{"id":32996,"date":"2021-05-03T09:31:15","date_gmt":"2021-05-03T14:31:15","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/b48db82f22.nxcli.net\/?p=32996"},"modified":"2022-09-13T14:42:30","modified_gmt":"2022-09-13T19:42:30","slug":"may-gardening-checklist-zone-5","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/platthillnursery.com\/may-gardening-checklist-zone-5\/","title":{"rendered":"May Gardening Checklist for Zone 5"},"content":{"rendered":"<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">With new flowers bursting every day, butterflies emerging, and migratory birds arriving, May is the time to frolic amidst the springtide. Caught in the rush of scents and colors, it\u2019s easy to forget the important tasks that will set your garden up for success. Here is a checklist of May gardening tasks for Zone 5!\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<p>&nbsp;<\/p>\n<h2>Bring the Flower Garden to Life<\/h2>\n<p>&nbsp;<\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Your <a href=\"https:\/\/platthillnursery.com\/gardening-in-extreme-heat-in-chicago\/\">gardening<\/a> plants have been waiting for this month all winter. Now they\u2019re springing to life, basking in the sunlight, and growing vigorously. In Zone 5, you can begin or continue to plant perennials and annuals, as well as move your houseplants outside once the temperatures are consistently warm:\u00a0\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<ul>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"1\"><b>Plant Perennials and Annuals:<\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> start planting frost-hardy annuals at the beginning of the month and the frost-sensitive ones, like impatiens, by the end of May. You can also breathe new life into the garden by planting <\/span><a href=\"https:\/\/platthillnursery.com\/best-perennials-for-zone-5\/\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">perennials hardy to Zone 5<\/span><\/a><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> anytime.\u00a0<\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"1\"><b>Move Houseplants Outside: <\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">once night-time temperatures start to warm up by the end of May, you can begin to take them <a href=\"https:\/\/platthillnursery.com\/tropical-houseplants-you-can-move-outdoors-summer\/\">outside<\/a> for the summer. Make sure you harden them off gradually and give them an area protected from wind and afternoon sun.\u00a0\u00a0<\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"1\"><b>Let Spring Bulbs Yellow Before Cutting Them: <\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">this allows the leaves to feed the bulbs while they\u2019re still green, giving them more energy for next spring.\u00a0<\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"1\"><b>Plant Summer and Fall-Flowering Bulbs:<\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> such as gladioli, <a href=\"https:\/\/platthillnursery.com\/tender-bulbs-versus-hardy-bulbs\/\">caladium<\/a>, dahlia, calla lilies, and others.\u00a0\u00a0<\/span><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p>&nbsp;<\/p>\n<p><img decoding=\"async\" class=\"alignnone wp-image-33004 size-full lazyload\" data-src=\"https:\/\/platthillnursery.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/05\/platt-hill-zone-5-garden-checklist-planting-shrub.jpg\" alt=\"platt hill zone 5 garden checklist planting shrub\" width=\"1200\" height=\"600\" data-srcset=\"https:\/\/platthillnursery.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/05\/platt-hill-zone-5-garden-checklist-planting-shrub.jpg 1200w, https:\/\/platthillnursery.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/05\/platt-hill-zone-5-garden-checklist-planting-shrub-980x490.jpg 980w, https:\/\/platthillnursery.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/05\/platt-hill-zone-5-garden-checklist-planting-shrub-480x240.jpg 480w\" data-sizes=\"(min-width: 0px) and (max-width: 480px) 480px, (min-width: 481px) and (max-width: 980px) 980px, (min-width: 981px) 1200px, 100vw\" src=\"data:image\/svg+xml;base64,PHN2ZyB3aWR0aD0iMSIgaGVpZ2h0PSIxIiB4bWxucz0iaHR0cDovL3d3dy53My5vcmcvMjAwMC9zdmciPjwvc3ZnPg==\" style=\"--smush-placeholder-width: 1200px; --smush-placeholder-aspect-ratio: 1200\/600;\" \/><\/p>\n<p>&nbsp;<\/p>\n<h2>Plant New Trees and Shrubs<\/h2>\n<p>&nbsp;<\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">The ground has been ready for planting new trees and shrubs since March, but May is still a good time to swap out old plants that need to be refreshed with new ones\u2014whether they\u2019re berry bushes, fruit trees, <\/span><a href=\"https:\/\/platthillnursery.com\/5-reasons-to-plant-more-evergreens\/\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">evergreens<\/span><\/a><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">, privacy belts, or flowering shrubs. Choose a cloudy day to avoid the heat and dig away!