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June ushers in the summer with longer days and higher temperatures and everything will be going like the clappers. The beginning of June has been wet so you are guaranteed plenty of weeds, so keeping the borders and vegetable patch clear will be a big task. This is probably one of the most boring jobs in the garden and best done little and often but it does provide plenty of compost. It is best to dispose of weeds that have flowered to avoid putting the seeds back in the ground and dig out and discard all bindweed as this will thrive in a compost bin.
The recent rain has done the lawn a lot of good but I still have plenty of bare patches that I am trying to re-seed so keeping the lawn watered is important as we head into summer. If we hit dry weather raise the blades on the mower and let the grass grow a little longer as this will hold moisture at the roots. June is also a good month to do a second Weed & Feed to get the lawn at its best before any chance of drought when it is not a good idea to fertilise and apply weed killer.
Keep on top of the borders and containers with regular deadheading and trimming to keep the flowers coming and give everything a regular potash (K) feed. Prune shrubs that flower early in the year as soon as the blossom falls and hard prune old woody shrubs to generate lots of new green growth. Start clearing the top growth on spring bulbs by raking it gently with your fingers. Dead growth will come away easily leaving green growth for a later date. Stake and support tall plants that can be battered in bad weather and remember to take cuttings of your favourite perennials before there is a chance of really hot weather. Some of you may have heard of the “Chelsea Chop” which I thought was a form of defensive martial arts practised by military pensioners. It is in fact a hard prune of roses and tall perennials performed at the beginning of June aimed at producing an abundance of fresh growth and flowers in time for summer. I haven’t done it myself but some believe it makes all the difference…. maybe next year!
Hopefully the vegetable patch is fully planted out and starting to produce a crop. As you take salad crops re-sow for a second later in the year. As tomatoes and beans race up supports pick out the tops to encourage the fruit but also pick out any side shoots on tomatoes as these will generate lots of small fruit which will collapse the plant. Early potatoes planted in March will be ready as soon as the flower has dropped. If you want to thicken the skins cut the stems down to about 6” and leave for another 2 weeks. Otherwise lift and start eating. Also lift onions and garlic as the top growth turns yellow and let them dry on the soil before collecting into sacks or plaiting and hanging.
Continue to thin out any surplus fruit to allow the best to grow to a good size and peg down strawberry runners if you want new plants for next year. Battle the pests and look out for codling moth on plums that will get going this month.
Keep everything well watered and fed and start to enjoy the garden at this time of year. This is when outdoor living should hopefully get started and a well maintained garden becomes an asset to your home. So let’s raise a glass to all the hard work… but first let me get the weeds sorted.
We are always looking for new members and try to encourage a fun attitude towards friendly competition. So if you want to grow your own fruit, vegetables and flowers or even enter any of the 3 shows we hold each year, then please get in touch, we would be happy to hear from you.
If you are interested in becoming a new member, (all ages are welcome), please contact Rosey on: 01634 377812 (evenings) or Email: rosemary@ringwoodaccounting.co.uk
Sean Barry - Upchurch Horticultural Society
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