June Gardening

Watering

The heat of summer is just around the corner and it is a good idea to check you sprinkler and drip systems for leaks or malfunctions.  If you use battery operated timers make sure you change the batteries once a year.  It is a good idea to check the system before you go on vacation too.  You don’t want to return home to a dead garden.  Well-tended gardens are a sign that people are present, making your home less inviting to thieves. 

Bugs

Do you find leaves in your flower beds being torn and ripped away?  If the damage happens at night the most likely corrupts are snail, slug, and earwigs.  If the damage happens in the day time, you probably have birds, finches stealing your leaves.  Finches use the leaves, especially soft ones, to line their nests.  The leaves of black-eyed susans, Echinacea, and lamb’s ear are their favorites, but they will go for others too.  Hanging old CD’s and scare tape can help but there is little else you can do. 

May Fertilizing

The saying goes “April showers bring May flowers”, this isn’t just because it rhymes and sounds good.  May is the flower month.  If your roses aren’t blooming they’re setting their buds for the first show of the season.  Now is an excellent time to head to your local independent nursery and pick out the perfect roses for your garden.  The tags just don’t do these beautiful plants justice.  Just about all your garden is in bloom in May, so make sure you have fertilizer ready.  Plants often need fertilizer shortly after blooming to replace the energy they expend on their showy display.  You will notice that flower blooms have a pattern of large showy displays followed by less dramatic displays.  This is often repeated though-out the course of the plant flowering habit.  For instance if your blooming plant is a Dogwood or Rhododendron which typically bloom once a year your plant will have heavy blooming years followed by a muted year.  In the case of roses which bloom several times through-out a season this pattern will play-out during spring, summer, and into fall. 

May Gardening

Fertilizing

The saying goes “April showers bring May flowers”, this isn’t just because it rhymes and sounds good.  May is the flower month.  If your roses aren’t blooming they’re setting their buds for the first show of the season.  Now is an excellent time Read more here

Tomatoes

May is a great month to plant your tomatoes; it is a good idea to add lime to the soil when planting to help prevent blossom end rot.  For more tips on tomato planting go here: How to plant your tomatoes.  With tomato planting season going in full in May, I need to mention an old myth going back many years.  Read more here

Vegetables

May is a big month for planting your vegetables.  Plant your Beans, Swiss Chard, Chives, Corn, Cucumbers, Eggplant, Melons, Okra, Peppers, Pumpkins, Soybeans, Summer Squash, Winter Squash, Tomatoes, and Watermelon.  Plant the vegetables that you use the most of.  Make it a fun project for the whole family.  Gardening is an easy way to burn calories and get something accomplished.  The best part, your exercise will produce healthy food for your family. 

Vegetable Planting Guide

Vegetables

Jan

Feb

Mar

Apr

May

Jun

Jul

Aug

Sep

Oct

Nov

Dec

Asparagus

P

P

Beans, Fava

S

S

S

S

Beans, Lima

S

S

S

S

Beans, Snap

S

S

S

Beets

S

S

S

S

S

S

Bok Choy

P/S

P/S

P/S

P/S

P/S

Broccoli

P/S

I

S

P/S

P

P

S

Broccoli, Rabe

S

S

S

S

S

S

Brussels Sprouts

P/I

P

Cabbage

I

P/S

I

S

P/S

P

P

Cabbage, Chinese

I

P/S

S

P/S

Carrots

S

S

S

S

S

S

Cauliflower

I

I

S

P/S

P

P

Celeriac

S

S

S

S

Celery

S

S

P

P

S

P/S

P

P

Chard, Swiss

S

S

S

S

S

S

S

S

S

Chives

S

P/S

P/S

P/S

Collards

S

S

S

S

S

Corn

S

S

S

S

Cucumbers

S

S

S

Eggplant

I

I

P/S

P/S

P

Endive

S

S

S

S

S

S

Fennel, Florence

S

S

S

P/S

P

P

Garlic

S

S

S

S

Jicama

S

S

Kale

P/S

S

S

S

P

P

P/S

Kohirabi

S

S

I

I

P/I

P

P

Leeks

P/I

P/I

I

P

S

S

S

Lettuce, Head

S

S

S

S

S

Lettuce, Leaf

S

S

S

P/S

P/S

P/S

P

Melons

S

S

S

Mustard

S

S

S

S

S

S

S

S

S

Okra

S

S

S

S

Onion, Seeds

S

P

Onion, Sets

S

S

S

S

S

Parsley Root

S

S

S

Parnips

S

S

S

Peas

S

S

S

P/S

P/S

P

Peppers

I

I

I

P/S

P

Potatoes, Sweet

P

P

P

Potatoes, White

S

S

S

S

S

Pumpkin

S

S

S

Radicchio

S

S

S

S

S

S

Radish

S

S

S

S

S

S

S

S

Radish, Daikon

S

S

S

S

S

S

S

Rutabaga

S

S

S

Shallots

S

S

S

Soybean, Edamame

S

S

S

Spinach

S

S

S

S

S

Squash, Summer

S

S

S

S

S

Squash, Winter

S

S

S

S

S

Tomatoes

I

I

I

P

P

P

Turnips

S

S

S

S

S

S

Watermelon

S

S

S

Start Indoors

I

Direct Seed Outside

S

Potted Plant

P