June Gardening To-Do List

      For Vegetables:

•  As tomatoes begin to sprawl, train them to a stake, cage or wire fence
• Sidedress eggplant, peppers and tomatoes when the first fruits are walnut size
• Sidedress melons when they begin to vine
• Mulch heat-loving crops only after the soil has dried and warmed sufficiently
• Remove rhubarb seed stalks as they appear
• Sidedress asparagus and rhubarb
• Tie up cauliflower leaves to blanch heads
• Replace harvested crops with succession planting of carrots, cucumbers and late tomatoes
• Check for pests, expecially squash bugs, Mexican bean beetles and cabbage worms
• June 20th is the latest date to plant sweet corn
• June 25th is the latest date to plant squash and sweet potatoes

     For Fruit & Nuts:

•  Keep strawberries picked, mulched and watered
• Remove strawberry plants showing signs of rust or powdery mildew
• If the month is dry, water new stock weekly to encourage root growth
• After the spring fruit drop, thin apples, pears and peaches
• Fertilize fruit trees, but go easy on nitrogen
• Check for pests, especially japanese beetles

     For Ornamentals:

•  Root cuttings of chrysanthemums, lavender and phlox in potting soil or soilless mix
• Fertilize roses and spray for insects and diseases
• Remove rose blooms when they fade
• Prune spring blooming roses after flowering
• Check soil moisture in hanging baskets and outdoor houseplants everyday, all summer. If temperatures are extremely hot, or it is very windy, plants may require watering in early morning and evening. Also, don’t forget to fertilize them regularly
• When needing to move flowering bulbs wait until the leaves have turned yellow before digging them up. The bulb jackets should be brown in color. If they are white, wait a little longer before digging.
• In early June, reapply pre-emergent to beds & gardens
• Check for summer broadleaf weeds and treat if necessary
• In late spring or during the summer prune walnut trees