Aphid patrol, compost tea, and the quiet smugness of a well fed garden bed.
Mid May Portland garden tasks shift from planting frenzy to scouting and feeding, because the beds are filling in and the bugs have officially noticed. This is the week the aphid colonies on your roses double overnight and the cucumber beetles show up to your squash housewarming. A little vigilance and a side dressing of compost now pays off all the way through August.
This Week's Action List
- Scout roses and brassicas every morning for aphid clusters. Blast them off with a sharp jet of water, or use insecticidal soap at dusk so you do not scorch leaves or harm bees foraging midday.
- Side dress established vegetables with a balanced organic fertilizer (around 5 to 5 to 5) at one cup per ten row feet. Lettuce, chard, and overwintered alliums are hungriest right now and will bolt early if starved.
- Check soil temperature at four inches deep before transplanting peppers, basil, eggplant, and cucumbers. Wait for a steady 65°F — Eastside gardens usually hit this a week before the West Hills, so do not rush if you are up in fog country.
- Pinch the first flower buds off basil, tomatillos, and young pepper plants. It feels brutal, but redirecting energy into roots and foliage now means a much heavier July through September harvest.
- Walk your tomato cages and pole bean trellises and tighten every tie. Portland gets surprise gusty afternoons in late May, and a staked Sungold flopped sideways at twelve inches tall sets the whole season back two weeks.
Frequently Asked Questions
When is it safe to plant peppers and eggplant in Portland?
Wait until soil at four inches deep holds 65°F for three consecutive mornings, which in Portland usually lands between May 20 and June 5. Peppers transplanted into cold soil sulk for weeks and rarely catch up to ones planted into warm ground in early June.
How do I get rid of aphids on roses without hurting bees?
Start with a strong spray of water every morning for three to four days, which knocks colonies off and lets ladybugs catch up. If you need to spray, use insecticidal soap at dusk when pollinators are off the flowers, and avoid neonicotinoids entirely on anything blooming.