Here are 12 things to do in your garden in June:
1. Best Time to Plant Trees and Shrubs is Spring or Fall
Plant trees and shrubs before the hottest days of summer arrive. Apply a layer of mulch to help retain moisture and keep mowers and trimmers at a safe distance from the trunk. Once planted, water deeply once a week.
2. Attract Pollinators and Good Bugs to Your Vegetable Garden
Add sun-loving plants, such as marigolds, petunias and nasturtium, near your vegetable garden or containers. Flowers like these attract pollinators and beneficial insects.
3. Feed Your Plants So They Don’t Stop Flowering
To keep your plants flowering, use a liquid fertilizer every third watering. Plants in the ground grow well with a slow-release feed at planting and mid-season.
4. Decorate with Tropical Plants Outdoors
Use tropical plants to decorate semi-shaded areas of your outdoor spaces. You can feature a single potted plant with striking leaves or mix plants in pots for a lush and colorful layered look.
5. Prune Hedges to Grow Fuller Before Hot Weather
Prune evergreen hedges, leaving them slightly wider at the bottom. This assures the lower half is not shaded out by the upper half which causes sparse growth.
6. Weed and Water Your Vegetables in June
Keep vegetable gardens weeded and deep-watered to ensure strong, healthy plants. The effort your put into weeding and watering provides a larger harvest as vegetables ripen.
7. Pots and Hanging Baskets Might Need Water Every Day
Check the moisture level of the soil in pots and hanging baskets daily when temperatures are high. Don’t count on rain to do the job.
8. Attract Birds, Butterflies and Toads to Your Garden
Help nature by placing birdbaths in several locations. You can also use shallow dishes or rocks with a depression on the top to hold water for butterflies. Have the kids, grandkids or “the kid in you” build a toad house!
9. Use Shade Cloth in Your Vegetable Garden
Extend the harvest season of lettuce and other cool-season veggies by providing them with filtered shade. Use shade cloth or tall plants to protect plants from the hot afternoon sun.
10. Harvest Your Herbs in the Morning or Evening
Harvest herb leaves in the cooler morning or evening hours for the fullest flavor.
11. Cut Dead Flowers Off So Your Plants Keep Blooming
Trim faded flowers above where the stem branches. This keeps the plant’s energy focused on new growth, rather than seeds.
12. National Weed Your Garden Day is on June 13th
Keep up with weed removal in garden beds. Don’t let weeds steal water and nutrients meant for your flowers and other plants. If weeds go to seed, it results in even more work.
Not sure which plants are weeds? Check out our list of 10 Common Weeds, with pictures, to help you identify and remove them.
