Hort Tips

June
Edible

Stop harvesting rhubarb and asparagus to allow foliage to develop and store food reserves for next year’s harvest.

When crops like squash and cucumbers are planted in a circle or hill, place a stick upright in the middle of the circle and leave it there. Later on you’ll know where to water the main roots hidden under the vines.

Do not be alarmed at June drop of tree fruits. This is a natural thinning process. Thin fruit to 6-8 inches apart on a branch.

Crawling ants on your vegetables may be a sign of aphids. Some ants protect aphids, moving them from plant to plant or even taking them underground into the anthill for overnight safety. The ants do this to ensure a supply of honeydew, a sugary substance that aphids secrete and ants feed on.

June
Ornamental

Prune shoot tips of chrysanthemums and coleus to promote bushier growth.

Remove leaves of spring flowering bulbs only after they have yellowed and withered.

Apply a light side dressing of a 5-10-5 fertilizer every two weeks to caladiums. This will insure continuous production of new brightly colored foliage.

Plant gourds as a summer gardening project for kids. When the gourd is half grown scratch a child’s name into the skin. The gourd forms a scab over the scratches and as the gourd grows the name grows bigger and bigger.

Trap earwigs in the garden by using rolled up newspapers moistened with water. The insects will hide in the newspaper during the day.

June
Indoor

According to studies conducted by NASA, plants can function as air purification systems. Spider plants are highly efficient in absorbing toxic substances. To purify the air in an average size, well-insulated home, 8 to 15 mature spider plants would be required. Other plants that also lower pollution levels, but to a lesser degree, were Chinese evergreens, golden pothos and peace lily.

Houseplants in clay pots can be set directly in the ground when placing them outdoors for the summer. Set the pots in the ground so the soil is 1-2 inches below the pot rim, allowing moisture to go through the porous clay. If your houseplants are in plastic or glazed containers, repot them into clay containers or check frequently because moisture will not move through the plastic.

July
Edible

Harvest edible flowers in the morning after the dew has dried or just before sundown. Too much moisture can cause discoloration and loss of flavor. Leave stems in tact when picking and storing; remove them just before serving. Store loosely packed flowers in an airtight container with a moist paper towel folded in the bottom. Eat flowers on the same day as picked.

Sow seeds for late crops of bush beans, beets, carrots, Chinese cabbage, cucumbers and corn.

Watch leaves of tomato plants for septoria leaf spot and early blight. Septoria leaf spot develops on lower leaves as small, circular spots with gray centers. Early blight appears as small, brown concentric target spots on older leaves. Both of these diseases start with the lower leaves and work their way up the plant. Remove leaves with leaf spot or blight as soon as disease symptoms are seen.

Select herbs for drying. Those that are close to bloom are at their highest quality. Wash the plants with a garden hose the day before you plan to harvest them. Factsheet available

Ornamental

Water your plants a few hours before applying a pesticide. Plants that are drought-stressed have less water in their tissues making them more susceptible to leaf burn after spraying.

Dry flowers now for arrangements. Early season blooms are better for drying than those in late summer. Cut the flowers during mid-day in the late bud or early bloom stage. Factsheet available.

Stop pinching back mums around July 4th. This will allow them to develop flower buds for the fall.

Use a piece of corrugated cardboard as a barrier when spraying a non-selective herbicide close to desired plants. Make sure the same side of the cardboard always faces the sprayer when moved from one spot to another.

Did you know that during dry spells a tree might shed up to 10% of its leaves? The leaf loss reduces water loss through transpiration and causes little or no harm to the tree.

June 2003
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