June jobs for the garden

Spring has been one of the sunniest and driest on record, which means we’re all set for a hot summer!

Summer solstice is just around the corner as the longest day is nearly upon us. Whilst we welcome the warmer weather, it can be a little tricky for growing, but it’s all about balance.

We’ve had a great spring and what rain we have had, has been most welcome, but we need to keep those crops and blooms fed and watered to keep growing as its starts to heat up.

Throughout June we will reap the benefits of early crops as we begin to harvest early potatoes and salad leaves, and we can re-sow these as we go for crops later in the summer and autumn.

June is also a great time to take stock of what needs to be done in the garden. Has the planting gone to plan, have you checked the canes and stakes to ensure they are in good condition, is the fleece doing its job? It’s easy to take your eye off garden maintenance when in the midst of the growing season, but a quick check is all it takes!

• If you haven’t already, plant out summer bedding into gaps in the borders now that spring bedding has faded.
• Care for summer pots and hanging baskets by deadheading once blooms have faded and water and feed regularly. Take a look at the ‘Caring for pots and containers through summer’ blog for more information.
• Add vibrant colour to your garden with hydrangeas and fuchsias. Both are easy to care for and our ‘Getting the best from hydrangeas’ and ‘Getting the best from fuchsias’ blogs have some great guidance if they are new plants to the garden.
• Sweet peas should be well underway, add a structure or trellis for the trails to grow along. Regularly feed with Vitax Q4 Soluble Plant Food.
• Children love to get involved in the garden and it’s not too late to plant sunflowers. Either grow in pots or in the ground and see which grows the tallest!
• As they grow, divide hostas and keep the slugs at bay with Slug Gone.
• Plant hardy geraniums, nasturtiums, cosmos and lobelia.
• Bring the outside in by planting some blooms for cutting. Take a look at the ‘Growing flowers for cutting’ blog for inspiration.
• After flowering, rhododendrons can be lightly pruned. However, wait until spring to fully prune.
• Prune spring flowering shrubs.
• Trim buxus if inactive growth.
• Is it too early to mention spring flowering seeds? It’s time to plan, so take a look at those seed catalogues!

Kitchen garden

• Unearth early potatoes.
• Harvest salad leaves and herbs and re-sow for a continual supply throughout the summer months.
• Sow beans – French, runner, dwarf, the varieties are plenty.
• Sow sweetcorn, beetroot and carrots direct into the ground.
• Sow spring onions, peas, courgettes and pumpkins (last chance).
• Sow brassicas such as cabbage, brussel sprouts and broccoli.
• Pinch out sideshoots on tomatoes and plant out. Tomatoes are greedy eaters so ensure they are fed and watered on a regular basis. By mid-summer they should be starting to ripen and to give them an added boost, feed regularly with Organic Tomato Food.
• Start to prune plum and cherry trees.
• Move melon plants outdoors now the last of the frosts have gone.
• Protect fruit blossom with fleece.
• Keep on top of crops and act swiftly if any bugs start to appear.

General maintenance & pests

• If you haven’t already done so, apply Summer House Greenhouse Shading to greenhouse glass to protect plants from the intensity of the summer sun.
• Clean down surfaces in the greenhouse with Greenhouse Disinfectant to keep bugs and disease at bay. The disinfectant can also be used to clean pots that are going to be re-used now summer plants and crops have been planted out.
• Clean water butts when empty ready for the summer rain!
• Hoe borders and lightly hoe vegetable patches to remove weeds.
• Pests! There are multiple critters that attack during summer. Slugs, aphids, carrot fly, vine weevils to name just a few. Some can be picked off, but others can be kept at bay with Organic Plant Guard or Slug Gone.
• Water and feed all plants and crops regularly for healthy growth and protection against disease. There are a range of feeds to choose from whether you prefer an all-rounder or and easy-to-use plant specific feed, there is plenty to choose from.

Now that summer is here, relax, it’s time to enjoy the garden.