\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<p>&nbsp;<\/p>\n<p><img decoding=\"async\" class=\"alignnone wp-image-33006 size-full lazyload\" data-src=\"https:\/\/platthillnursery.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/05\/platt-hill-zone-5-garden-checklist-pruning-yellow-forsythia.jpg\" alt=\"platt hill zone 5 garden checklist pruning yellow forsythia\" width=\"1200\" height=\"600\" data-srcset=\"https:\/\/platthillnursery.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/05\/platt-hill-zone-5-garden-checklist-pruning-yellow-forsythia.jpg 1200w, https:\/\/platthillnursery.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/05\/platt-hill-zone-5-garden-checklist-pruning-yellow-forsythia-980x490.jpg 980w, https:\/\/platthillnursery.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/05\/platt-hill-zone-5-garden-checklist-pruning-yellow-forsythia-480x240.jpg 480w\" data-sizes=\"(min-width: 0px) and (max-width: 480px) 480px, (min-width: 481px) and (max-width: 980px) 980px, (min-width: 981px) 1200px, 100vw\" src=\"data:image\/svg+xml;base64,PHN2ZyB3aWR0aD0iMSIgaGVpZ2h0PSIxIiB4bWxucz0iaHR0cDovL3d3dy53My5vcmcvMjAwMC9zdmciPjwvc3ZnPg==\" style=\"--smush-placeholder-width: 1200px; --smush-placeholder-aspect-ratio: 1200\/600;\" \/><\/p>\n<p>&nbsp;<\/p>\n<h2>Prune Spring-Flowering Shrubs<span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">\u00a0<\/span><\/h2>\n<p>&nbsp;<\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Remember to prune spring-flowering shrubs like forsythia, lilac, azaleas, rhododendron, and viburnum after they bloom. You have a window of 2-3 weeks before they start to grow next year\u2019s flower buds.\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<blockquote>\n<h3><em><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Amidst the surge of sap and riot of new blossoms, planting and pruning are the main gardening tasks at hand.<\/span><\/em><\/h3>\n<\/blockquote>\n<p>&nbsp;<\/p>\n<p><img decoding=\"async\" class=\"alignnone wp-image-33005 size-full lazyload\" data-src=\"https:\/\/platthillnursery.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/05\/platt-hill-zone-5-garden-checklist-planting-tomato.jpg\" alt=\"platt hill zone 5 garden checklist planting tomato\" width=\"1200\" height=\"600\" data-srcset=\"https:\/\/platthillnursery.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/05\/platt-hill-zone-5-garden-checklist-planting-tomato.jpg 1200w, https:\/\/platthillnursery.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/05\/platt-hill-zone-5-garden-checklist-planting-tomato-980x490.jpg 980w, https:\/\/platthillnursery.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/05\/platt-hill-zone-5-garden-checklist-planting-tomato-480x240.jpg 480w\" data-sizes=\"(min-width: 0px) and (max-width: 480px) 480px, (min-width: 481px) and (max-width: 980px) 980px, (min-width: 981px) 1200px, 100vw\" src=\"data:image\/svg+xml;base64,PHN2ZyB3aWR0aD0iMSIgaGVpZ2h0PSIxIiB4bWxucz0iaHR0cDovL3d3dy53My5vcmcvMjAwMC9zdmciPjwvc3ZnPg==\" style=\"--smush-placeholder-width: 1200px; --smush-placeholder-aspect-ratio: 1200\/600;\" \/><\/p>\n<p>&nbsp;<\/p>\n<h2>Continue Planting Your Vegetable Garden<span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">\u00a0<\/span><\/h2>\n<p>&nbsp;<\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Longing for homegrown vegetables this year? They\u2019re the healthiest food you\u2019ll ever eat, they taste amazing, and they cost almost nothing. In Zone 5, you can begin planting in April, continue in May, and plant frost-sensitive vegetables after May 15th:\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<ul>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"1\"><b>Sow or Transplant Cold-Season Vegetables:<\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> you can continue to sow beets, carrots, spinach, kale, lettuce, and other frost-tolerant crops. If you plant them successively, you\u2019ll enjoy staggered harvests throughout the season. And you can transplant cabbage, Brussels sprouts, cauliflower, and other seedlings that don\u2019t mind a little frost.\u00a0<\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"1\"><b>Sow Warm-Season Vegetables: <\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">after the risk of frost passes\u2014typically around May 15th in Zone 5\u2014you can sow frost-sensitive vegetables like beans, corn, squash, and <a href=\"https:\/\/platthillnursery.com\/pumpkin-seed-recipes-for-the-savvy-chef\/\">pumpkins<\/a>.