tips for tuesday in the garden: june

June, creekside

There through the long, long summer hours, the golden light should lie, and thick young herbs and groups of flowers, stand in their beauty by. 

--William Cullen Bryant, June

All of the promise of May is answered by June's days.  The blooms are a-flower, the sun, a-shining, the birds, a-singing, the bees, a-buzzing.  It's getting hot out there, so farmers don hats, get to work at sunrise, cool off with an afternoon spent inside, then out again for an early evening wrap-up.  

What is one to say about June, the time of perfect young summer, the fulfillment of the promise of the earlier months, and with as yet no sign to remind one that its fresh young beauty will ever fade.

-  Gertrude Jekyll, On Gardening

Be certain to stay safe--sunscreen, plenty of water, gloves, sleeves, and pant legs to protect against all manner of creatures that might show more than a comfortable interest in you.  Enjoy the warmth of the sun on your slightly achy back, the hum and whir of cicadas, and, if you're lucky, a few fireflies at dusk.  Summer has arrived.

June's Requirement

Fertilize:
Fertilize annuals with 1 cup of balanced fertilizer per 100 sq.ft. Rich compost, manure tea and fish emulsion are some organic options. Yellowing leaves near the tip of plant shoots indicate a lack of iron. Check soil pH and treat with an iron supplement, if needed. Feed roses and young fruit trees with a nitrogen fertilizer. Feed established annuals and perennials with a high nitrogen/low phosphorus fertilizer such as 15-5-10.

Water: 
Water all planted areas deeply but infrequently during dry periods. Water outdoor potted plants daily.

In June, as many as a dozen species may burst their buds on a single day.  No man can heed all of these anniversaries; no man can ignore all of them. 

-  Aldo Leopold

Lawn Care: 
Mow every 5-7 days, leaving the clippings on the lawn. Raise mower setting to reduce stress to turf in summer. Water during the cool of early morning. Avoid weed killers now that temperatures are above 85°.

Diseases/Pests To Look For:
Watch for chinch bugs in the sunny areas of your lawn, especially near streets and driveways. Call the Extension Service for recommended treatment. Webworms and other caterpillars can be treated with Bacillus thuringiensis (Bt). For scale insects, mealy bugs and spidermites use summer oil or horticultural oil.

In these divine pleasures permitted to me of walks in the June night under moon and stars, I can put my life as a fact before me and stand aloof from its honor and shame.

-  Ralph Waldo Emerson, Journals  

Prune: 
Remove spent flowers from daisies, daylilies, cannas and other summer flowers. Remove fruiting canes from blackberries after harvest. Tip prune new canes at 4’ to promote branching. Prune dead and damaged wood from trees and shrubs as needed. Cut geraniums back and place in light shade. Do not prune oak trees at this time since the beetle that carries oak wilt is active now and may be attracted to any cuts you make.

June, on the balconies of New Orleans

Things To Plant In June:

Flower Plants:
ajuga, balsam, wax begonia, blue daze, boltonia, chocolate plant, chrysanthemum, cockscomb, copper plant, cosmos sulphureus, gomphrena, hibiscus, periwinkle, portulaca, purslane, gloriosa daisy, salvia, sedum, stokes' aster, wishbone flower, zinnia.

No price is set on the lavish summer; June may be had by the poorest comer.

-  James Russell Lowell, The Vision of Sir Launfal

Flower Seeds:
balsam, blue lace flower, castor bean, celosia, cleome, cockscomb, coleus, cosmos, cypress vine, dahlia, feverfew, four o'clock, gaillardia, impatiens, marigold, moonflower, morning glory, periwinkle, portulaca, sunflower, tithonia, torenia, vinca, zinnia.

Bulbs:
amaryllis, canna, crinum, ginger, daylily, liriope, monkey grass, rain lily.

June lends its bounty to adorn the chicken yard.

Vegetables:
Malabar Spinach, Okra, Southern Pea, Sweet Potato, Peanut, Pumpkin.
Start transplants indoors for fall tomatoes, peppers and eggplants.

I used to visit and revisit it a dozen times a day, and stand in deep contemplation over  my vegetable progeny with a love that nobody could share or conceive of who had never taken part in the process of creation.  It was one of the most bewitching sights in the world to observe a hill of beans thrusting aside the soil, or a rose of early peas just peeping forth sufficiently to trace a line of delicate green.

-  Nathaniel Hawthorne, Mosses from an Old Manse

Other Things To Do:
Prepare fall garden beds. Remove old winter vegetables and strawberry plants from beds. Replenish mulch.

June, on the doorsteps of Breaux Bridge, Louisiana

Also read:
Dealing with Mosquitoes-- how-tos for keeping mosquitoes at bay in the landscape with water features.
Organic Pest Control: What Works and What Doesn't from Mother Earth News.
from maggie's farm Pinterest board: Garden Decor: Upcycled

From Central Texas Gardener, courtesy of the Garden Guide for Austin & Vicinity, published by the Travis County Master Gardener Association, copyright 2000-2002.