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  5. June

Summer Gardening Chores: June

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Rosa, Photo by Michelle Longo
Photo by Michelle Longo

Chores and Maintenance:

  • Continue to cultivate planting beds to remove weeds
  • Continue to dig and divide early-blooming perennials after flowering
  • Water, water, water as necessary
  • Continue to mulch planting beds
  • Set supports for floppy plants, vines and vegetables
  • Deadhead rhododendrons, lilacs and perennials after flowering
  • Add to, aerate and moisten compost pile to speed decomposition
  • Continue to check for pests and other problems and treat as necessary
  • Mow lawns regularly to keep grass at 2 to 2 1/2 " height
  • Leave grass clippings on lawn to improve availability of nitrogen
  • Water lawns if there is less than 1" of rain per week
  • Harvest cool weather lettuce, radishes and scallions
  • Begin to spray roses every week with baking soda solution to protect against black spot disease (Cornell University's formula consists of: 3 tsp. baking soda, 2 1/2 tbsp. summer-weight horticultural oil, mixed with 1 gallon of water)
  • Continue application of deer repellents

Planting:

  • Complete moving self-sown annuals and perennials to desired locations
  • Sow seeds of fast growing annuals like marigolds, zinnias and cosmos directly in the garden
  • Sow seeds of heat-tolerant vegetables
  • Continue to plant and transplant perennials, weather and soil conditions permitting
  • Finish planting summer annuals
  • Complete planting summer flowering bulbs, such as canna, gladiolus and dahlias
  • Plant caladium and tuberous begonias in shady spots
deadhead lilacs after flowering
Deadhead lilacs after flowering

Pruning/ Fertilizing:

  • Continue to prune all plant material to remove any diseased, dead, weak or crossed branches
  • Complete pruning early spring-flowering shrubs
  • Prune evergreens and evergreen hedges into early summer
  • Continue deadheading roses
  • Fertilize roses after peak bloom
  • Complete fertilizing spring-flowering bulbs
  • Fertilize annuals and container plants
  • Fertilize vegetables
Sow seeds of fast-growing annuals like these marigolds (Tagetes)
Sow seeds of fast-growing annuals like these marigolds (Tagetes)

*These gardening tips are applicable for an average year in the southeastern New York region: USDA Plant Hardiness Zones 6a and 6b, which include New York City, Northern New Jersey, Rockland County, Westchester County, Southern Connecticut, and parts of Long Island. Plant hardiness zones refer to geographic areas where the growing season of plants is determined by the time of killing frosts in the spring and fall. Even within zones, climatic factors such as altitude, proximity to water, wind exposure, winter sun exposure and snow cover contribute to the existence of different "microclimates" and can influence plant adaptability.

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Gardening Chores for Other Seasons

  • Fall Gardening Chores
  • Spring Gardening Chores
  • Winter Gardening Chores

Related Guides

  • Annuals for Mid-summer Placement
  • FAQs for Summer Gardening
  • Flowering Schedule at NYBG
  • Lawn Care Tips From the Experts
  • Perennials--The Basics
  • Pruning Roses
  • Pruning Schedule for Shrubs: In the Nick of Time
  • Seed Sowing and Planting Outdoors
  • Trees and Shrubs with Seasonal Interest
  • Weedy and Wild: Weeds in the Garden

Noteworthy Books on Garden Maintenance and Seasonal Chores

  • Book Cover50 High-Impact, Low-Care Garden Plants by Tracy DiSabato-Aust
    Call Number: SB404.9 .D57 2009
    ISBN: 9780881929508
    Publication Date: 2009-01-07
  • Book CoverA Northeast Gardener's Year by Lee Reich
    Call Number: SB453.2.N92 R45 1992
    ISBN: 0201550504
    Publication Date: 1991-08-14
  • Book CoverThe 20-Minute Gardener by T. Christopher; Marty Asher
    Call Number: SB453 .C42 1997
    ISBN: 0679448144
    Publication Date: 1997-01-28
  • The New Low-Maintenance Garden by Valerie Easton; Jacqueline M. Koch (Photographer)
    Call Number: SB473 .E235 2009
    ISBN: 1604691662
    Publication Date: 2009-11-01
  • Book CoverThe Organic Lawn Care Manual by Paul Tukey; Nell Newman (Foreword by)
    Call Number: SB433 .T74 2007
    ISBN: 9781580176552
    Publication Date: 2007-01-30
  • Next: July >>
  • Last Updated: Mar 23, 2020 3:58 PM
  • URL: https://libguides.nybg.org/summerchores
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Subjects: Seasonal