKER_00: You might not have your hot weather clothes out yet.
• 3:08
  SPEAKER_00: So just stick to you know being out there in the morning if you can.
• 3:13
  SPEAKER_00: Make sure you use a lot of bug repellent, sunblock, you know, wear lightweight clothes, use a sun hat to protect yourself.
• 3:26
  SPEAKER_00: And the sun hat, the sun block, bug repellent, and lightweight pants that I like to use are all available for purchase via my website, atxgardens.com, and we'll have direct links to those items in the show notes, too.
• 3:47
  SPEAKER_00: You know, May is a really good time to slow down, have a beverage, maybe some tea or a cocktail made with something that you grew.
• 4:00
  SPEAKER_00: Take time to enjoy the flowers that are going to be blooming at this time of year, and start getting ready for summer.
• 4:10
  SPEAKER_00: I'm really looking forward to seeing the Greg's mist flower blooming, all the asters will start blooming, uh, the lantanas and things like that.
• 4:22
  SPEAKER_00: I'm looking forward to enjoying May.
• 4:25
  SPEAKER_00: Even though it can be a little overwhelming in terms of gardening, make sure you take some time and enjoy the beautiful blooms.
• 4:34
  SPEAKER_00: Now, with woody plants like trees and shrubs, it's time to wrap it up.
• 4:43
  SPEAKER_00: You should not be planting any woody plants at this time of year.
• 4:48
  SPEAKER_00: It's way too hot for them.
• 4:52
  SPEAKER_00: It's really hard for them to get established.
• 4:55
  SPEAKER_00: They'll just be limping along.
• 4:57
  SPEAKER_00: It really sets them back.
• 4:59
  SPEAKER_00: So do not plant any wood, any woody plants right now.
• 5:04
  SPEAKER_00: Wait until September.
• 5:06
  SPEAKER_00: And if you keep listening to the podcast, make sure you subscribe.
• 5:11
  SPEAKER_00: In September, I'll remind you when it's time to start planting woody plants again.
• 5:17
  SPEAKER_00: Do not prune any woody plants at this time of year, especially oaks, because it's still oak wilt season.
• 5:27
  SPEAKER_00: Um, pruning now can spread oak wilt disease, so avoid that.
• 5:32
  SPEAKER_00: It's not a good time for pruning any trees and shrubs right now because they've just grown their new leaves.
• 5:40
  SPEAKER_00: They've just started photosynthesizing with those new leaves, and they need to be able to feed themselves with those new leaves at this time of year.
• 5:49
  SPEAKER_00: So wait until summer, unless a branch is broken or dead, or if there's a hanging branch that's or something that's otherwise dangerous.
• 6:01
  SPEAKER_00: Now, what about our fruit trees?
• 6:04
  SPEAKER_00: You know, it can be really hard to remember when you planted your fruit trees, what species and varieties they are, and how you cared for them.
• 6:16
  SPEAKER_00: And I really recommend keeping a journal of some sort, whether it's on paper, keeping a blog, looking back at your social media posts, keep track of the information around your fruit trees that's really key to success with growing fruit.
• 6:35
  SPEAKER_00: And I also think that having tags on the trees uh is really important too.
• 6:42
  SPEAKER_00: You can write the name of the plant, the variety, the year that you planted it on those tags.
• 6:51
  SPEAKER_00: So you at least have that information.
• 6:54
  SPEAKER_00: And I mentioned that in the last episode, and I forgot to include the link in the show notes to the types of tags that I like.
• 7:02
  SPEAKER_00: So this time I'm making absolutely sure that the tags uh are included in the show notes.
• 7:11
  SPEAKER_00: So check those out if you're looking for good tags for your trees, long-lasting, durable tags.
• 7:19
  SPEAKER_00: Also, in the last episode, I mentioned that it's time to thin your apples, pears, peaches, plums, apricots, uh, all of the stone fruits.
• 7:35
  SPEAKER_00: And if you're not sure about thinning, go back and listen to the last episode that's episode 15 from the second half of April, and I go over thinning in detail.
• 7:48
  SPEAKER_00: It's really important for the long-term health of your fruit trees, that they don't carry too much fruit.
