June Gardening Checklist
Just because it's June
It's warm, sunny, and time to play outside in the sun. For a gardener there is no better month to enjoy puttering in the garden. Garden beds are almost planted so now's the time to plot succession planting, cultivation, and helping things grow.
- If you've always raked or bagged your lawn clippings in the past, think about mowing a little more often and grasscycling instead. Grasscycling means leaving the mowed grass where it falls. Cut more frequently so the the short leaves can compost quickly and release their nitrogen to grass plants. Frequent mowing prevents seed heads from forming on weeds, too. Use a reel mower and get your workout in the front yard.
- Use slow-release organic fertilizer on your lawn if you need to fertilize. A healthy lawn is bright leaf green. If the grass is dark blue-green, it has too much nitrogen, which indicates healthy leaf growth probably at the expense of the root system. If you aren't sure, and you grasscycle, wait until fall to apply your organic fertilizer.
- Cultivation is arguably the most important thing you can do this month. Work soil deeply, add compost, and weed. Be careful not to injure plant roots.
- Thin seedlings as they grow to ensure robust development of plants.
- Create a garden bank account. As you thin seedlings, replant in small containers that you can use as infill if other plants fail. This is particularly useful when planning garden parties and barbecues or other celebrations for which you want your garden (and all that effort) to impress your guests in all its floral glory. Plants that are particularly gracious include petunias, marigolds, and geraniums.
- Mulch as needed to retain moisture and slow weed growth.
- Monitor watering so plants get well watered deeply. Water early in the morning. Flowers in particular prefer morning watering. This also reduces the likelihood of problems with powdery mildew and blackspot.
- Did you know that June 15th is the day to set your sundial? Add a little vintage character and tell time too. Set the dial on June 15th and place ti so that the shadow falls on 12:00 o'clock at exactly noon on this date.
- The secret to healthy relatively pest free plants is healthy soil rich in fungi, bacteria, and other microscopic life. Using organic matter ensures that this invisible biosphere has plenty of food to develop a strong web of life below the surface of your soil. Unlike synthetic fertilizers, organic fertilizers release slowly over a longer period.
- If you haven't done a soil test, do one this year. It will point you in the direction you need to go to amend your garden and lawn.
- Before you kill it, know whether the "pest" you are seeing is friend or foe. It's easy to see creepy crawlers and think immediately that they should die. Get a good bug book, then use the appropriate controls to minimize damage.
- Make your own insecticidal soap spray to control aphids. Use 1 tablespoon of pure liquid castile soap to one gallon of water and spray on affected plants. Do NOT use detergent.
- Attract predators who will snack on your pests. Add a birdbath or other watersource, preferably flowing to deter mosquitoes, to attract birds. If you can keep chickens in your city (and neighborhood) a couple hens will snack happily from one end of a fenced garden to the other and leave you fresh eggs to boot. (Let them out of their coop after they lay, so you aren't finding eggs all over the yard.)
- Cut flowers regularly. Since flowers bloom to produce seed, the best way to prolong blooming is by cutting and deadheading.
- Start seeds this month for next year's perennial garden.
- Cut back June flowers like achillea and delphinium, water well, work in a dose of slow-release organic fertilizer for a second round of flowering later in the summer.
- As soon as spring blooming shrubs have finished, now is the time to prune and shape. Rhodies and lilacs both set next season's bloom immediately, so don't delay.
While the garden is growing and in full bloom, you may be inspired to add an arbor or pergola. A professional carpenter at ContractorNexus can help you design and build your garden structures.
