Gardening in May

May is probably my favorite month. I was born in May and married in May. Some of my favorite flowers, lilacs, bloom in May. In May the days are warm but the nights still cool enough to comfortably sleep. And, in May, warm weather plants and seeds are planted outside, with the promise of good things to eat all summer

What to plant in May:

Basil
Plant starts 6-8 inches apart or direct sow seeds 1/4 inch deep, thinning plants to 6-8 inches apart

Beans
For bush beans: Plant seeds 1 inch deep and 2 inches apart.
For pole beans: Set up poles, a trellis or teepee, anything for the beans to climb. Plant 4-6 seeds, 1 inch deep, around each pole or space 3 inches apart along a trellis

Corn
Soil must be warm (65°) as corn will not germinate in cool temperatures. Plant 2-3 seeds 1 inch deep and 8-12 inches apart. When plants are 2-3 inches tall, thin to strongest plant in each group

Cucumbers
Plant starts 12 inches apart or direct sow seeds 6 inches apart, thinning to 12 inches. Cucumbers can be grown on the ground, but long varieties will be straighter if trellised

Eggplant
Plant seedlings 12-18 inches apart

Melons
Plant 3-4 starts (or 6-8 seeds, 1/2 an inch deep, thinning to strongest 3-4 plants) in hills spaced 4 feet apart. Or, plant individual starts 24 inches apart (or 2-3 seeds, 1/2 an inch deep, thinning to strongest plant)

Peppers
Plant seedlings 18-24 inches apart

Summer Squash
Plant individual starts 24-36 inches apart (or 2-3 seeds, 1 inch deep, thinning to strongest plant).

Tomatoes
Prepare planting holes with my Essential Tomato Feed (recipe follows). Plant seedlings up to first set of leaves, 18-36 inches apart. Remove any leaves that touch the ground

Winter Squash/Pumpkins
Plant 2-3 starts (or 3-4 seeds, 1 inch deep, thinning to strongest 2-3 plants) in hills spaced 4 feet apart. Or, plant individual starts 24 inches apart (or 2-3 seeds, 1 inch deep, thinning to strongest plant)


Essential Tomato Feed
(feeds 10 plants)

4 cups finished compost or aged manure (nitrogen)
1 cup epsom salts (magnesium)
5 banana peels, coarsely chopped (potassium)
Shells from 2 dozen eggs, dried and finely crushed (calcium)
1 cup packed hair, human or animal (keratin)

Thouroughly mix all ingredients. Mix about 1/2 a cup into the bottom of each planting hole before planting tomatoes