Here in the Mid-Atlantic, May is “Go Time” for gardeners.  [Please get a mental image of the Grinch doing his workout to steal Christmas.] Our last spring frost #LSF is usually around April 20 or thereabouts but I like to use May 1 for ease in calculating start dates.

May is the month. This is when all the preparation and care of the last 2-3 months gets to become real. 

Here is a general to do list to work on throughout the month so that you are set up for gardening success all summer long.  Take your time. It doesn’t all have to be done in one day or weekend. And you will undoubtedly need to modify and re-touch things as the summer goes on.

Preparation

• Weed your pathways and beds if you haven’t already. This takes regular upkeep but you want to minimize it as much as possible
• Put down cardboard and a 3-5” layer of woodchips on all your paths to reduce weeds. Most places have free chip drops from nearby arborists. 
• Prep your beds with a fresh layer of compost and manure if you can.  Craigslist is a great place to get cheep manure from a local horse farm.

Plantings

• Harden off your seedlings by gradually exposing them to the great outdoors over a week. Just do a few hours the first day and add 1-2 hours each day so they can acclimate to the sun, wind, and other elements. If you buy seedlings from a nursery, then you can skip this.
• Buy any seedlings that you didn’t start yourself or that weren’t successful. It’s okay, it’s all learning and there is always next year. Two-thirds of my tomato seedlings died from gnats this year.  Grrr!
• Plant your seedlings later in the day on a cloudy day if possible and water them in well. It’s a big shock for these little babies so make it as easy as you can.

Equipment

• Get all your equipment and tools out of storage and located conveniently to where you will use them.  On a weekly basis I use a hoe, rake, hori hori knife, a bucket, watering can, and a wheelbarrow. I keep everything right at the entrance to my garden, organized in a pallet #pallet projects
• Put up fencing and trellises as needed for your crops that will need support for climbing – pole beans, tomatoes, berries, etc.
• Buy clips and stakes to help support.
• Get a gardening belt for your gloves and snips. I also keep a tape measure in mine too. You can use an old apron or a fanny pack. No judgement here – I bet you look fly😊

Maintenance

• Buy the fertilizer you will need for the season. I like the AgroThrive brand.
• Decide on your pest management strategy.  Will you use BT (Bacillus thuringiensis) for X? Or DE (Diatomaceous earth) for Y?  Do you plan to use a spray?  If so, can you make an organic one yourself with natural ingredients? Or are you going to hand pick off slugs and remove eggs at 5am every morning? You won’t be able to prevent everything, there will be some losses. But get to know the pests most prevalent in your zone and get ahead of them.

Beautify

• It can’t be all work and no play.  If the garden is your retreat, add some beauty and pleasure. Plant some flowers. Add a bird feeder or bird bath. Grow some flowery vining plants along a fence or trellis.