Gardening tips and tricks: June
June is a busy time for gardeners, and a great opportunity to enjoy those long, warm, summer days.
This time of year is perfect for raising foliage plants, and sowing a number of outdoor seed varieties including alstroemeria, achillea, arabis, canterbury bells, coreopsis, erigeron, myosotis and sweet william. Polyanthus, primrose and pansies should be sown in the greenhouse for autumn planting to flower in the spring.
The threat of frost should have now passed so June is the ideal time to plant bedding plants that have been grown under cover either into borders, or into hanging baskets and containers. Plants will benefit from a weekly liquid feed to encourage growth and flowering.
Dead foliage should be removed from spring flowering bulbs, excluding daffodils and tulips which should be left a little longer, and ideally left to die back naturally.
Fruits bushes and trees should be inspected carefully to check for pests and diseases, and treated if necessary. Soft fruit bushes, such as currants and strawberries should be protected by a fruit cage, or netting to prevent birds from eating the fruit. However, strawberry bushes that have been kept under glass should now be uncovered so that pollinating insects can gain access to them.
Vegetables such as brussels sprouts, cabbage, celery, courgettes, cucumbers, marrows, runner and french beans that have been grown in a greenhouse should now be planted out. Carrots should be protected from carrot fly, and cabbages from caterpillar damage by covering them with protective materials.
The greenhouse should be kept well ventilated during the day as extreme variations in temperature could adversely affect the fruiting of tomato plants. In addition, tapping the flowers of greenhouse tomatoes will improve pollination.
June can be a hot, dry month so remember to water plants regularly to avoid wilting. To aid drainage, a layer of gravel or shingle is a great solution which also offers a touch of style and texture to your garden area!
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