• 7:57
  SPEAKER_00: And it's really important to make sure that you get fruit that's a good size and that the fruit tastes good too.
• 8:07
  SPEAKER_00: And if you don't thin them, then sometimes you can have problems with fruit that tastes bland or is too small.
• 8:55
  SPEAKER_00: If you need to prop up those branches on your fruit trees to support them, if they're too heavy with fruit, that's a really common problem, especially with peaches and nectarines.
• 9:08
  SPEAKER_00: As the fruit starts maturing in May, the branches might get really heavy and it can break the tree.
• 9:15
  SPEAKER_00: So make sure you find a way to prop those up if you need to and thin them.
• 9:22
  SPEAKER_00: Um, and May is also a really good time for uh doing any soil treatments that you might need to do and feeding of the fruit trees while they're producing fruit and seeds.
• 9:37
  SPEAKER_00: It requires a lot of feeding.
• 9:40
  SPEAKER_00: They need a lot of food and encouragement to do that well.
• 9:45
  SPEAKER_00: So make sure if you haven't yet got a soil test done so that you know what to add to the soil to support your trees.
• 9:55
  SPEAKER_00: And if you did get a soil test, now's a good time to do a soil treatment to help uh nourish those trees while they're doing that heavy, hard work of making fruit.
• 10:09
  SPEAKER_00: Okay, now moving on to perennials and ornamental grasses and bulbs.
• 10:18
  SPEAKER_00: Just as a little reminder, perennials are plants that grow from the ground in the spring, then they bloom in usually late spring, summer, or fall, and then the tops of the plants die in the winter time, and then they come back again in the spring growing up from the ground.
• 10:47
  SPEAKER_00: And now is the time for you to start wrapping up perennial planting, okay?
• 10:55
  SPEAKER_00: At this time of year, some of the tropical and uh more cold-sensitive perennials will be available at the nurseries, like Canna's, um, yellow bells, firebush, and pride of Barbados, which are all classic choices for Austin Gardens.
• 11:18
  SPEAKER_00: So grab those now if you've been searching for them this spring and couldn't find them because they're often released later, because they're a little bit slower to grow back than some of the other native plants because they need really hot weather to get really growing well to look good in the pots.
• 11:42
  SPEAKER_00: And the nursery, the nurseries don't want to carry little puny plants that don't look good.
• 11:48
  SPEAKER_00: So they often wait to start carrying those plants until a little bit later.
• 11:54
  SPEAKER_00: I love those plants because they're easy to grow, they require very little care, they don't need much water once they're established, they're very beautiful, and um, all of those plants that I mentioned provide food and shelter for butterflies too.
• 12:11
  SPEAKER_00: So start wrapping it up though for the perennials, grasses, bulbs, and ground covers.
• 12:20
  SPEAKER_00: You can transplant them at this time of year.
• 12:23
  SPEAKER_00: It's really your last chance to get all that planting and transplanting done before it just gets way too hot to plant almost anything.
• 12:34
  SPEAKER_00: Okay, and now our mid-episode sponsor break.
• 12:40
  SPEAKER_00: Hey y'all, this is Colleen Dieter with ATXgardens.com.
• 12:47
  SPEAKER_00: If you need personalized help for your landscape, book a consultation with me and we'll walk your yard together.
• 12:55
  SPEAKER_00: I'll answer all of your questions and we'll create a plan together that feels doable for you.
• 13:01
  SPEAKER_00: I specialize in helping do-it-yourselfers by giving you guidance to get to your garden goals.
• 13:08
  SPEAKER_00: This week, I have a special announcement.
• 13:11
  SPEAKER_00: I want to welcome a new member of the ATX Gardens team, Bailey Hoops.
• 13:18
  SPEAKER_00: She is a clinically trained herbalist specializing in native medicinal plants.
• 13:26
  SPEAKER_00: Bailey studied with the Boston Permaculture Guild and is certified in permaculture design.
• 13:33
  SPEAKER_00: She's also certified with the Native Plant Society of Texas in landscaping with native plants.
• 13:41
  SPEAKER_00: In addition to myself, Bailey is available to guide you to your gardening goals, and Bailey is offering appointments on the weekends.
