June Gardening Chores

       Fertilizing:

• Use a liquid fertilizer for bedding plants about 7-10 days after planting. A balanced, all purpose fertilizer may also be used. Continue to fertilize your roses, using a balanced formula (10-20-10) or a special rose mixture.
• DO NOT fertilize cool season (Fescue) grasses during June, July and August.

       Watering:

• As June begins to heat up, and the rains cease, watering becomes more and more important. Grasses, both warm season and cool, need weekly watering. The recommended amount is about 1 inch per week to warm season (Bermuda, Zoysia) grass if it does not rain. Cool season grasses (Fescue, Rye) require about 2" to 3" of water per week during hot months. It's better to water longer and deeply a couple of times a week, than watering a little each day. Deep watering encourages root growth, keeping the grasses protected from our hot summers.
• Of course you will need to keep a close watch on all of your shrubs and flowering plants. Water as needed if no rain is expected. Hanging baskets or smaller planters can be very susceptible to drought, and sometimes need watered on a daily basis, especially when the hot summer winds start.

     Mulch:

• Most any kind of flower or vegetable bed needs mulch. Mulched soil prevents weed growth as well as holding in moisture. Mulch also helps keep the plants cool. Any kind of mulch is ok, and we say it is just personal preference. One mulch is not necessarily better than another as long as you apply enough. We typically recommend about 2-3" layer of mulch.

     Pruning:

• Don't remove the leaves from spring flowering bulbs. Let the leaves die back before removing. The foliage provides the nutrition for next years bloom.
• Pinch back those hardy mums for a fuller, more lush blooming plant. Continue 'pinching' until about July 15^th. You will be pleasantly surprised at the number of blooms you will have this fall.
• Deadheading (removing spent blooms) is a good way to encourage more blooms for both annuals as well as perennials.
• If your annuals and perennials are starting to get "leggy", cut them back by about ⅓, fertilize with a all-purpose fertilizer and water in well.
• Remove faded rose blossoms as they start to become faded. This will encourage more blossoms and also allows the rose to use less energy.
• Now is the time to cut back your creeping phlox. Cut back about a third, this will renew growth and establish healthy plants for next spring.

     Planting

• About Mid-June you can plant your pumpkin seeds for a Halloween harvest.
• You can continue to plant annuals to fill in spots where your perennials are starting to fade. Just remember to keep them watered and apply mulch if needed. A few plants that love the hot weather are: Sweet Potato Vine, Portulaca, Zinnia, Mexican Heather & Marigolds.

     Pests:

• Keeping your beds weed free is a good way to keep your plants pest free. Weeds rob the soil of needed nutrients and moisture as well as harbor pests such as aphids and spider mites.

• If you suspect spider mites try this test: Hold a piece of white paper under the plant leaves. Shake the plant a little, inspect the paper. If you see small spots that appear to be crawling...Guess What! You have spider mites! Check with your local garden center of nursery for advice on what to treat your particular plant with.

• If you have weeds in your lawn, try using a post-emergent broad leaf weed killer. Many new herbicides are available and it is best to find out what weed you are trying to control to get the best product available. Of course, the best way to prevent weeds is to use a pre-emergent in early spring.

• Bagworms can become a problem this time of year. They actually look like small cocoons  or bags on the tree. Use a product labeled for bag worm control, and also make sure your particular plant is listed. Catching these critters in their infancy will make them much easier to control.

• If you are spraying your fruit trees...keep it up!

• Black spot on roses will start rearing it's ugly head this month. If you haven't started a spraying schedule on your roses, you may as well start now. Black Spot is a fungal disease so you MUST use a fungicide to control it. Bayer has a new(er) product we have been very impressed with. It is called Bayer All-in-One Rose & Flower Care. It provides fertilizer, insect protection and disease control. In an easy to use application...just pour it at the base of the plant. Keep in mind it is a systemic, if your black spot is advanced you will probably need to apply a foliar spray to take care of the problem more quickly. You may want to try another product called Bayer Disease Control for Roses, Flowers and Shrubs.