Garden to-do list
Danny Lipford, host of Today's Homeowner, and the go-to home guy for The Weather Channel, is right.
June is a terrific month for working in the garden, especially in the Mid-Atlantic.
The heat of summer has not yet peaked and the rains of recent weeks mean the garden is in raging bloom! (So are the mosquitoes. See one of my earlier posts for what to do about them.)
Here's is Lipford's list of chores for June.
- Continue pruning blooming shrubs as soon as they finish blooming.
- Deadhead spring-blooming shrubs, to focus the plant’s energy toward strong growth and next year’s blooms.
- Shear hedges while the growth is still soft and easy to shape.
- Watch for black spot and powdery mildew on roses and other plants – apply fungicide and remove (and destroy – don’t compost) any diseased foliage.
- Add extra mulch to shallow-rooted shrubs (like azaleas, camellias, and rhododendrons), to help them hold moisture.
- Remove aphids with a blast of water from the hose.
- Reduce (or stop) fertilizing as the temperature heats up.
- Continue planting container-grown trees and shrubs, but keep them well watered.
- Lightly shear conifers (junipers, cypress, etc.) but don’t cut back to bare wood.
- Reduce fertilizer on lawns, since they go partially dormant during the hottest part of the summer.
- Make sure your lawn gets one inch of water per week. If you irrigate, water deeply to encourage deeper roots.
- Take cuttings from the new, soft growth of trees and shrubs for rooting.
- Add extra mulch around heat or drought sensitive plants.
- Turn your compost pile, and sprinkle it with water if it’s drying out.
- Replace hummingbird feeder nectar every few days – it doesn’t take long to spoil in hot weather.
- Keep birdbaths and water features refreshed, to prevent mold and mosquitoes.
- Be on the lookout for insect damage in the garden. Address with appropriate controls, or encourage beneficial predators.
- Reduce fertilizing of all plants as the temperatures heat up and the soil gets dry. Only feed plants if they’re being watered.
- Plant warm-season veggies such as tomatoes, cucumbers, beans, squash, and peppers.
- Mulch sprawling veggies, such as melons and squash, to keep them clean and away from soggy soil.
- Keep your vegetable garden evenly and regularly watered.
- Remove fallen fruits or veggies to prevent insects and diseases from spreading.
- Install trellises, stakes, or cages for vining veggies.
- Plant summer herbs such as basil and cilantro. Pinch off flower buds to encourage more tasty leaves.