• 13:53
  SPEAKER_00: So check out atxgardens.com to make an appointment with either me or with Bailey.
• 14:01
  SPEAKER_00: So let's get back to the episode.
• 14:04
  SPEAKER_00: Okay, now what about the vegetable garden?
• 14:08
  SPEAKER_00: At this time of year, at the beginning of May, this is a little bit of a transition time uh in terms of planting in the vegetable garden, and it's a little bit complicated and nuanced, and I want to try to tease this out a little bit for all you vegetable gardeners out there.
• 14:30
  SPEAKER_00: So the first half of May, in my opinion, is your last chance to plant green beans because as the summer heats up and our nighttime temperatures start to stay above 75 degrees, the pollen in the flowers of the green beans becomes sterile.
• 14:56
  SPEAKER_00: And then the plants might be alive, but they won't produce beans.
• 15:02
  SPEAKER_00: But their cousins, the southern peas, like black-eyed peas and cow peas, are more heat tolerant and they will produce through the worst months of the summer here.
• 15:17
  SPEAKER_00: So it's your last chance to plant true green beans, but you can go ahead and plant your southern peas, black-eyed peas, and cow peas.
• 15:28
  SPEAKER_00: Um, you can plant melons now, and they will grow and produce fruit all summer long.
• 15:36
  SPEAKER_00: I recommend with the black-eyed peas and the melons to direct sow them into the ground with seeds.
• 15:47
  SPEAKER_00: Some sources say that it's okay to plant cucumbers now, but I advise against it.
• 15:54
  SPEAKER_00: Most of the cucumber varieties that gardeners commonly think of when they want to grow cucumbers do not thrive in the heat, especially English varieties and some of the more common varieties, they just don't do well in the heat.
• 16:14
  SPEAKER_00: So if you want to plant cucumbers now, I'd recommend going with a variety that is adapted to heat, like Armenian cucumbers, which is my favorite.
• 16:27
  SPEAKER_00: Um, you can look for cucumber varieties from India.
• 16:32
  SPEAKER_00: You can grow our native cuco melons, which are little teeny tiny cucumbers that are also sometimes called mouse melons, um, or Jamaican burgerkens.
• 16:46
  SPEAKER_00: Um, and all of those varieties could be direct sown from seed right into the garden.
• 16:54
  SPEAKER_00: So stick with those hot weather varieties from you know places where the weather is really, really hot if you want to have cucumbers during the summer.
• 17:07
  SPEAKER_00: It's definitely getting too hot to plant tomatoes at this time of year, in my opinion.
• 17:15
  SPEAKER_00: The exception is uh smaller cherry types, pear tomatoes, the ones that make smaller fruit generally will produce fruit all summer.
• 17:29
  SPEAKER_00: But the larger size tomatoes typically don't produce any fruit when it gets hot out.
• 17:36
  SPEAKER_00: So they're really not worth planting now, unless you have a specific special variety that was meant for the heat, but that's the exception, and really it's going to be so hard for them to get established now.
• 17:51
  SPEAKER_00: So I think it's kind of time to stop planting tomatoes, with the exception of the cherry types.
• 17:59
  SPEAKER_00: You can still, though, plant the tomatoes' cousins, the peppers and eggplants.
• 18:05
  SPEAKER_00: They can still be planted from little plants or transplants, and they will produce all summer long.
• 18:13
  SPEAKER_00: Winter squash and pumpkins can be planted now and they'll grow all summer.
• 18:20
  SPEAKER_00: I don't recommend planting summer squash now unless it's a really durable variety meant for the heat, like Tatume squash.
• 18:32
  SPEAKER_00: Generally, even though they're called summer squash, that doesn't mean that they're gonna do well in Austin in the summer.
• 18:41
  SPEAKER_00: So I would avoid planting summer squash at this time of year.
• 18:46
  SPEAKER_00: Wait until the fall.
• 18:49
  SPEAKER_00: And again, I'll alert you when it's time for another round of uh planting in the fall.
• 18:56
  SPEAKER_00: But you can plant winter squash and pumpkins now.
• 19:00
  SPEAKER_00: Now is also a great time for planting sweet potatoes from slips.
• 19:06
  SPEAKER_00: May also marks a change in the vegetable garden from planting time to really more of a focus on tending and caring for your plants.
