Gardener's To-Do List for June? Check!

Did you enjoy stopping and observing all of the May flowers in your garden? Even though there were numerous chores to complete in May, it was an easier month than what follows. June garden chores are due at the time that the garden is in full swing. Fortunately, there isn’t too much to keep up with month because a lot of the heavy-lifting has been accomplished early in the season.

Zinnias can be planted again.

1. Annuals and perennials

All of your ornamental annuals and perennials should be in the ground by now and many plants have begun to flower for the summer. But if you still have annual seeds left over, you can direct sow them directly into the soil in the garden now. Plant some marigolds, sunflowers, cosmos, zinnias and nasturtium because these annuals start to fade out at the end of summer. By planting more seeds now, you will have a lot of late summer blooms to keep the garden looking nice.

2. Tree and shrub care

Evergreen shrubs can be pruned once you see that the new growth has turned a dark green. Any other tree trimming should be left for fall and winter tree trimming, except if you live in hurricane prone areas. Make sure you are keeping up with dead trees and limbs. Keep an eye on your fruiting trees and shrubs as they will begin to drop fruit soon. If you aren’t getting rain early in the month, don’t forget to water to prevent the trees from aborting the fruit.

3. Fruit, vegetable and herb care

Do you have summer loving vegetables or herbs still sitting in the containers you started them from seed? Maybe you couldn’t resist buying a few more veggies for your garden, but they are still sitting in the containers? Get them in the garden now! You can also direct sow seeds like chives, oregano, thyme, chard, carrots, scallions, summer and winter squash, beans, cucumbers and more on the second season planting list.

4. Houseplants

Your houseplants should be experiencing a flush of growth this month. Take this opportunity to do some dividing, repotting, and propagation of your favorite houseplants. Continue to fertilize according to the instructions of your favorite fertilizer. If you’re creating compost tea, you can water with it too.

5. General

Keep newly bought plants and the garden well watered so they can make the transition into summer. Keep an eye out of garden pests this month. The creepy crawlers will be out in force and begin munching on plants and creating havoc, especially Japanese beetles! Gardeners in warmer garden Zones should start seeds for summer crops that get planted in the fall.

As far as June garden chores go, there isn’t much manual labor to do this month if you were smart and kept up with chores in the spring. June is kind of easy,  giving the gardener time to enjoy the garden and casually plant some seeds without the pressure of seed starting in spring. You’ll be surprised by how quickly seeds germinate and spring into action now when planted in the ground this month. The warm, fertilized and amended soil is a perfect nursery. Keep feeding the garden by fertilizing on schedule and preparing for the bumper crops in July and August.

What’s your favorite thing about the garden in June?

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