What to do in the garden in June

 
Get tips on what you should be doing in your garden this month. From staying on top of weeds to applying a layer of mulch to protect your plants from summer heat, see what you should be doing in June.

Get tips on what you should be doing in your garden this month. From staying on top of weeds to applying a layer of mulch to protect your plants from summer heat, see what you should be doing in June.

While gardening chores vary depending on the region you live in, there are a few basic tasks that should be taken on during the month.

Here are 5 things to do in your garden this June.

1. Bug patrol

Insects and pests are likely to be popping up in the garden during warmer months. Not all bugs are bad, but you’ll want to keep an eye out for the ones that can wreck havoc on your garden. Keep an eye out for aphids, Japanese Beetles, earwigs, and spider mites. Sometimes a blast of water is all you need to remove these from the plants, but you can also try spraying a light mixture of dish soap and water on the plants in the early morning to kill them off. Hand picking is also an option–if that doesn’t give you the willies that is.

2. Maintain weed-free beds

Hopefully the initial spring rush of weeds that turns well maintained gardens into a wild jungle has past, but you’ll want to make sure to maintain a weed-free bed. Keep an eye out for weeds when they’ve just sprouted and pluck ’em while they’re young so they don’t snag the much-needed nutrients from your other plants. Make sure to pick weeds before they flower and go to seed.

3. Time to mulch

Add a layer of mulch to help lock in moisture during the warmer summer months. Mulch also keeps weeds from sprouting back up. Bark, leaves, straw and grass clipping are all good mulching options. But, if your grass was filled with weeds this year, or if you treated your lawn with a weed killer, toss the grass clippings instead.

4. Keep up with the mowing

The grass is likely growing fast enough to require weekly mowings. Make it a little easier on yourself by raising the mower height to 2 inches. It will cut down on time spent mowing and most grasses do better at longer lengths in warmer weather.

5. Plant warm weather veggies

Now’s the time to plant vegetables that do well in summer heat. Tomatoes, peppers, eggplants, okra, and watermelon tend to be good summer crops.

Follow these 5 tips on what do to in your garden in June and watch it thrive this summer.