June Gardening Tips

Summer is here. I’m sure many of you, like me, are hoping that the weather hasn’t peaked too soon and that having had such a warm and sunny spring, it doesn’t lead us into another wet summer! However, there is no doubt that the dry weather has by and large benefitted the gardens which are now reaching their peak. All the hard work put in during winter and spring is now starting to bear fruit. Some old friends that seemed to disappear in the gardens last year have returned thanks to the dry weather, alliums being an obvious one, but watering remains a big task! Most of all, this month, don’t forget to stop and savour all your hard work and enjoy the garden at this time of year, it’s the reason we do it after all…

Conserve water – With the effects of climate change becoming more apparent and with our recent dry, hot spring we must do our best to conserve water. If you haven’t already done so, spread a mulch of organic matter over any bare soil after rain or watering to retain as much water in the soil as possible. In addition, you can install a water butt to catch valuable rain water. Plants grow much better when watered with rain water, when compared to tap water, which can contain chemicals such as fluoride and is often alkaline (hard water). Consider more drought tolerant plants for your borders as well as this will reduce the need for watering and therefore reduce your water consumption.
Tidy overgrown lilacs – If your lilac has become overgrown and leggy, now is the best time for drastic action. After the flowers have gone, saw or cut them down to about 45cm from the base. This will encourage a mass of new shoots to regrow and result in a much bushier and better shaped plant. Just thin out any inward growing shoots that cross the centre of the plant.
Cut back oriental poppies – When oriental poppies finish flowering they can often look a bit of a mess, that’s why it is always a good idea to site them in the middle or back of the border so once they have finished flowering other plants can hide them. Cut the foliage to near ground level to make them look better, with a bit of feed or organic fertiliser, new growth will soon come and with it the chance of more flowers later in the summer – if you’re lucky!
Prune Clematis ‘Montana’ – Do this now if you didn’t get a chance last month, it’s a vigorous clematis although only needs pruning if it’s getting out of control or smothering neighbouring plants. After flowering, thin out the growth and trim it back into its allotted space.
Deadhead lupins and delphiniums – Do this as they finish flowering. If it is done as the flowers fade there is a good chance of further blooms being produced later in the summer. Cut the spires off at ground level or cut them back to strong new shoots.
Lift and divide bulbs – Once the bulbs have finished flowering, they can be lifted, dried and stored when the foliage has died down. If you intend to leave yours in situ year after year, then lift overcrowded clumps now and divide them so that they can spend the rest of summer reestablishing.
Thinning out fruit crops – The ‘June drop’ is a natural process where many fruit trees drop some of their immature fruits in early summer as a way to reduce their fruit load and focus their resources on fully developing and ripening the remaining fruit. Don’t be tempted to thin out your apples and pears until this has happened otherwise you may end up with no fruit at all as the ones you leave end up falling off! Plums are an exception, however, as thinning them out early in the month can prevent brittle branches from breaking. Initially thin out any diseased or damaged fruit and then after the June drop, thin out any remaining areas that appear to be overcrowded.
Check the base of grapevines – Make sure your grapevines are not drying out and give them a regular soak if they need it whether you grow them outside or inside a glasshouse, they are hardy so can cope with our weather but for improved ripening of the fruits, try growing them under glass.
Damp down greenhouses – ‘Damping down’ just means spraying or splashing water around a greenhouse to keep the atmosphere humid. This will benefit the plants enormously, especially if you can close the ventilators and doors for a short time after damping down to allow the temperature and humidity to rise to create an excellent growing atmosphere. It can also reduce incidence of glasshouse red mite. After a short time, open up the doors and ventilators again to get some air flow back into the greenhouse.
Move house plants – Give your house plants a bit of a holiday and move them from your house to the greenhouse. House plants never really get all the light they need in the house and the atmosphere can be quite dry so a spell in the greenhouse will give them a break. It’s best to give any large leaved plants a sponge over to remove any dust. This allows air to pass through the pores of the leaves much more easily.

Happy gardening!

If you have any further questions or would like some assistance with your garden, then visit our Nicholsons Garden Management webpage.