June

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.