Garden Pro-Tip May
Reading the Signs—
A Garden's Quiet Conversation
In May, the garden hums with renewal. Buds unfurl, bees begin their rhythm, and tender seedlings reach upward with quiet tenacity. Yet, beneath this hopeful growth, a garden may whisper its unmet needs—through curled leaves, faded colors, or blossoms that never quite bloom. For those who listen, these subtle signals become a dialogue: a sacred exchange between earth and gardener.
We often think of soil as the foundation, but it is more than that—it is the memory of the land, the keeper of nutrients, and the quiet sustainer of life. When a plant begins to pale or a bud fails to set, it may be speaking of something deeper: a need that only attentive care or testing can address.
Recognizing Nutrient Deficiencies: A Garden’s Language
While a proper soil test remains the clearest path to understanding your soil’s composition, an observant gardener can often detect the more obvious deficiencies by sight. This is not guesswork—it is a relationship. It is noticing when your beets seem blotchy, your squash soften too soon, or your kale hangs on, but barely.
Calcium, often lacking in our Maritime Northwest soils, reveals itself through blossom-end rot in tomatoes or the curling of leaves.
Magnesium may show as yellow leaves striped with green veins—a cry from woody perennials with brittle twigs.
Nitrogen shortage appears as pale leaves that drop too soon. A mild deficiency after fruiting is natural, but stunting is not.
Phosphorus, so vital for flowering and root strength, can be tied up in cold, wet soils—revealing itself with purpling stems and pale margins.
Potassium deficiency scorches the edges of older leaves and weakens plants that won’t store well.
Sulfur fades the new growth to a ghostly yellow—often a concern in newer gardens or over-irrigated plots.
These are not just symptoms; they are signals—reminders to slow down, to observe more deeply, and to tend with curiosity. Eco-Restore is here to help you decipher those signs. Whether through hands-on coaching, soil interpretation, or planting guidance, we help you walk beside your land with more clarity, confidence, and care.
Summer Cover Crops: Nourishment in the Offseason
May also marks the beginning of a deeper investment in soil health. It’s the season to consider ley crops—the unsung companions of our food plants that quietly enrich the soil while feeding pollinators and beneficial insects.
Annual cover crops like buckwheat, phacelia, calendula, and Mexican marigold grow fast, bloom beautifully, and give back to the soil before fall vegetables arrive.
Perennial cover crops—white clover, bird’s foot trefoil, or alfalfa—anchor nutrients and build compost over the years, reducing reliance on imported fertility.
Herbal allies like comfrey, yarrow, nettle, and chicory gather minerals from deep below the surface. Traditionally used for compost or plant teas, these herbs are nutrient bridges—linking soil and plant, gardener and garden.
At Eco-Restore, we help our clients choose the right cover crops for their goals and site conditions—whether to add fertility, reduce weeds, or build habitat. We also offer planning and seasonal support to ensure your garden’s needs are met in every cycle.
May Garden Tasks
May is a vibrant time for planting and tending, with much to do and much to enjoy:
Harvest from your compost pile or worm bin to return nutrients to the soil
Hand-pick sawfly larvae on currants and gooseberries before they do real harm
Direct sow beans, carrots, and beets into warming soil
Plant out tomatoes under a cloche in late May
Start basil indoors and transplant lettuce, chard, kale, and spinach
Wait until late May to transplant squash, peppers, and eggplant—these heat-lovers thrive when the soil warms
Above all, May invites you to move through your garden not as a manager but as a companion. Let observation be your most powerful tool, and let each curled leaf or thriving bloom remind you that growth—like all relationships—takes time, presence, and reverence.
Let’s walk this season together.
Eco-Restore is here for your questions, your soil tests, and your dreams. Whether you’re building a garden from scratch or learning to listen more closely to the one you already love, we offer guidance and grounded support to help your garden—and your confidence—grow.