\u00a0<\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"1\"><b>Transplant Warm-Season Vegetables: <\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">you can start to harden off your tomato, eggplant, pepper, and cucumber seedlings at the beginning of the month and transplant them outdoors after May 15th.\u00a0<\/span><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p>&nbsp;<\/p>\n<h2>Thin &amp; Harvest Vegetable Garden <span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">\u00a0<\/span><\/h2>\n<p>&nbsp;<\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">If you\u2019ve planted <a href=\"https:\/\/platthillnursery.com\/how-and-when-to-start-seeds-indoors-in-illinois\/\">seeds<\/a> already, you may have a bit of gardening to do, as well as some bounty to enjoy:\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<ul>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"1\"><b>Thin Beets and Carrots:<\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> monitor them as they start to grow and thin the seedlings as necessary. Sending them to the compost pile? Toss them into a salad instead.\u00a0\u00a0<\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"1\"><b>Harvest Vegetables:<\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> rhubarb and asparagus will already be ready to start harvesting by the end of the month in Zone 5.\u00a0<\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"1\"><b>Weed Vegetable Garden:<\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> it\u2019s already time to start weeding. You\u2019ll have to distinguish the weeds from your sprouting vegetables as they come up.\u00a0\u00a0<\/span><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<h3><\/h3>\n<p><img decoding=\"async\" class=\"alignnone wp-image-33003 size-full lazyload\" data-src=\"https:\/\/platthillnursery.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/05\/platt-hill-zone-5-garden-checklist-mowing-lawn.jpg\" alt=\"platt hill zone 5 garden checklist mowing lawn\" width=\"1200\" height=\"600\" data-srcset=\"https:\/\/platthillnursery.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/05\/platt-hill-zone-5-garden-checklist-mowing-lawn.jpg 1200w, https:\/\/platthillnursery.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/05\/platt-hill-zone-5-garden-checklist-mowing-lawn-980x490.jpg 980w, https:\/\/platthillnursery.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/05\/platt-hill-zone-5-garden-checklist-mowing-lawn-480x240.jpg 480w\" data-sizes=\"(min-width: 0px) and (max-width: 480px) 480px, (min-width: 481px) and (max-width: 980px) 980px, (min-width: 981px) 1200px, 100vw\" src=\"data:image\/svg+xml;base64,PHN2ZyB3aWR0aD0iMSIgaGVpZ2h0PSIxIiB4bWxucz0iaHR0cDovL3d3dy53My5vcmcvMjAwMC9zdmciPjwvc3ZnPg==\" style=\"--smush-placeholder-width: 1200px; --smush-placeholder-aspect-ratio: 1200\/600;\" \/><\/p>\n<p>&nbsp;<\/p>\n<h2>Lawn Maintenance<\/h2>\n<p>&nbsp;<\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">As the gardening season gets underway, you\u2019ll begin a mowing routine as well. Consider leaving your grass on the longer side this year. Longer grass prevents weed seeds from accessing the <a href=\"https:\/\/platthillnursery.com\/the-best-uses-for-topsoil-and-garden-soil\/\">soil<\/a> and develops deeper roots to access water, allowing you to water less. Another tip: leave the grass clippings as you mow as a way to add nutrients to the lawn.\u00a0\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<p>&nbsp;<\/p>\n<h2>Gardening Maintenance<\/h2>\n<p>&nbsp;<\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Most ongoing gardening tasks begin this month in Zone 5, such as edging, weeding, watering, deadheading, and adding mulch where needed. Staying on top of your gardening saves you time later on and lets you get outside in May to enjoy the flowers.\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<p>&nbsp;<\/p>\n<h2>Welcome the Birds<\/h2>\n<p>&nbsp;<\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">As you were gardening in April, you may have already seen or heard sparrows, thrushes, flycatchers, and kinglets. Both April and May are high time for migratory birds passing through <\/span><a href=\"https:\/\/platthillnursery.com\/contact-us\/\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Chicagoland<\/span><\/a><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">. Keep an eye out for colorful flyers like Baltimore Orioles, Yellow Warblers, Indigo Buntings, Scarlet Tanagers, and more. The males have shed their brown winter plumage and are now sporting vibrant feathers for the mating season. If you want to admire birds right in your yard, consider planting and gardening for a <\/span><a href=\"https:\/\/platthillnursery.com\/gardening-for-winged-friends\/\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">bird habitat<\/span><\/a><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">!