• 19:20
  SPEAKER_00: And it's even the beginning of harvest for some of the more early crops.
• 19:25
  SPEAKER_00: Make sure that you're taking some time to train and trellis all of your vining plants.
• 19:32
  SPEAKER_00: It rained so much in April that a lot of the uh indeterminate tomato varieties could probably benefit from having some of their side branches removed.
• 19:46
  SPEAKER_00: So don't be afraid to cut off some of the branches that are growing out from the sides of the tomato plants in order to increase light penetration and airflow into the middle of the plant to prevent diseases, and that will ensure a longer production period.
• 20:08
  SPEAKER_00: Peppers and eggplants are going to start getting really big, and around here in Austin, they get so big that they benefit from being caged because their branches can get kind of lanky and heavy under the fruit and can snap.
• 20:25
  SPEAKER_00: So using small tomato cages or steaks on peppers and eggplants, that's a wise move to prevent them from falling apart.
• 20:36
  SPEAKER_00: Early May is a really good time to do a method called side dressing around your vegetables, especially peppers and eggplants and the vegetables that are going to continue producing through the summer.
• 20:54
  SPEAKER_00: Take a few handfuls of compost, spread that out around each plant, or you could use a tomato and pepper food, sprinkle that around the base of each plant to give them just a little gentle feeding while they're producing and growing, and that will help keep them healthy through the summer.
• 21:22
  SPEAKER_00: Make sure you add about a two to four-inch layer of tree leaves or pine needles as mulch on top of the ground around your vegetables if you haven't yet.
• 21:35
  SPEAKER_00: I always have mulch in my garden.
• 21:37
  SPEAKER_00: I'm always adding to it.
• 21:39
  SPEAKER_00: But if you have bare soil in your garden, that's really bad for the plants going into the summer.
• 21:47
  SPEAKER_00: So make sure that all the soil is covered with some sort of mulch because that helps keep the soil cool and holds moisture in the soil to keep your plants happy when the temperatures start getting really hot.
• 22:02
  SPEAKER_00: Now's a great time for planting all warm season herbs and annual garden flowers, like basil, sunflowers, zinnias, cosmos, and solos, and they can all be planted directly into the ground from seed at this time of year.
• 22:23
  SPEAKER_00: And I find that they all tend to do better when they're planted directly from seed.
• 22:29
  SPEAKER_00: Early May is also a really good time to start harvesting a little here and there from all of your Mediterranean herbs like oregano.
• 22:40
  SPEAKER_00: And time before they start blooming.
• 22:45
  SPEAKER_00: And I'll let you know in mid-summer is the time to cut them back really hard after they bloom to keep them bushy and keep them going.
• 22:57
  SPEAKER_00: It's a good time now to start including them in your meals and just harvesting a little bit here and there.
• 23:05
  SPEAKER_00: This year I'm planting rosemary and lavender in my herb garden from one-gallon transplants that I bought at the nursery.
• 23:17
  SPEAKER_00: Last year I decided to try treating rosemary and lavender as annuals, even though they can be perennial in our Austin gardens.
• 23:31
  SPEAKER_00: The winters that we're having the last few years are cold enough to kill them.
• 23:39
  SPEAKER_00: And so now I'm starting with a larger plant, then harvesting a little bit at a time throughout the summer, and then I will harvest the entire plant in the fall and enjoy the dried herbs all winter with the rosemary and lavender.
• 24:00
  SPEAKER_00: And I did that last year for the first time, and I was really happy with the results.
• 24:05
  SPEAKER_00: And so I'm going to do that again this year.
• 24:08
  SPEAKER_00: I was a little late getting the rosemary and lavender in the ground, but I'm doing that now in May.
• 24:14
  SPEAKER_00: Okay, now what about your grass?
• 24:18
  SPEAKER_00: Do you still have a lawn?
• 24:20
  SPEAKER_00: If you still have a lawn and you like it, good for you.
• 24:24
  SPEAKER_00: If you have a lawn that has a lot of problems and it bothers you, hire me or Bailey at atxgardens.com and we can help you figure out what to do instead of a lawn.
