JUNE 1 IS THE “UNOFFICIAL” START TO SUMMER
May ended up by being a very good month for gardeners. We had good timely rainfall throughout the entire month. We had no late frosty nights and we did not have many extremely hot days. So, May was good to us. Our soil temperature is now 73 degrees and warming.
Now here we are in June. Here are just a few of the more important tasks to accomplish.
- As we warm up our flowering annual hanging baskets will dry out much faster. Use your finger and feel the soil. If it feels dry then water the hanging baskets. This may be two or three times a week.
- As for flowering annuals, be sure to “deadhead” as the flowers fade and die. This practice will encourage new growth and continued new flowers.
- Plant some fresh new herbs and vegetables in June. This planting will give you fresh bounty longer into the growing season.
- Hummingbirds are here. They love flowers. And, they love to use a hummingbird feeder.
- One common insect to look out for is the aphid. Aphids will be found on the stems of new growth. Aphids can be controlled easily with a soap and water bath. Or, you can use a safe product such as Safer Soap or the organic Horticultural Oil.
- When it comes to watering, BE WATER WISE. Water wise is conserving water. Water early in the morning and not during the heat of the day. Also, if possible, use a soaker hose which also reduces the loss of water due to evaporation. Thirdly, mulch is a huge benefit when it comes to watering. Mulch helps keep the soil moist and cool longer which both benefit root growth.
So, let’s make June a happy and productive gardening month.
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