View full sizePrune lilacs after they bloom.The cool spring may have delayed some plants, but the weeds are thriving. Keep up with them, especially in vegetable and annual beds. Use organic mulches to keep weeds down and minimize water loss from evaporation.
Here are some other tasks to keep in mind this month.
Edibles
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Plant corn and tender vegetables.
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Thin new plantings of lettuce, onion, radish, spinach and chard, and use in salads.
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Feed vegetable garden a month after planting.
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After unpollinated fruit drops -- a normal occurrence -- thin the rest to produce a larger crop.
Shrubs
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Prune lilacs, forsythia, rhododendrons and azaleas after blooming.
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Fertilize roses. Many roses (especially hybrid teas) demand supplemental feeding to keep up the flower show. Apply fertilizer every four to six weeks, depending on the rose type. Use a liquid fertilizer (not granular) on newly planted roses. Be sure to water before and after feeding.
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Prune once-blooming roses after they finish blooming.
Perennials
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Begin deadheading (removing spent flower heads) on perennials. Some perennials will rebloom or bloom longer if they don't go to seed.
Annuals
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Plant annuals such as zinnias, sunflowers, marigolds and cosmos to attract beneficial insects.
Cleanup
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Remove standing water around the yard to control mosquito breeding.
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Replace water in birdbaths once or twice a week.
Houseplants
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Move houseplants outside for cleaning, grooming, repotting and summer growth.
Containers
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Feed container plants once a month.
Lawn
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Mow the lawn regularly. Remove only one-third of the growing grass blades.
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Fertilize the lawn. It's not actually necessary, but fertilizing it will help it look better and compete better against the weeds,
-- Homes & Gardens staff
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