Indoors

• Move houseplants to a shady location outdoors when danger of frost has past, usually mid-May. The soil in the pots will dry out faster outdoors, so check it frequently.
  

  Softwood cutting. Photo courtesy Purdue University.

• Take cuttings from houseplants to increase collection or share. Root cuttings in media such as vermiculite, perlite or potting soil.
• Fertilize houseplants according to label directions.

General landscape

• Prune early spring-flowering trees and shrubs after flowers fade.
• Plant balled-and-burlapped or container nursery stock; water thoroughly.
• Remove and destroy bagworms from trees and shrubs.
• Mow lawn as needed to height of 3 1/2 or 4 inches.
• Allow foliage of spring-flowering bulbs to ripen and yellow or brown before cutting back. Leaves make the food reserves stored in the bulbs that bring next year’s flowers. Divide or transplant spring-flowering bulbs after they’ve finished blooming. Mark empty spaces in the landscape to show where to plant spring-flowering bulbs next fall.
• Begin organic rose care.
• Divide or transplant perennials.
• Plant tender ornamentals after danger of frost is past. This includes most annual flowers and tender perennials, such as cannas, gladiolus, dahlias, tuberous begonias and caladiums.
• Mulch garden beds.
• Pinch late-blooming perennials, such as chrysanthemums and asters, and certain annuals to keep them compact and well branched.
• Stay on top of the weeds by pulling them as soon as you see them, once a week, after a rain, or whatever works on with schedule.

Vegetables and Fruits

• Once there is no threat of frost, usually by mid-May, plant tender plants such as tomatoes, corn, peppers, eggplant, vine crops
• Make successive plantings of beans and sweet corn to extend the harvest.
• Thin seedlings of early-planted crops to spacing specified on seed packet or plant tag.
• Harvest early plantings of radishes, spinach and lettuce.
• Harvest asparagus by cutting or snapping spears at or just below soil level.
• Harvest rhubarb by cutting, or grasp stalk and pull it slightly to one side.
• Remove blossoms from newly set strawberry plants to allow better runner formation.
  

  Raspberry.

• Remove unwanted suckers in raspberries when new shoots are about a foot tall.
• Begin organic practices in growing your apples. Thin fruit on apple trees to 8 inches apart about three weeks after their flower petals fall.