May's Growing Planner
Each month brings something different to the life of a grower/farmer! Our to-do list is never-ending, and our growing planner needs to be on point to stay on top of everything and produce the best yield.
But being new to this magical world can be overwhelming and stressful, especially when you have no idea what this to-do list consists of or even where to start. This is why I will break down each month and help guide you. The only thing I can do is pass on what I have learned, and I hope that it provides you some clarity and helps bring the process and the lifestyle of being a grower/farmer the same joy it has brought many of us.
May's Planning Guide
Be sure to make notes about the success and failures you had during your spring planting. This is how you will learn and grow as a grower/farmer and better your crops for the following year. Ask yourself the following questions: Is there something that should have been planted sooner or later? What insects are you starting to see this month in your garden? Write these down in your journal!
Stay on top of the weeding and replenish your mulch where needed.
Check your irrigation systems for breaks and leaks and ensure they are working correctly.
Preparing and Maintaining This Month's Garden
Feed fruit trees with compost and replenish your mulch.
Continue to trim your fruit on your fruit trees to every 6 inches while the fruit is small.
Concave your exposed compost piles so that they can absorb rainfall rather than displace it.
What to Sow and Plant In Your Garden This Month
Zone 6
Once your soil reaches 60 degrees Fahrenheit, plant your tomatoes, peppers, and eggplant transplants.
Sow in your seeds for the following: beans, melons, cucumbers, squash, corn, okra, lettuce, pumpkins, and sweet potato slips. Your beets, lettuce, and greens will continue to be sowed until about mid-month.
Zones 7-10
Remove your heat-stressed, cool-season crops and replace them with heat-loving plants such as black-eyed peas, Malabar spinach, yard-long beans, eggplant, okra, sweet potatoes, peppers, purslane, and basil.
Plant heat-tolerant tomatoes only! These include Heatwave and cherry-type tomatoes (such as Sweet 100 and Juliet).
What You Should Be Harvesting This Month
Zone 6 Zones 7-10
Arugula Cucumbers
Asparagus Eggplant
Greens Green Beans
Garlic Peppers
Green Onions Sweet Peas
Kohlrabi Snow Peas
Lettuce Squash
Peas Tomatoes
Radishes
Spinach