Gardening This Weekend: May 28, 2026
I’ve made a list of the most timely tasks of late May into early June for your consideration. See if any fit.
PLANT
• New sod now before it turns really hot this summer. Bermuda, St. Augustine, and zoysia grasses establish from sod most quickly this time of year. Sow seed of bermudagrass right now as well.
• New trees, shrubs, and groundcovers to finish out landscapes, but be prepared to water them twice weekly by hand with a water wand and water breaker or water bubbler. Sprinklers and drip irrigation will not be sufficient.
• Summer color annuals including lantanas, angelonias, pentas, purple fountaingrass, moss rose, periwinkles, coleus, gomphrenas, Dahlberg daisies, fanflowers, copper plants, firebush, amaranthus, and others.
PRUNE
• Pinch out growing tips of coleus, copper plants, Mexican bush salvias, mums, fall asters and other annuals and perennials to keep them compact.
• Errant spring growth from shrubs, vines.
• Spent flower stalks on spring perennials as they finish blooming.
• Fruiting canes from blackberries by cutting them completely to the ground after you finish harvesting all fruit. They will never bear fruit again. Tip-prune this year’s new canes to encourage side shoots to keep plants more compact.
FERTILIZE
• All-nitrogen or high-nitrogen, slow-release lawn food to turf if it’s been 8 weeks since first feeding. Your goal with St. Augustine lawns should be to feed now and not again until early September to lessen chance of gray leaf spot outbreak that can break out when you apply nitrogen to St. Augustine during the heat of the summer.
• Same fertilizer as above to trees, shrubs, and groundcovers to encourage one more burst of growth before summer.
• Patio pots and hanging baskets with water-soluble, high-nitrogen plant food weekly to keep them growing vigorously. Supplement with timed-release fertilizer for sustained feeding.
ON THE LOOKOUT
• Second application of pre-emergent weedkiller to prevent germination of crabgrass and grassburs will need to come first 10-15 days of June. It may be difficult to locate a source, so start shopping now for Dimension, Balan, or Halts granules. Note: If you did not make the first application in March, there is no need to make this one.
• Bagworms are likely to be showing up on junipers and other conifers. Spray at first signs of the tiny larvae and their cocoons. Most general-purpose insecticides will eliminate them if you spray while they are feeding actively.
• Leafrollers on sweetgums, redbuds, cannas, pyracanthas and other susceptible plants. Apply Imidacloprid systemic insecticide as a soil drench, but preferably 3 weeks prior to their invasion next time.
• Chiggers in weeds and bermuda turf. Prevent them on your body by applying DEET repellent to your feet and legs, socks, cuffs, and pants.