Mid-Atlantic weather watch: Dry and mild, then heavy rain (1, 2, 3, 4, 5); dry, then turning warm and slightly humid with isolated PM showers(6, 7, 8, 9, 10); dry again, near record warmth developing (11, 12, 13, 14); frequent PM showers and thunderstorms followed by cooler and more seasonable conditions(15, 16, 17, 18, 19, 20); frequent PM showers and mild (21, 22, 23, 24, 25); seasonable with occasional showers (26, 27, 28, 29, 30, 31).
Extreme weather watch: The Hagerstown Town and Country Almanac sees heavy rains in the Mid-Atlantic Region (3, 4, 5, 19, 20).
Full moon: May’s full moon will occur on Friday, May 5. Many flowers emerge and blossom during this month so many Native American tribes called it Flower Moon while the Huron tribes specifically chose to call it Budding Moon for the very same reasons. The colonial farmer called it Milk Moon because of the noticeable increase in milk produced by his dairy cows in the month of May.
Special notes: The National Day of Prayer, Thursday, May 4 was established in 1952 at the direct suggestion of Reverend Billy Graham (1918-2018). It was signed into law under Ronald Reagan in 1988. Rogation Sunday falls on May 14, Ascension Thursday, on May 18 and Pentecost on May 28.
Holidays: Cinco de Mayo is celebrated on Sunday, May 5. Mothers are honored on Mother’s Day, Sunday May 14. Memorial Day falls on Monday, May 29.
The garden: Once your last frost date has passed, warm season crops can be planted. When the ground temperatures reach 70 degrees Fahrenheit, it is safe to begin planting Okra, Pumpkin, Sweet Potatoes, Eggplant, Peppers, Peanuts, Watermelon, Cow Peas, Black-eyed Peas, Crowder Peas, Butter Peas and Butter Beans. With a little luck, you may begin to see the first fruit on your strawberries by late this month. The birds will enjoy them very much if you don’t provide some protective netting over them. Newly-planted strawberries should have the blossoms picked off until they become well-established.
The farm: Best for planting root crops (18, 19); weeding and stirring the soil (20, 21, 25, 26); planting above-ground crops (22, 23, 24); harvesting all crops (7, 8); best days for setting hens and incubators (1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 27, 28, 29, 30, 31); slaughtering and butchering meat (19, 20, 21, 23, 24, 25, 26); harvest and store grains (12, 13, 14, 15, 16, 17, 18; transplanting (19, 20, 21, 22, 23, 24, 25, 26); weaning of small animals and livestock (7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13, 14).
