Garden Patch: June
- Direct sow sunflowers, nasturtiums, marigolds, borage, basil, and other warm season flowers and herbs.
- Continue monitoring for pest insects talked about in the May task list.
- The beginning of June is an excellent time to take softwood cuttings of shrubs to start new plants. Some shrubs which can be propagated in this way are spirea, lilac and viburnum.
- Stay out of the garden when the vegetable plant leaves are wet. Walking through a wet garden spreads disease from one plant to another.
- After your vegetable garden is well established, it is best to water it thoroughly once a week rather than giving it a light watering every day. That way, a deeper root system is encouraged to develop, which will later help the plants tolerate dry weather.
- Keep a close eye on the quality of your spring crops. Hot weather causes lettuce to bolt and become bitter. Plant a warm season crop as soon as the spring vegetables are harvested.
- In most cases, blossom-end rot on tomatoes, peppers, squash, and watermelons can be prevented. Do this by maintaining uniform soil moisture by mulching and watering correctly, planting in well-drained soil and not cultivating deeper than one inch within one foot of the plant. Also avoid the use of high nitrogen fertilizers.
- Continue planting direct-seeded, warm season vegetable crops such as beans, summer squash and cucumbers.
- Freshen up mulch around woody plants, perennials, and veggies if needed.
- Garden flowers, whether annuals or perennials, benefit from "deadheading" after flowering. By removing the spent flower heads, energy is used to produce more flowers or foliage and roots. Many will produce another flush of blooms.
- Weed the garden regularly to keep the task easy and manageable.
- When asparagus and rhubarb reach the end of the harvest window, prepare to side-dress with a balanced fertilizer.
- Plant buckwheat in vacant areas of the garden to prevent weeds.
- Fertilize roses after their initial flush of flowers fade.
- There is still time to plant heat loving field peas, lima beans, and asparagus beans.
- Pinch herbs like basil, mint, oregano, and savory to promote bushy growth.
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All credit and special thanks to Angie Lavezzo at Sowtrueseed.com
Check out the full guide by using the link below.