May tasks in upper Midwest gardening should keep you busy all month long. This is a crucial time for planting, watering, fertilizing, mulching, and more. Enjoy the first days and weeks of beautiful weather for the year in this region and know what your garden needs now.
May in the Upper Midwest
From May 4 in Grand Rapids to May 11 in Green Bay, and as late as May 25 in International Falls, this is the month of last frosts in upper Midwest states. It’s time to enjoy spring blooms and get down to the real work of making sure your garden will thrive throughout the growing season. Upper Midwest gardening in May results in big payoffs for the following months.
May Gardening To-Do List
May gardening tasks in the upper Midwest include a wide range of activities that can be roughly broken down by week. Of course, there is some variation depending on the exact location, but, generally, in the first week of May you can:
- Aerate the lawn
- Prepare the soil in beds
- Harden off transplants by putting them outdoors during the day
- Start seeds for warm weather plants
- Sow seeds outdoors for cool weather plants
- Clean up perennials
During week two you can:
- Transplant frost tolerant vegetables like broccoli, cauliflower, onions, and Brussels sprouts
- Clean up perennials
- Fertilize perennials and roses
- Mow the lawn if necessary
For the third week of May:
- Directly sow seeds for corn, beans, watermelon, pumpkin, and winter squash
- Remove spent flowers from spring bulbs, but leave foliage in place
- Plant strawberries
- Plant annuals
In week four, you can:
- Transplant warm season veggies
- Plant annuals
- Prune any flowering trees or shrubs that have finished blooming
- Fertilize the lawn
Throughout May it is important to check plants for signs of pests or diseases. Catching them early will help you better control any infestations or infections.