Gardening by Month in the PNW-June

June is just around the corner, and things are warming up. New growth and gorgeous blooms are definitely in the works! Here are my “gardening by month” tips for June. These are based on zone 8, in the PNW.

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GARDEN PLANTING IN THE MONTH OF JUNE

Mid June is a good time to start fall and winter crops.

It’s not too late to direct seed your summer crops, but do it soon! Here are some of the vegetables you can plant…

• Beans
• Cucumbers
• Onions – green onions and overwintering leeks can be sown. Chives and garlic chives can be started for next year’s harvest.
• Summer & Winter Squash
• Melon
• Root Vegetables
• A last crop of potatoes
• Corn
• Salad Greens
• Swiss Chard
• Herbs – fennel, dill, chives, cilantro, basil, parsley, mint, oregano and marjoram.

Plant tomatoes and eggplant when night-time temperatures have warmed up, and the soil temperature is above 60 degrees.

My June garden doesn’t seem to have a lot of blooms right now, other than my rhododendron and azalea plants. I just visited the local nursery today, and found some bright and colorful flowering plants to add a pop to the garden for June.

It’s so important to keep notes, so that when it’s time to start planning next year’s garden, you will be able to remember the changes that you want to make.

MONTHLY GARDEN MAINTENANCE

WATERING

Check your irrigation system, if you have one, to make sure it is in good working order. Test and run each system manually, for at least five minutes, to make sure there are no leaks or repairs that may be needed.

Newly planted trees and shrubs should be watered deeply, every week or two until the fall rain begins.

Make sure your flowers and shrubs get an inch of water each week.

As early potatoes begin to die back, reduce watering.

Change the water regularly in the bird baths.

DIVIDING PLANTS

There is still time to divide any perennials that are not spring or early summer bloomers, and only if the foliage isn’t more than 5-6 inches high.

Divide spring flowering perennials like primroses, and transplant to other areas in your yard. Daffodil clusters will also need to be divided every few years, to prevent overcrowding, and for better blooming.

PINCHING ANNUALS

Pinch back annuals like fuchsias, geraniums and cosmos to prevent them from getting leggy. Pinch every 6 inches as they grow.

PRUNING AND DEADHEADING

Snap off old flower heads from rhododendrons once they have bloomed, in order to provide more energy to those plants. Be careful not to injure new branches that may be emerging beneath the spent blooms. Cut back azaleas by removing the outermost inch of new growth. This will encourage a full and bushier plant.

Prune spring blooming shrubs and trees, such as lilacs, crab apples and forsythia as soon as they finish blooming, so you’re not cutting into next years blossoms.

Stop cutting asparagus and rhubarb at the end of the month, so they can rejuvenate for the next year.

You can prune evergreens anytime until late summer.

Vines tend to become out of control this time of year. Try to cut back, train or tie new shoots to the trellis or structure.

Deadhead any spent blooms to keep the plant blooming longer. I try take 30 minutes to an hour each morning to walk the garden. It’s a great time to pull up any weeds that pop up, as well as cutting back any spent flowers. If you make this a daily routine, it should be easier to keep up on your gardening tasks, and it won’t seem as overwhelming.

REMOVING PLANTS

Pull out any lettuce that has bolted.

Dig up spring bulbs that did not grow well this season. Here’s a fact, most tulips and hyacinths last only 2-3 years.

SOIL

If you haven’t already, apply a layer of mulch on flower beds and around trees and shrubs. Mulch helps to reduce weeds, and conserves moisture and prevents disease.

FERTILIZING AND FEEDING

Feed your roses by adding bone meal. This will provide calcium to protect form aphids and other insects.

Fertilize flowering shrubs such as rhododendrons and azaleas

WEED AND PEST CONTROL

Roses are the biggest challenge in my yard. I am already sing black spot on the leaves. If your roses have black spot, remove the infected area to prevent spreading. Spray roses with insecticidal soap to eliminate aphids, mites and thrips.

Continue with your slug and snail control. Slugs are in full force this time of year. Plants that are most susceptible to slugs, such as marigolds, hostas, dahlias and zinnias, and can all benefit from slug bait. I use Sluggo in my garden, which is pet and wildlife safe. However, there are more natural alternatives available as well.

This is a great time to clean out your greenhouse if you have one. Discard any dead or diseased plants. Cleaning pots and containers is necessary to control greenhouse pests.

I hope these tips are useful when you’re in the garden for the month of June. I hope that the weather is warming up for you, and you are enjoying some garden therapy!

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