June Garden Tips

Plant
• Crape myrtles in full bloom.
• New lawns early in month, before really hot weather sets in. Plant from sod, seed, hydro mulching or plugs. Keep constantly moist until roots are established, usually 2-3 weeks.
• Hot weather annual color: firebush, copper plant, purple fountaingrass, moss rose, hybrid purslane, cosmos, lantanas, cleome, celosia, Dahlberg daisies, pentas &, for shade, caladiums, begonias and coleus.
• Summer & fall flowering perennials: summer phlox, coneflowers, gloriosa daisies, daylilies, cannas, fall asters, mums, sedum.
• Tomato cuttings taken mid-month or seed started early to mid-month will yield transplants ready to set into garden in late June or early July.

Prune
• Dried leaves, flower stalks from spring-flowering perennials and wildflowers.
• Erratic new spring branching of elaeagnus, abelias, Lady Banksia roses, etc.
• Mow at recommended height to encourage low, dense and vigorous turf.
• Pinch flowers from coleus, lamb’s ear, basil, caladiums, dusty miller, santolina and mums that have been blooming since late spring.
• Blackberries after harvest. Canes that bore this year will never bear again, so cut them completely to the ground. Tip-prune new canes at 36-42 inches to encourage compact habit.

Fertilize
• Turf 8 weeks after first feeding of the spring. Use quality high-nitrogen plant food & water immediately.
• Use same quality lawn food (no weedkiller additives) for trees, shrubs, vines, groundcovers and even flower beds and vegetable gardens. Follow guidelines of soil test.
• Apply iron and sulfur soil additives to correct iron deficiency chlorosis (yellow leaves, dark green veins on newest growth first).