SUMMER OFFICIALLY STARTS LATER THIS MONTH. HERE ARE SOME TIMELY GARDENING TASKS FOR JUNE
Gardening never comes to a complete standstill. But, gardening does slow down with the summer months and the heat upon us. So people may ask if it is too late to be doing any planting. The quick answer is no. You can plant year-round in this region. Granted, there are times better than others to be planting. But, if you still need to plant in June then by all means proceed. Plants will need a little bit more attention, especially with watering.
HERE ARE SOME GARDENING TASKS FOR JUNE
- Plants like boxwoods and azaleas now have tender new growth. Now is the time to take some softwood cuttings and try to root and start new plants. It’s fun. Try it.
- Remove old flower heads from bedding plants to prolong the period of bloom. Remember, these annual plants are trying to grow and bloom so be sure to give them some timely feeding.
- Stay on top of the water needs of your plants. You want to water newly planted trees and shrubs as well as your vegetable garden thoroughly once or twice a week. The best time to water is early morning to minimize moisture loss to evaporation.
- Did you have bagworms on your evergreens last fall? Bagworms spend the winter as eggs inside the bag. Each bag could contain hundreds of eggs. They are hatching out now. These young larvae will start crawling and feeding on your evergreen needles. I recommend the products by Bonide called Thuricide or Captain Jack’s Dead Bug Brew.
- June is the month to feed your warm season Bermuda grass lawn now that it is beginning to green.
- Clean and refill your hummingbird feeder every few days so a harmful fungus is avoided and keep the hummingbird from harm.
- The number one reason for herbs to die is due to overwatering. Herbs like to dry between waterings and they like well-draining soil.
PLANT A LITTLE HAPPINESS!!!!!!!!!!!!!
What is causing the flowers to fall of my zucchini//, and how can I stop it?
Cynthia,
Good afternoon.
A couple causes come to mind as to why your zucchini flowers are falling off. One reason – early in the growing season the plant will produce more male flowers than female flowers. So, this could be a reason for seeing flowers falling off.
Another cause is poor pollination. We have a lack of pollinators for our gardens. If the female flower is not pollinated then it will age and fall off. Lack of pollinators is something that many gardeners having been facing in recent years.
Another cause could be with care. Insufficient watering or inconsistent watering could cause the flowers to fall.
Let’s hope it is the first reason that I mentioned and as the plant grows and mature then you will have more female flowers and you will start seeing baby zucchini start to grow. Good luck, Doug
Was wondering if there’d be any merit to trying to establish some of my eastern woodlands favorites like hay-scented fern, clematis viorna, etc in the partial shade, clay soil that’s already home to oaks and pines, on a downward south slope.
James,
Good Morning.
Yes, I think there is merit in trying to do some planting. The ferns should be quite happy living in a woodland setting. Just be sure to amend the clay soil with some good, organic matter such as leaf compost. As for clematis, most clematis plants are sun-lovers. If you have a sunny location in the area then this is where I would recommend planting a clematis and have something, like a trellis, that it can climb upon. June is Perennial Gardening Month and now is a great time to be planting perennials. Doug
how to protect Hostas from deer
Good Morning.
I wish I had a magic wand and a magic cure to offer you in protecting hostas from being eaten by deer. Hostas is salad to deer. In order to protect the hosta will take a lot of diligence on your part to be spraying the hostas with deer deterrent products on a regular basis. Also, you can try to surround the hostas with deer deterrent plants that have a strong sense such as many of the herbs, Good luck. Also, there is a plant food called Milorganite that has a strong odor and is thought to be a deer deterrent product. Your task is not an easy one. Good luck. Doug
Good day,
What would cause a Japanese Maple tree to die?
Suzanne,
Good Morning.
You don’t give me much information about this Japanese Maple tree such as how long has it been planted, what variety, sun / shade exposure. So, not 100% sure how to answer your question on “what would cause a Japanese maple tree to die”. The cause could be underground – poor draining soil that is rotting the roots, Voles that have eaten the root system, etc. Now, some maples are just recovering now from being set back by our cold, April weather that gave us some frost and freeze after some of our trees and shrubs had broken dormancy and started to put out growth. Sorry, just not sure. Doug