Begin planting warm-season annuals and summer bulbs, such as dahlias and cannas.
Gardening "To Do" Tips by Month for Ottumwa, IA
Mulch around your newly-planted flowers, vegetables, shrubs, and trees to help reduce weeds and retain moisture.
Mow your lawn when the grass is dry. To keep a healthy lawn, never cut more than one-third off the total grass height.
You can place houseplants outside once the nights remain above 50 degrees.
Start cucumber, cantaloupe, summer squash, and watermelon seeds indoors.
Sow cabbage, Brussels sprouts, and cauliflower indoors for fall garden transplants.
Sow more cool-season vegetables outside: beets, carrots, lettuce, chard, and radishes.
Sow green beans, sweet corn, pumpkin, and melons.
Start hardening-off tomatoes.
Plant sweet potato slips.
Harvest rhubarb. Pull off leaf stalks instead of cutting them.
Protect beets from leaf miners by placing row covers over them.
Finish pruning spring-flowering shrubs that are done blooming.
Finish cutting back the dead branches on perennial flowers and other shrubs.
Supply your taller plants with supports; the growing plants will hide the supports and be more stabilized.
Remember to water your plants and lawns, especially newly panted seeds.
Apply fertilizer to give the vegetable garden a good start.
Control weeds before they seed!
