June signals an end to the turbulence of April and May, and where Summer makes her grand entrance. The promise is of many warm months ahead, with cold weather but a memory. It’s a time of weddings and graduations, for lazing out back or trips to the beach. Fishing and boating, swimming and sailing -outdoors is where it’s at. It’s a time to savor and enjoy Nature at her best.
June is one of the best months to be a gardener. Everything is lush and green and growing up a storm! This makes things busy for the gardener:
– The dying foliage of Spring flowering bulbs can be safely removed once it easily separates from the base of the plant.
– Tuberous begonias, cannas, calla lilies, dahlias, caladiums and gladiolas can all be safely planted outdoors at this time.
– The seeds of heat loving annuals such as zinnias, marigolds, cosmos and four-o-clock’s can be planted early in the month.
– Heat-loving vegetables such as tomatoes, peppers, squash and eggplant can be safely planted in the ground without added protection.
– Keep up a regular weeding schedule. A little every day will allow you to keep up with the weeds. Apply mulch as needed.
– Continue to prune Spring flowering shrubs (forsythia, lilacs, mockorange, weigela) after their blooms have faded.
– Set up the mower a notch or two as the month heats up. Keep the grass a little longer in length.
– Replace worn out pots and plantings of pansies and other early flowering annuals with Summer annual plants.
– Deadhead spent blooms of early perennials. Deadhead and pinch annuals and perennials to keep them bushy and full.
– Deeply water newly planted trees and shrubs every 7-10 days. Don’t water during the hottest pan of the day. First thing in the morning, or late afternoon (no later than an hour or two before sunset) are best.
– Fertilize acid-loving plants such as azalea and rhododendron with an acid-based soluble fertilizer containing iron. Top dress with pine bark mulch.
