As soon as the last spring frosts, which usually occur at the end of April – beginning of May, are over, gardeners begin to arrange flower beds en masse. It is May days that are most favorable for planting many annuals and perennials, because the soil is still quite wet, but already warmed up. The seeds thrown into it instantly sprout, and the seedlings take root painlessly and in a short time. Consider how flowers are planted in May and in what numbers it is better to plant certain plants.
Since the beginning of May is unpredictable, and after a sunny calm, the weather can surprise you in the form of unexpected frosts, in the first half of the month, seeds are planted and perennial bushes that are not afraid of a cold snap are divided.
Sowing flowers: the nuances of choosing a place
The seeds will remain in the soil for 5-7 days until germination, so they are not afraid of frost. Therefore, annuals that have a short growing season can be planted with peace of mind.
This list includes:
Gypsophila. At this time, annual varieties are sown in order to wait for luxurious flowering by the end of July. Perennials can be planted in summer, when space becomes free after bulbous flowering.
Nasturtium. It is a little afraid of frost, but due to long germination (up to 2 weeks) it manages to wait out the critical time in the soil. Do not choose too fertile soil for planting, otherwise the plant “grows fat”: it gives out a luxurious green mass, but does not bloom well.
Asters. Annual varieties are planted in May, which will bloom closer to autumn. An unpretentious flower that can withstand both drought and frequent rains. The only caveat is that it suffers from late blight, so you should not plant it after nightshades (tomatoes, potatoes).
Annual asters are planted in early May to await early flowering. It will come in mid-late August, when most of the plants have already grown pepper
Marigold. If the beginning of May turned out to be wet, then the seeds are sown to a depth of no more than 3 cm, and in dry weather they are planted deeper – by 5-7 cm.By the way, thin-leaved varieties are excellent for correcting haircuts, and you can create live borders from them.
Daisies. These flowers are bred both by seeds and by dividing the bush. At the beginning of May, old bushes are divided, because the seeds need warmer weather (summer). Daisies can be planted even if they are in the flowering stage, you just have to cut off all the buds so that the plant does not waste energy on them. One of the newest design techniques for decoration is planting daisies on the lawn. Since the plant is undersized, the mower does not damage the outlets, but in early spring the lawn will be strewn with beautiful little stars.
If you want to propagate varietal daisies, then do not use the seed method, as it does not preserve the properties of the mother plant. The ideal option is to divide the bush
Nivyanik. This is one of the names of everyone’s favorite chamomile. In horticulture, it is grown both as an annual and a perennial. In May, varieties with a two-year development cycle are planted. The Nivyanik is called “the child of the sun” because it absolutely cannot stand the shade, and in the wrong place will punish you with bad flowering.
Purslane. A rather delicate flower that does not like cold. But due to the long growing season (96 days), it should not be planted later, since flowering will begin only in autumn. To protect crops from possible weather disasters, cover them with any non-woven material.
Dividing and planting perennials: who is not afraid of an early transplant?
May is a good time for early flowering plants to propagate. They have just faded, they have not yet had time to lay new flower buds, so they are ready for the development of fresh territories.
In early May, the 4-year-old primrose bushes begin to divide. Try to break the bush into parts so that each has at least one powerful outlet. If you postpone the transplant to the end of May, the plant will suffer from the heat and will stop feeding the leaves with moisture. So you will have to water it more often, otherwise the above-ground part may dry out completely. By the way, the open space is destructive for primroses. Their element is shadow. They thrive in tree-trunk circles and under grapes.
To keep primroses healthy when planting, plant them on a cloudy day at the very beginning of the month, while there is enough moisture
This is exactly how shady places and hosts are loved. They also try to separate them at this time, until the heat comes and daily watering is not required.
The first half of the month is a good time for planting begonia and cannes tubers, gladiolus bulbs. But if you germinated cannes in tubs, then wait until 15-20 numbers, as their leaves are too sensitive to changes in night and day temperatures.
In order for cannes to grow foliage in a short time, consider when frosts end in your area, and only after them plant seedlings
If old iris bushes are sitting on the site, which are already bare in the center and the roots protrude above the ground, you can not wait until they bloom, but carry out the division before the plant releases a flower arrow. All the same, such an iris will not bloom profusely, since it is cramped in the ground. Therefore, feel free to dig up the plant and divide it into smaller parts. The main thing is that in each section there is a fan of at least 5 sheets. Then this fresh seedling will bloom in June.
Bare roots in the center of the iris bush indicate that it is time to divide the plant, because there will be no good flowering anyway.
Planting seedlings and seedlings: prepare roses and petunias
Among the purchased plants that are planted in May, the most popular are roses and petunias. It is important not to miss the deadline with roses if you want to see the first bloom already this season. It is advisable to carry out planting work before May 15. To do this, buy seedlings with an open or closed (in a film) root system. Potted flowers for planting in May are also suitable, but it is better to postpone the dates to the 20th and later. These roses are grown in greenhouses and weather changes can have a negative effect on flower buds.
The most “healthy” seedling has three powerful stems and roots at least 20 cm long. To saturate the plant with moisture, which will help to quickly build up the root system, before planting, immerse the seedlings in water for 2-3 hours and only after that start planting.
If you plant roses before May 10, then by mid-June your pets will give out such beautiful first flowers
A three-hour bath with a growth stimulant will saturate the rose seedlings with life-giving moisture and help to recover from hibernation in refrigerators or basements
For petunias that have been bought as seedlings or grown on a windowsill, the best planting time is the days when the cherries bloom. Already in mid-June, the plant will give out the first flowers both in the open field and in pots or containers. If sowing with seeds, then you have to wait until the end of the month, because the seedlings need a stable thermal regime. Planting in the ground is rarely used, since the flowering time is shifted to August. In addition, too small seeds of petunia are difficult to scatter so rarely so as not to thin out later, and any transplantation shifts the flowering time.
If we analyze the calendars for planting flowers in May, developed by landscape designers, then in the second half of the month, “frozen” – plants that do not tolerate cold nights at a young age, are sent to the ground. This list includes tuberous begonias, cineraria seedlings and chrysanthemum cuttings that were divided and planted in the fall.
At this time, they also begin to sow plants, the flowering of which will come only next year. A separate place is allocated for them (not in flower beds, but farther away, for example, in a vegetable garden), because this season the plants will be inconspicuous and will not be able to decorate the flower beds. Among them – viola (or tricolor violet), rudbeckia, forget-me-not, hesperis (night violet), etc. Flowers will be in the nursery until the end of August. Then they are transplanted into those flower beds where they will bloom next year.
Forget-me-nots are enough to plant on seedlings, and next year they will begin to disperse through the flower beds by self-sowing, so you will have to adjust their planting
When determining a specific time for sowing or planting seedlings, it is worth checking with the lunar calendar to get to the day most favorable for arranging flower beds. It has been noticed that seeds planted on a positive day sprout faster and grow more actively than those planted on a full moon or new moon.
