Gardening Tips

By Heather Stone

Here are some June garden chores to keep your veggies and flowers going strong.

1. Cage or trellis any vining vegetables such as cucumbers, beans and tomatoes. By training these vegetables to grow up you are saving precious garden space and keeping the fruit off of the ground and away from critters. Click here for trellis ideas!

 

2. Continue watering your vegetable and perennial beds. Try to keep water close to the roots and off of leaves. Checked potted plants often, they tend to dry out faster.

 

3. Keep up with the weeds! This can start to feel like a never-ending battle at this time of year, but keeping the weeds under control means more nutrients, water and sunlight for your vegetables and flowers.

 

4. Mulch around vegetables to help conserve water.

 

5. Side dress with compost for a mid-season boost.

6. Begin replacing cool season crops that have begun to wind done or have bolted from heat.

 

7. Plant successive crops of summer greens like collards, kale, chard and lettuce (Protect them from hot afternoon sun).

 

8. Transplant any remaining warm season vegetable starts.

 

9. Plant your squash, melon and cucumber seeds if you haven’t already.

 

10. Keep an eye out for pests.

 

11. Keep your birdbaths full and clean.

 

12. Plant a new patch of bush beans every couple of weeks.

 

13. Pinch out suckers on your tomatoes.

 

14. Keep deadheading perennials for continued bloom.

 

15. Sit back, relax and enjoy your garden.