10 Tips for the June Gardener

Photo: Leanne Pundt for UConn Extension

1.      Move houseplants to shaded areas outside for the summer. Be aware that plants will need more water during hot and windy weather.

2.      Harvest early season fruits and vegetables including strawberries, lettuce, radishes and peas when they are at their peak.

3.      Watch for aphids on vegetables, roses, perennial flowers, shrubs and trees. A hard spray from your garden hose or two applications of insecticidal soap will usually reduce aphid numbers enough to minimize damage to plants.

4.      All warm-season plants including tomatoes, peppers and melons can be safely planted in June. If tomato plants are leggy they can be planted deeper and will root along the buried stems.

5.      Plant seeds of bush beans every three weeks for a continuous harvest.

6.      Grass can quickly invade gardens and landscape plantings and is best deterred with a good quality edging that is properly installed. 

7.      Keep on top of weeds during the early summer when they are small and easy to pull.  If you keep your garden plants well watered and fertilized, they will quickly fill in bare spaces and give weeds fewer places to grow. 

8.      Heavy rains encourage slug problems. Check for slugs during rainy periods and hand pick the pests.

9.      Watch for and control blackspot and powdery mildew on rose foliage.

10.  Make more of many of your favorite shrubs! It's an ideal time to take cuttings of trees and shrubs, such as chokeberry, butterfly bush, spirea, serviceberry, hydrangea, dogwood, and magnolia.

For more information please visit the UConn Home and Garden Education Center.