\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">This is the month we\u2019ve all been waiting for\u2014here in Zone 5 and everywhere. <\/span><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Amidst the surge of sap and riot of new blossoms, planting and pruning are the main gardening tasks at hand.<\/span><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> With your gardening checklist ready, you\u2019re set to go out and enjoy the season!<\/span><\/p>\n<p><em>Platt Hill Nursery is Chicago\u2019s premier garden center and nursery.<\/em><\/p>\n<p>&nbsp;<\/p>\n<p><a href=\"https:\/\/mailchi.mp\/platthillnursery.com\/r0wxmrag49\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\"><img decoding=\"async\" class=\"alignnone wp-image-20196 size-full lazyload\" data-src=\"https:\/\/platthillnursery.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/08\/platt-hill-planting-fall-color-trees-CTA.png\" alt=\"platt hill colorful spring suburb subscribe button\" width=\"1210\" height=\"400\" data-srcset=\"https:\/\/platthillnursery.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/08\/platt-hill-planting-fall-color-trees-CTA.png 1210w, https:\/\/platthillnursery.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/08\/platt-hill-planting-fall-color-trees-CTA-980x324.png 980w, https:\/\/platthillnursery.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/08\/platt-hill-planting-fall-color-trees-CTA-480x159.png 480w\" data-sizes=\"(min-width: 0px) and (max-width: 480px) 480px, (min-width: 481px) and (max-width: 980px) 980px, (min-width: 981px) 1210px, 100vw\" src=\"data:image\/svg+xml;base64,PHN2ZyB3aWR0aD0iMSIgaGVpZ2h0PSIxIiB4bWxucz0iaHR0cDovL3d3dy53My5vcmcvMjAwMC9zdmciPjwvc3ZnPg==\" style=\"--smush-placeholder-width: 1210px; --smush-placeholder-aspect-ratio: 1210\/400;\" \/><\/a><\/p>\n<p>&nbsp;<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>Here are some gardening tasks to do this month for success during the summer!<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":348,"featured_media":33007,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_acf_changed":false,"_et_pb_use_builder":"off","_et_pb_old_content":"","_et_gb_content_width":"","footnotes":""},"categories":[40,103,54,977],"tags":[108,109,795,1006,1004,193,1038,1039,388,153,1050,1046,993,194,200],"class_list":["post-32996","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-gardening","category-landscaping","category-trees-shrubs","category-vegetables-herbs","tag-bloomingdale-garden-center","tag-carpentersville-garden-center","tag-chicago","tag-chicago-platt-hill-nursery-illinois","tag-garden-maintenance","tag-growing-vegetables-illinois","tag-how-to-grow-vegetables","tag-how-to-grow-vegetables-illinois","tag-maintenance","tag-platt-hill-nursery-is-chicagos-premier-garden-center-and-nursery","tag-spring-garden-maintenance","tag-tips-for-vegetable-gardening","tag-vegetable-and-herbs","tag-vegetable-gardening","tag-vegetable-gardening-illinois"],"acf":[],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/platthillnursery.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/32996","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/platthillnursery.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/platthillnursery.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/platthillnursery.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/348"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/platthillnursery.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=32996"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/platthillnursery.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/32996\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/platthillnursery.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/33007"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/platthillnursery.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=32996"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/platthillnursery.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=32996"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/platthillnursery.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=32996"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}