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Gardening Tips - June Gardening Tips
• Check soil moisture and adjust the watering schedule on your irrigation controller accordingly. Water early in the day. Watch container plants, which may need daily watering.
• Control powdery mildew, a fungus that likes dry summer conditions. Spray susceptible plants with a horticultural oil or biological fungicide.
• Cut off spent flowers for continued bloom.
• Promote another bloom cycle of early-blooming perennials like Shasta daisies (Leucanthemum) and catmint (Nepeta) by cutting back spent stems or shearing old growth.
• Fertilize roses and other summer-blooming plants. Use little or no fertilizer on herbs.
• Sow seeds of basil, beans, beets, carrots, corn (early varieties), cucumbers, lettuce, summer and winter squash.
• Transplant starts of broccoli, Brussels sprouts, eggplant, peppers and tomatoes.
• Make compost tea for a mild liquid fertilizer.
• Stake tall plants such as dahlias, gladiolus and lilies as needed.
• Provide support for the vining stems of indeterminate tomato plants. Feed with a low-nitrogen fertilizer when fruit starts to develop. Do not overwater.
• Protect fruit crops from birds with plastic bird netting or fabric row covers.
• Continue to thin fruit.
• Use pot feet or boards to elevate containers sitting on hot pavement.
• Clear dry brush and grasses to create a 30-foot fire-safe space around your home.
• Harvest blooming lavender to dry for indoor use.
Contrib Contributors: Faith Brown, Marie Narlock, UCCE Placer County Master Gardeners
Resource: "Northern California Gardening: A Month-by-Month Guide" by Katherine Grace Endicott