A relative of Southern peas, heat-loving long beans start producing about 60 days after planting seed. By Patty and Bruce Leander
By Patty Leander
Space sweet potato slips one foot apart; the vigorous will soon cover the entire bed. By Patty and Bruce Leander
Yay for May — one of the most delightful months to be outdoors! Warm days, warm soil and mild nights make our time in the garden more enjoyable, and it encourages our vegetables to grow more vigorously. Unfortunately, pests seem to like these comfortable conditions as much as we do, so be on the lookout for aphids, spider mites, cucumber beetles and other vegetable pests. Check under leaves for egg clusters and crush the eggs or remove the leaf to eliminate the problem before their numbers multiply.
Leaf-footed bugs love tomatoes. When they pierce the fruit, they inject a compound that slows the rate of ripening in the
immediate area. As the rest of the tomato ripens the punctured area stays pale, causing those all too familiar bumpy, yellowish spots on the fruit. Because adult leaf-footed bugs are difficult to control it is best to go after the nymphs. Insecticidal soap, neem oil and products containing pyrethrin are most effective against this pest.
The warm season harvest generally begins this month with green beans, cucumbers and squash, though the cool and mild temperatures we experienced in April may have us waiting a little bit longer for the harvest. Hopefully that first ripe tomato will be ready before the end of the month, followed by a steady harvest of luscious, ripe fruit.
Here is the vegetable gardener’s checklist for May:
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Encourage beneficials in your garden. By Patty and Bruce Leander
As summer approaches protect yourself from the elements with sunscreen, sunglasses, gloves and a wide-brim hat.
- Fertilize vegetables and flowering annuals every 3-4 weeks.
- Plant okra, southern peas and sweet potatoes now if you haven’t done so already. Soak okra seed overnight to help speed up germination.
- Harvest onions when the tops begin to fall over. Pull up the plants and spread them out to cure in a dry, shady place for 2-3 days. After curing, cut the tops off and store the onions in a cool, dry place.
- Plant yard long beans this month and you will be harvesting long, slender, tasty pods in about 60 days. These unique beans, a relative of the Southern pea, are best harvested when 12-15 inches long. The entire pod is edible and makes an excellent addition to stir-fries.
- Encourage beneficials in your garden. Spiders, lizards, wasps, toads and other ‘good guys’ eat the bad guys that damage our prized vegetable plants. A source of water, habitat and plants that provide nectar and pollen will draw these natural pest enemies to your garden and help keep them there.
Leaf-footed bug nymphs: the children do not always resemble their parental units. By Patty and Bruce Leander
Adult leaf-footed bugs and the damage they cause on tomatoes. By Patty and Bruce Leander
Prized tomatoes wrapped in mesh bags discourage birds and bugs. By Patty and Bruce Leander
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