June 2001

Edible Garden

Thin apples so fruits are seven to nine inches apart.

Plant pumpkin seeds early in the month to have jack-o-lanterns for Halloween.

Renovate strawberries after harvest; mow the rows, weed and fertilize. Factsheet available.

Late in the month start seedlings of broccoli, cabbage and cauliflower for fall harvest.

Plant beans, cucumbers, squash, sweet corn and late tomatoes.

Visit a U-Pick Strawberry Farm. Call 773-233-0476 for a listing of local farms.

Harvest herbs just before flowering, when the leaves contain the maximum essential oils.

Ornamental

Raise lawn mowing height to at least 2-1/2 inches for summer.

Watch for bagworms, especially on junipers and arborvitae. To control pick off overwintering bagworms and destroy them before eggs hatch. Young bagworms can be controlled with Bacillus thuringensis 'Karstaki' sold as Dipel or Thuricide. Factsheet available.

Plant tropical water lilies when water temperature is above 70 degrees F.

Apply a balanced rose fertilizer after first bloom is past. Cut spent rose blooms just above the first five-leaflet leaf for fastest return bloom.

Plant autumn crocus. The earlier you plant them, the better the flowers. Factsheet available.

Continue planting gladioli until the end of the month for early fall blooms.

Spray herbicides (weed killers) only when wind is calm, temperatures range from low 60's to low 80's and no rain is expected for 48 hours.

Move houseplants outside to a shady location.

Rainy, cool weather will cause mushrooms and toadstools to pop up in lawns. No fungicides will control them. Rake or mow them.

Set a plastic, mesh bag filled with marbles inside a container to hold flower arrangements. Cover it with water and the marbles will grip flower stems firmly without injuring them.