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 General
Gardening Tips
- June is a great time to plant! Plants and trees that provide color
in the month of June include Azaleas, Hydrangeas, Rhododendrons, Spireas,
Butterfly Bush, Mock Orange and Golden Rain Tree. Visit the nursery
and see these beautiful plants in bloom.
- It's a great time to plant annuals, perennials and all trees and
shrubs. Nurseries have many beautiful annuals to choose from, including
Geraniums, Impatiens, Marigolds, Petunias, Vinca, Salvia and many
other plants. Perennials that provide interest in the month of June
include Daylilies, Astilbe, Rudbeckia, Yarrow, Foxgolve and much more.
- We recommend fertilizing annuals, perennials and flowering shrubs
and trees with a slow-release plant food that contains nitrogen, sulfate
of potash, iron and other micro-nutrients for overall plant growth
and development.
- We recommend feeding all your evergreens (Hollies, Boxwoods and
Yews) and deciduous trees (Maples, Oaks and Ash) with tree & shrub
food.
- Check all plants, especially newly planted ones, for water on a
regular basis. Water deeply and thoroughly as needed.
- Gator bags provide a great way to keep trees watered during hot
and dry months. These bags, which can hold up to 20 gallons of water,
are secured to the trunk of the tree, where they release the water
slowly to the root ball over the course of 15-20 hours.
- Now is a great time to install a water garden. Water features will
allow you to enjoy the soothing sights and sounds of water.
- Spruce up your summer landscape with beautiful color in containers.
Be sure to use potting mix when planting and a water-grabbing polymer
such as Soil Moist to reduce the frequency of watering.
Pest Control
- Various pest problems can occur in May. If you have plants that
you suspect may be facing a pest problem, bring in a representative
sample to your local county agricultural extension agent and they
will help diagnose the problem and recommend the appropriate control.
- Fruit trees should be on a regular spray program. See your local
extension website for tree spray program bulletin.
Search engines like Google.Com can help you find your local educational
university site to help you with answers that are least likely to harm
the environment to solve pest problems, with specific control recommendations.
Be on the lookout for these pests:
- Bagworms
- Borers
- Gypsy Moths
- Lacebugs
- Scale
- Spider Mites
- Hemlock Woolly Adelgid
- Caterpillars
- Japanese Beetles
- And more
Fruit and Vegetable Gardens
- It's a great time to plant apple, pear, peach and all other fruit
trees. Fruit trees require two different varieties to pollinate properly.
Be aware of this and ask a nursery professionals to guide you in selecting
varieties.
- You can also plant vegetables in containers and grow them on decks,
patios or other small spaces. Use potting mix when planting.
- Fruit trees need to be sprayed on a regular schedule, although you
do not spray your fruit trees when the blossoms are wide open.
- It's a great time to plant strawberries, raspberries, blueberries
and blackberries.
- Fertilize fruits and vegetables with a good quality, slow-release
vegetable food such as Osmocote.
- Time to stake tomatoes and spray them if necessary to prevent disease
problems.
Lawns
- To prevent the summer crop of crabgrass, apply a second application
of pre-emergent crabgrass control such as TEAM (if you have not seeded
the lawn recently) or Tupersan (if you did seed the lawn recently).
Note - if you applied barricade earlier this spring, you do not need
a summer application of crabgrass control.
- June is the time to apply a fungicide to the lawn to control turf
diseases such as brown patch, dollar spot and others. Use Bayleton
or Daconil.
- Apply Perk-Up to the lawn to keep it nice and green throughout the
summer months. This product contains 10% iron, which gives added color
without excessive growth.
- Fertilize zoysia lawns now with Merrifield Premium 26-4-12.
- If needed, apply a weed control to the lawn to kill actively growing
weeds. Use Dragon Lawn Weed Killer or Ortho Weed B Gone.
Tips on applying weed killer:
- Do not apply weed controls on newly seeded areas.
- Do not apply weed controls on windy days.
- Do not apply weed controls near or on the edge of waterways.
- Do not allow children or pets to play on lawns freshly applied with
weed controls. It is best to wait one week.
- Do not apply weed controls when temperatures are above 85 degrees
F.
- Always follow the label directions.
House Plants
- You can move houseplants outside to the deck or patio and enjoy
them outdoors for the summer. It is best to gradually introduce them
to more direct sunlight to prevent the leaves from being burned.
- Feed houseplants with a good quality indoor plant food such Osmocote
(slow-release granular).
- If needed, re-pot root bound houseplants to a larger pot. Use potting
mix when repotting houseplants.
- Hibiscus, Jasmine, Oleander and Mandevilla are just some of the
flowering tropical plants you can add to your deck, patio or balcony.
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