Get Summer Ready

June To Do List: All the tips you need to get your garden summer ready

Tend to your roses

Mulch with a compost such as Sea Soil if you haven’t already. Deadhead spent flowers and keep an eye out for aphids. Use Insecticidal Soap if they present a big problem. Black Spot can be an issue in wet weather. If found, remove any affected leaves from the bush as well as the surrounding ground. Black Spot usually improves once the days get drier, but make plans to spray next December or January with a lime sulphur dormant oil mixture. Powdery Mildew is another fungal disease which can be problematic, treat with Safer’s Defender and make sure watering is done in the morning, be careful to avoid wetting foliage.

Apply or re-apply slug bait

Slugs & snails are a big problem this time of year as they love the moist weather.

Check new or existing plantings regularly to assess their water needs.

It is always best to water thoroughly once or twice a week, rather than to water lightly every day as this will only dampen the soil surface. By watering deeply less often, the plant develops a deeper root system.

Direct sow seeds of cilantro, carrots, lettuce, spinach & radish for summer harvest.

Now is also a good time to sow seeds of cauliflower, cabbage, broccoli & kale for fall harvest.

Tomatoes.

Pinch side shoots on taller growing (indeterminate) tomatoes and feed weekly once fruit begin to develop.

Mulch your plants.

Most plants, especially perennials benefit from a mulching of compost if you haven’t already done so. This practice provides desired nutrients but also helps to prevent moisture loss during the hot weather. 3”-4” depth is preferable to keeping annual weeds down. We recommend Home & Garden Aged Bark.

Deadhead annuals & perennials.

Many plants benefit from deadheading as their flowers finish, this will promote repeat blooms.

Prune Spring flowering shrubs & perennials.

Many earlier flowering shrubs can be pruned back now to trim off spent flowers and shape up. Finished spring bulbs can be trimmed down once leaves have withered.

Stake tall annuals, vines & perennials.

Peony rings, obelisks, tomato cages or any other sort of structure, artistic or utilitarian that does the job.

Fertilize annual containers & hanging baskets.

Check water needs daily and use a slow release annual fertilizer such as Home & Garden Annual & Perennial 14-14-16 which will work for approximately 3 months, or use a water-soluble fertilizer such as Miracle Gro 15-30-15 weekly.