Early June
It's time to . . .
- Continue to pull weeds while they're young so they will not reseed.
- Use a fine mulch over soil to help prevent weeds and retain moisture.
- Water either in the early morning (until 9 AM) or in the evening now and through the fall. It's cooler and less windy. Morning is preferable because the leaf surfaces do not stay wet as long.
- Cover young pepper, tomato, broccoli, cabbage, and potato plants with floating row covers to keep flea beetles from chewing pinholes in the leaves.
- Stake or cage tomato plants for best production.
- Water vegetables one to two inches a week.
- Water lawns about every four days for a total of 1-3/4 inches per week this month. Decrease amount if weather is wet.
- Fertilize trees and shrubs now. This will give new growth time to "harden" before late fall cold.
- Prune spring-flowering shrubs, such as lilacs, soon after they finish blooming.
- Pinch back tops of mums and asters when the stalks reach about eight inches to develop bushy plants. Repeat each time they reach that height until mid-July.
- Pinch back pansies so they'll bloom in the fall.
- Remove spent flowers. Many will bloom again with this "dead-heading". Rose blooms should be pruned back to a set of five leaflets.
- Fertilize roses once they are in full bloom.
Mid-June
It's time to . . .
- Mulch tomatoes after the soil is thoroughly warm to conserve moisture and help prevent blossom end rot.
- Mulch the whole vegetable garden with permeable fabric or organic material to maintain even soil moisture and inhibit weed growth.
- It’s okay to plant balled-and-burlap trees and shrubs until the end of the month.
- Plant calendula seeds outdoors for fall bloom. Cover the seeds with soil. They will survive the early fall frosts, and you can eat the flowers! CSU Fact sheet 7.237
Late June
It's time to . . .
- Pick gooseberries when they are full-sized but still green.
- Water the raspberries. They need up to three inches of water each week.
- Plant bush beans every two weeks until August 1 for a continuous harvest.
For more information:
Growing Tomatoes for the Home Garden
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