Here are a few
suggestions for June gardening:
Summer is here, maybe it's time to pay someone to take care of the garden
for a week or two while you and the family head to the mountains or beach.
Or you can stay home and cater to your plants which means
regular if not seemingly constant
watering for containers and vegetables. Trees and shrubs will also
need to be monitored to make sure they get enough moisture to keep them
healthy until the July humidity sloshes its way north.
If you're not
yet tired of summer squash maybe the squash
borers or aphids have slowed down productivity and the plants
might be better off in the compost bin. Tomato plants may have turned
sickly from disease and
need to be pulled and discarded. If you want to keep them going until
a new burst of growth you might have to add shade cloth to protect
ripening fruit. June is a tough gardening month. As a gardener
you'll have
to decided if it's better to cut back on the gardening and save natural
resources until fall comes around.
More mulch.
Keep the moisture in the ground where plants can get to it. A thick layer of some kind of mulch around your
trees and shrubs will slow down evaporation and conserve moisture.
If you plant anything new outside
in the garden, plan on plenty of
garden care. Some plants may need a bit of shading from the
harsh sun until they get established otherwise they may end up with
sunburned leaves or stems. I
If you
have a lawn you'll be watering
regularly and paying the price on your monthly water bill. You'll
also be mowing weekly and fertilizing to maintain a rich, green color.
Don't mow the lawn too short. That's great for putting greens but
your lawn can benefit from the shade a little taller grass can produce.
Watch your fruit trees closely.
Apricots and peaches are enjoyed by man, bird and beast. If you don't have an orchard with more fruit than
you'll need then you'll have to resort to netting to try and keep the
birds from ripening fruit. Birds and rodents love ripening grapes. Paper bags can be slipped over the cluster
of grapes to try and hide the fruit from pesky birds.
Wait till fall.
September is three months away. Nurseries and garden centers will
get in new shipments of plants when temperatures drop to reasonable levels
and people start thinking about getting outside to add plants to the
garden. If you don't
have to have those plants in the ground why not wait for weather that will
give the plants a better chance at survival and offer the gardener a
better environment in which to garden.
June is tough on plants, people and animals.
Don't forget the local wildlife.
Birds and animals can use a drink of water or damp shady spot to stretch
out during the heat of the day. Keep the bird baths and water dishes clean
and full of fresh water.
Garden early or late in the day
and plan to drink plenty of liquids, use sun block, and make the
most of your yard's shade.
June is a good month to sit in the shade, sip a cold drink, and watch the sun
set behind the Tucson Mountains. Night time is a great time in the garden
to listen to the sounds of nature and slap
at flying insects and mosquitoes.
