May Tasks: Top Dressing, Watering, and Weed Watch

May is a joyful blur. One day you’re brushing aside mulch to check for green tips, and the next, your garden is blooming like it’s been wide awake for weeks.

It’s a month of motion—plants are growing by the hour, bees are back in business, and your garden seems to whisper new requests every day. But even with all the activity, May doesn’t need to be frantic. You can meet the moment with calm and a good pair of gloves.

Here are the essential garden tasks to focus on now. Nothing complicated. Just the kind of care that builds strong roots for the season ahead.

🌱 1. Top Dress Beds with Compost or Mulch

This is like a springtime smoothie for your soil. A light layer of compost or well-aged manure helps feed your plants slowly and naturally, while mulch keeps moisture in and weeds down.

🛠️ What to use:

• Compost, leaf mold, shredded bark, or even mushroom compost for heavy feeders

• Avoid piling mulch against stems or crowns—plants need to breathe too

💡 Pro tip: If you’ve already mulched, just pull it back gently, add compost, and tuck it back over like a garden blanket.

💧 2. Water Mindfully (Not Daily)

As the days warm up, it’s tempting to grab the hose every time the sun shines. But deep, infrequent watering encourages stronger roots and happier plants.

🛠️ How to water well:

• Water early in the day to minimize evaporation

• Aim for the soil, not the foliage

• Use a rain gauge or your finger—if the top 2–3 inches are dry, it’s time to water

💡 Reminder: New transplants and shallow-rooted perennials like Heuchera need more consistent moisture until established. Established perennials like Echinacea and Salvia are more drought-tolerant.

🌿 3. Weed While It’s Easy

Catch them early, and you’ll thank yourself later. Weeds are easiest to pull when small and the soil is soft. Plus, early control prevents flowering and seed spread.

🛠️ Tidy tips:

• Use a hori-hori or loop hoe to slice weeds just below the soil

• Compost annual weeds, but toss perennial roots like quackgrass or bindweed

• Weed after a rain or water first—it makes the job feel 80% easier

💡 Pro tip: Sprinkle a light mulch after weeding to discourage regrowth.

✂️ Bonus Tasks (Only if You’re Feeling Ambitious):

• Pinch back asters and phlox now for bushier growth and better late-season blooms

• Stake floppy perennials early—it’s easier than retrofitting mid-summer

• Cut back spring bulbs only when foliage is fully yellow (yes, still waiting)

🌼 Final Thoughts: A Garden That Grows at Your Pace

Mid-May is a sweet spot—everything is waking up, but nothing’s gotten away from you yet. It’s a time for noticing, nurturing, and setting gentle intentions. No pressure. No perfection. Just steady care.

So walk the garden with a cup of something warm, touch the soil, pull a weed or two. You’re not behind. You’re right on time.