Gardening Jobs for June

Mid-June marks the beginning of Summer. We’re finally starting to spend just as much time outside as we are inside. Our Spring crops are bearing fruit and out warm-season crops are either in the ground or will soon be. Everything is still green because the heat of the Summer hasn’t fully made itself at home (at least here in the PNW). It’s our last chance to prepare our plants for the hot months ahead. To set them up for lots of successful harvests in the coming months! Here are your gardening jobs for June!

Mulch around your plants

Mulching around your plants will help them conserve moisture during the hot Summer months. Thirsty plants like beans and zucchini especially benefit from moisture conservation. There are different options when it comes to the type of mulch you use; it’s all about personal preference. My personal favorites are grass clippings (preferably with no weed seed in them), leaves, straw, or good old compost.

Keep harvesting your Spring crops

Things like your peas, sweet peas, broccoli, and herbs will still be producing. Keep up with your harvests to keep their continuous production going as long as possible!

Make sure all warm-weather crops are planted out

If you haven’t already, make sure to get your warm-season crops planted out. Things like Winter squash can take a long time from seed to fruit, so it’s important they have as long as they can in the ground. This will ensure a larger yield for you later on in the Summer!

Feed your vegetables

June is a great time to feed the vegetable plants that you have in the ground. I like to use a granulated plant food as it will slowly release its nutrients over time. Liquid plant food works just as well, though, you just may need to feed more frequently throughout the season.

Make sure all your plants are supported properly

Make sure that things like tomatoes and beans are supported properly. Once they start bearing fruit, branches will get weighed down, and things can snap if they aren’t supported properly. As my plants grow, I periodically go out and add plant clips where needed. I also like to prune my tomatoes regularly. This keeps leaves off the ground and ensures proper airflow, making it less likely that any will be taken down by disease later on in the Summer.

Make sure your container garden is consistently watered

Containers can easily get dried out as the weather starts getting warmer. It’s important that you water these consistently to ensure optimal production.

Prune your Wisteria

Pruning your Wisteria is important for the health of the plant. When the wisteria is pruned in June, we are managing its growth and encouraging flowering for next year. Summer pruning helps maintain its shape and keeps it from getting unruly. Pruning also increases airflow and light penetration too which are beneficial for a healthy flowering plant!

Rejuvinate Chives

Your chives may be looking a bit haggard at this point. June is the time to give them a bit of a haircut. This encourages new growth and another flush of chive flowers, so you can make some more chive blossom vinegar!

Gardening Jobs for June