Garden almanac

This Week in the Garden (May 12)

Winter injury on a yew.

This week in the garden, you may have heard the term “drought cold tolerance” floating around in garden circles lately? It’s basically about how winter damage can be worse when we don’t get enough snow to insulate plants and provide moisture in the soil. This is especially a problem for evergreens. Right now, you might be noticing browning on the branches, particularly on the south and west sides. Unfortunately, there’s not much to do but wait and hope they fill back in. Younger evergreens tend to bounce back better than older ones, so fingers crossed!

Adult lilac borer

Speaking of timing, once the lilacs finish blooming, it’s a good time to cut out any dead canes or branches. This is especially important because it helps manage lilac borers. These pests start off as tiny, wasp-like insects that lay eggs on the canes. Once those eggs hatch, the larvae burrow in and can kill off the canes.

If you’re gearing up to plant those greenhouse veggies and flowers, remember to harden them off first. Don’t just plop them straight into the garden with the current wind and heat. Start by putting them on the east side of your house, where they’ll get gentler light. Gradually move them to sunnier, windier spots over the course of a week. This is especially crucial for more tender vining crops. Luckily, the forecast says things should cool down by the weekend.

Got problems with crabgrass or sandburs in the lawn? Now’s the time to apply pre-emergent herbicide. Look for one that includes fertilizer to give your grass a little extra boost.

Fasciated asparagus spears

Oh, and if you’re seeing some weird, thick, flat asparagus spears, don’t worry. That’s called fasciation, and it can happen with flowers too. It’s usually just a weather-related oddity and won’t harm the plant.

Blooming rhubarb

Lastly, keep an eye on your rhubarb. If it’s starting to bolt and send up flower stalks, go ahead and snip those off. You want the plant to put its energy into the stems and leaves, not into flowering.

Astronomy

Night Sky this Week

In the night sky this week, Jupiter is chilling in the constellation Taurus in the night sky this week. It’s visible high in the west after sunset and sets a few hours later.

Mars is hanging out nearby in Gemini, near the twin stars Castor and Pollux. It’s a bit higher up in the western sky than Jupiter, and its reddish color gives it away pretty easily. It is beside the Beehive Star Cluster, which is beautiful in binoculars. The moon moves past on Saturday and Sunday.

The bright object you see around an hour before sunrise in the east is Venus. It is gaining in brightness as it closes in on Earth’s orbit.

Look a bit to the lower right of Venus and you’ll find Saturn. Saturn experiences its equinox this week as the ring lines up with the sun’s orbit. The rings will disappear for a short period of time.

There is the Eta Aquariid meteor shower coming this week. The peak is May 6th in the early morning to the east. It averages around 10 meteors per hour coming from the debris of Halley’s comet. The shower is known for the long-lasting tails (trains) of the meteors.

And as the night stretches on, the familiar figure of Orion dips below the western horizon, while the striking shape of Scorpius rises in the east, tail first—bringing in hints of summer skies to come.

So, grab a blanket, maybe a telescope or binoculars, and enjoy the cosmic spectacle this week has to offer this week through May 9th. The night sky is putting on quite a show this week—let’s take a look at what’s up there!

Garden almanac

This Week in the Garden

Found the first ticks of the year this week in the garden on the dog Magdelin, I mean Her Royal Highness Queen Magdelin II Regent (and yes, she thinks she is). Time to take her in to get her tick-prevention medication.

Cedar apple rust on a juniper (first of May)
Cedar apple rust on apple leaves (August)

Back to the garden, if you’ve noticed red spots showing up on your apple tree leaves in the summer, you’re probably dealing with cedar apple rust. The best way to handle it is with prevention. An all-purpose orchard spray can help keep it at bay, but make sure to read the instructions and spray at the right times. One really important thing—don’t spray during bloom! You want to leave the pollinators like bees alone so they can do their work. Depending on how the weather plays out, you may need to reapply the spray a few times throughout the season.

When planting new apple trees, it’s worth considering varieties that are resistant to rust. That way, you’re ahead of the game before any problems start. Cedar apple rust overwinters on junipers. Come spring, you might notice weird gray or reddish growths on the branches that look like they have little spider legs. That’s the fungus getting ready to release spores into the wind and head straight for your apple trees.

With summers getting warmer and drier, mulching is becoming more important. For trees, aim for about three inches of mulch around the base, but be sure not to let the mulch touch the tree’s bark. For flower beds—whether perennials or annuals—a lighter layer of one to two inches will do. In the garden, you can go a bit heavier with up to four inches of organic mulch. Just avoid using fresh green grass clippings, as they’re not ideal for mulch.

Clover Lawn in Pierre, SD

When it comes to lawns, clover often gets a bad rap, but it does some good. It helps reduce weed growth and adds organic matter to your soil. Some people are even making the switch to full clover lawns because they’re easier to maintain than traditional grass. If you’ve got a clover but don’t want it in your lawn, using a high-nitrogen fertilizer can help strengthen the grass and crowd the clover out.

Aphids
Mealy Bugs
Scale
White Flies

As the temperatures rise, you might start seeing more indoor pests making an appearance, like aphids, white flies, spider mites, mealy bugs, scale, and even fungus gnats. A lot of these can be handled with insecticidal soaps, Neem oil, or other insecticide sprays, but you’ll likely need to apply them more than once. Always check the product label so you know how to use it safely and effectively.