Create Your Dream Garden 
Southwest: May Gardening
Submitted by mgodfrey on May 11, 2009 – 12:05 amOne Comment
Southwest garden tasks for the month of May:
- Plant summer annuals to replace winter annuals that are dying in the increasing heat. Try moss rose (Portulaca), zinnias, salvia, verbena, celosia.
- May is one of the driest months of the year here. Increase watering as needed. Flowers and veggies may need daily watering. Lawns may need water twice weekly. Trees and shrubs, even those adapted to the desert, may need some supplemental water to prevent stress. Consider replacing high-water plants, especially a lawn, with local native plants, which are adapted to the weather.
- Mulch flower and vegetable beds to conserve water and prevent weeds.
- Fertilize citrus trees and palm trees, choosing a fertilizer labeled for their use. Follow directions carefully.
- Plant and transplant cacti and other succulents, as well as palms and other heat-loving plants. They will quickly grow new roots in the warm weather.
This topic needs a Pacific Coast region. I live on the central California coast, a climate zone that extends all the way from Eureka to Point Mugu; we are in no way like the Pacific Northwest with its heavy rain and snow, nor do we have intense heat of inland Arid Southwest. Our climate area also contains the SF Bay Area, which has a huge population and where gardeners can plant and harvest year round. There are plenty of Pacific Coast garden writers; don’t leave us in the lurch–please get a Pacific Coast garden region going! Thanks.