KJFM NEWS — Garden Talk is produced monthly at the Adair County University of Missouri Extension Center in Kirksville, Mo.
JUNE GARDENING TIPS
Ornamentals
- Deadhead bulbs and spring flowering perennials as blossoms fade.
- Watch for bagworms feeding on plants, especially juniper and arborvitae.
- Plant tropical water lilies when water temperatures rise above 70°.
- When night temperatures stay above 50 degrees, bring houseplants outdoors for the summer. Most houseplants prefer a bright spot shaded from afternoon sun. Check soil moisture daily during hot weather.
- Apply a balanced rose fertilizer after the first show of blooms is past.
- Apply organic mulches as the soil warms. These will conserve moisture, discourage weeds, and enrich the soil as they decay.
- Apply a second spray for borer control on hardwood trees.
- Softwood cuttings can be taken from trees and shrubs as the spring flush of growth is beginning to mature.
- Continue spraying roses with a fungicide to prevent black spot disease.
- Trees and shrubs may still be fertilized before July 4th.
- Pruning spring flowering trees and shrubs should be completed before the month’s end.
Lawns
- Water turf as needed to prevent drought stress.
- Remove no more than one-third the total height of your lawn per mowing. There is no need to remove clippings unless excessive.
- Gradually increase the mowing height of zoysia lawns throughout the summer. By September, the mowing height should be 2 to 2.5 inches.
- Mow bluegrass at 2 to 3.5 inch height. Turfgrasses growing in shaded conditions should be mowed at the higher recommendations.
- Zoysia can be fertilized now while actively growing. Do not exceed 2-3 pounds of actual nitrogen fertilizer per l000 sq. ft. per year.
Vegetables
- Repeat plantings of corn and beans to extend the harvest season.
- Plant pumpkins to have Jack-o-lanterns for Halloween.
- As soon as cucumber and squash vines start to ‘run,’ begin spray treatments to control cucumber beetles and squash vine borers.
- Set out transplants of Brussels sprouts started last month for a fall harvest.
- Soaker hoses and drip irrigation systems make the most efficient use of water during dry times.
- To minimize diseases, water with overhead irrigation early enough in the day to allow the foliage to dry before nightfall.
- Start broccoli, cabbage and cauliflower to provide transplants for the fall garden.
- Stop harvesting asparagus when the spears become thin.
- Control corn earworms. Apply several drops of mineral oil every 3 to 7 days once silks appear. Sprays of Bt are also effective.
- To maximize top growth on asparagus, apply 2 pounds of 12-12-12 fertilizer per l00 sq. ft., water well and renew mulches to conserve moisture.
Fruits
- Oriental fruit moths emerge. They are most serious on peaches where the first generation attacks growing tips. Prune out wilted shoots.
- Thinning overloaded fruit trees will result in larger and healthier fruits at harvest time. Thinned fruits should be a hands-width apart.
- Renovate strawberries after harvest. Mow the rows; thin out excess plants; remove weeds; fertilize and apply a mulch for weed control.
- Begin control for apple maggot flies. Hang red painted balls that have been coated with tanglefoot in apple trees to trap egg-laying females.
- Spray trunks of peach trees and other stone fruits for peach tree borers.