• 24:40
  SPEAKER_00: If you still have a lawn, make sure that you are mowing it on the highest setting possible.
• 24:49
  SPEAKER_00: Put your mower deck up as high as it can go.
• 24:53
  SPEAKER_00: That's really important for keeping healthy grass in Austin.
• 24:58
  SPEAKER_00: Now, I know that there are other sources that say in Texas you're supposed to mow the grass really short, particularly Zoija grass, but I disagree with that advice.
• 25:11
  SPEAKER_00: That is advice for East Texas where it rains more often.
• 25:16
  SPEAKER_00: And here in Central Texas, where we're going into the summer and the dry season, it's really important that you keep the grass really tall so that it can shade its own roots.
• 25:32
  SPEAKER_00: And it'll be able to get its roots deeper into the ground where there's more moisture because the top of the soil dries out faster than the soil down lower.
• 25:45
  SPEAKER_00: And if you leave the grass a little bit taller, that makes it possible for the grass roots to get deeper down into the soil.
• 25:56
  SPEAKER_00: So put your mower deck up as high as you possibly can.
• 26:00
  SPEAKER_00: And the other key is to not mow too often.
• 26:04
  SPEAKER_00: Okay.
• 26:06
  SPEAKER_00: Once every two weeks is really enough.
• 26:10
  SPEAKER_00: Now I'm going to wrap up the episode with my activism section.
• 26:15
  SPEAKER_00: In the last episode, I asked you what we're really doing when we're gardening.
• 26:21
  SPEAKER_00: I know that we're digging holes and we're growing food for ourselves and we're enjoying being outdoors.
• 26:29
  SPEAKER_00: But if you grow heirloom seed that's special to you and special to our region here in Central Texas, you're preventing extinction of relatively rare plants, preserving biodiversity, and stewarding genetics that can help us survive climate change and wars.
• 26:49
  SPEAKER_00: I asked y'all to read the article from The Guardian about the Russian botanists who gave their lives to protect their seed bank during the Nazi blockade of Leningrad during World War II.
• 27:02
  SPEAKER_00: Those botanists chose to starve rather than eat the seeds that they were charged with stewarding.
• 27:09
  SPEAKER_00: And to quote the Guardian article, the mission was urgent.
• 27:14
  SPEAKER_00: Everywhere, conflict, natural disaster, and the destruction of habitat threatened to make certain types of plants extinct.
• 27:23
  SPEAKER_00: Once destroyed, these specimens and their unique characteristics would be irretrievably lost.
• 27:30
  SPEAKER_00: The extinction of unexamined plant varieties could mean the loss of world-changing medicines or super crops that could provide security against famine.
• 27:45
  SPEAKER_00: Does that sound familiar?
• 27:47
  SPEAKER_00: We still face the same problems.
• 27:50
  SPEAKER_00: Everywhere, conflict, natural disaster, and the destruction of habitat threatens to make certain types of plants extinct.
• 27:59
  SPEAKER_00: In upcoming episodes, I'll be highlighting organizations that are saving seeds in combat zones.
• 28:06
  SPEAKER_00: This episode, I start with the story of Ukraine's seed bank, which was secretly rescued from destruction at the start of the Ukraine war.
• 28:17
  SPEAKER_00: You can read the article with the link in my show notes.
• 28:21
  SPEAKER_00: And as always, think globally, act locally, give a donation of cash or seeds to Central Texas Seed Savers, and there's a link to do that also in the show notes.
• 28:34
  SPEAKER_00: All right, that wraps up today's episode.
• 28:37
  SPEAKER_00: Again, check out the show notes for links to everything I mentioned.
• 28:41
  SPEAKER_00: And if you enjoyed this episode, please share it with a Central Texas gardener.
• 28:47
  SPEAKER_00: It really helps me grow the show.
• 28:50
  SPEAKER_00: I'm Colleen Dieter with atxgardens.com, and I'll see you next time.
• 28:58
  SPEAKER_00: Thanks for listening to the ATX Gardens podcast.
• 29:03
  SPEAKER_00: For show notes, tools, and to book a consultation with me, visit atxgardens.com.
• 29:12
  SPEAKER_00: Happy gardening.
• 29:13
  SPEAKER_00: See you next time.