El Dorado Master Gardeners

Garden Tips for May

Set out traps for earwigs, slugs, and whitefly.
Thin pit fruits at or before pit hardening.
Thin apples when ½” diameter.
Mow grass or cultivate soil around orchard to discourage thrips and plant bugs.
Mulch around plants to control weeds and conserve moisture. Be sure to leave a small circle of bare soil around the base of each plant.
Deep water trees and shrubs. Build water basins, but do not allow water to stand against the trunks.
Prepare dahlia bed with rich soil.
For continued bloom, cut off spent flowers.
Hang strips of foil or CD’s in fruit trees to help deter birds.
As spring=flowering shrubs finish blooming, prune to shape, removing old and dead wood.
Trim hedges; lightly trim azaleas, fuchsias, bushier plants.
Thoroughly clean debris from ponds, fountains and bird baths.
Check dates of Master Gardener classes.

Get more of this month's tips ....

Master Gardener Calendar

Event Name	Date
MG Class - Making Worms Work for You!	6/1/2013
MG Class - Love of Lavender	6/8/2013
MG Class - Water Efficient Gardening	6/22/2013
MG Class - Soils & Fertilizers	6/29/2013

Got a Gardening Question?

El Dorado County Master Gardeners are here to answer your gardening questions!

Office hours: 9-Noon, Tuesday—Friday
Phone: 530-621-5512
Email: mgeldorado@ucdavis.edu
On-line: Ask a Master Gardener
Walk-ins welcome: 311 Fair Lane, Placerville CA 95667

Bring a sample for identification, or drop by to ask questions. If you bring a sample, please put plant material in a plastic bag. For insect identification, don't bring them alive! Please preserve insects in a container with rubbing alcohol, or by freezing. Samples may be left at the main building from 1-5 p.m. Monday through Friday for a future call from a Master Gardener.

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