A shady Vancouver garden in June.
June Garden Chores
It's peony time in the garden.
In This Issue
Mont Rose Deutzia is a beautiful deciduous shrub for USDA zones 5 to 8.
Plant of the Month: Japanese Snowbell - June Garden Stars - June Garden Chores
Visit Your Garden - Planting - Prepare for Summer - Overcrowded Gardens
All About Watering - Drought Gardening - Sprinkler Tips
Hanging Baskets, Planters & Pollinators - Lawns - Nix the Lawn
What to Prune in June - Pruning Fruit Trees - Grapes, Raspberries & Fruit Protection
In the Veggie Garden - Getting Buggy With It - Tomato Tips - Rockin' the Roses
Visit Your Garden - Planting - Prepare for Summer - Overcrowded Gardens
All About Watering - Drought Gardening - Sprinkler Tips
Hanging Baskets, Planters & Pollinators - Lawns - Nix the Lawn
What to Prune in June - Pruning Fruit Trees - Grapes, Raspberries & Fruit Protection
In the Veggie Garden - Getting Buggy With It - Tomato Tips - Rockin' the Roses
Pretty pink window box geraniums.
Fellow Gardeners..
Grass is cohabitating with my iris. I did not consent.
Dear Fellow Gardeners,
I don’t always enjoy wandering through my garden despite the lovely flora. Sometimes it becomes an irritant as issues pop up that need attention like plants being bullied by others and sly, sneaky weeds. On a recent sojourn I was dismayed to see grass overtaking a couple of Siberian iris in the back raised bed. It must have snuck in from under the fence. That’s typical of grass – growing with gay abandon where it is not supposed to grow while it struggles to survive when grown as a lawn. I strove to remove the grass that had weaved itself through the iris’s roots, but as I dug and tugged at the grass, it wasn’t having any of it. It hung on smugly, and I became more and more frustrated. Eventually I gave up and made the decision that both grass riddled irises need to be dug up. It’s not going to be pretty. Digging them up isn’t the hard part, it’s extracting the insidious grass roots that are cavorting with the iris rhizome that’s the problem. I’m breaking up this illicit affair! The question is when. Right now, the irises are in full bloom so it would be better to wait until fall to do the dirty deed, however, I can’t bear seeing the grass engulf my irises over the summer. I would have to avert my eyes from such debauchery. After they finish flowering, I’ll dig them up and blast the grass out of the iris roots with a garden hose. Knowing me I’ll end up covered in filth and I'll need to be hosed off too - argh! Have fun in the garden & watch for any illicit affairs of the floral kind. Cheers, Amanda 
My cavorting Siberian iris.
June's Plant of the Month
Japanese Snowbell
Japanese snowbell, Styrax japonicus, is a charming and showy small tree than dons masses of beautiful white flowers in May and June. Learn more about this small and elegant flowering tree here.
June's Arrangement
June 2025
June flowers include peonies, Japanese spirea and lady's mantle. For a numbered guide to the specific flower names and for other arrangements go to Monthly Flower Arrangements
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Garden Consultation Gift Cards
Get the perfect gift for gardeners and non-gardeners alike with a gift certificate for a personal garden consultation. In the two-hour consultation their gardening questions are answered such as how to lower maintenance, landscape design, trouble shooting, plant ID, lawn care, veggie gardening and other garden related issues. A $200.00 value. Serving Metro Vancouver. Click here to fill out the form.
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A Book For the tropics
Delve into the world of tropical shrubs with the reference book Ornamental Tropical Shrubs. It features beautiful colour pictures for each plant as well as point form information on suitable growing conditions and all their features. Available at Amazon.ca and Amazon.com.
Water Restrictions
Water restrictions in Metro Vancouver continues until mid October.
Metro Vancouver Water Restrictions: Water trees, shrubs & gardens any day, from 5 am - 9 am. Hand water and use drip irrigation and soaker hoses any time. Vegetable gardens are exempt from the regulations. Water lawns once a week on Saturdays on even numbered addresses, and Sundays for odd numbered. For more details on current water restrictions click on Metro Vancouver.
Amanda's YouTube Channel
Click on the pic to be redirected.
Check out my YouTube Channel for garden videos. Includes instructional videos and some pretty plant ones too as I just can't resist.
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June Garden Stars
Rubidor weigela, Weigela florida 'Rubidor', deciduous shrub, 5' - 8' x 7'-9', sun, butterflies, hummingbirds. Zones 4 to 8. Click on pic for more.
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‘Black Lace’ elderberry, Sambucus nigra ‘Eva’, deciduous shrub, 6’-8’ x 6’, black edible berries, sun/part shade. Zones 4 to 7.
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Mountain laurel, Kalmia latifolia, broadleaf evergreen, 5’ to 15’, part shade. Zones 4 to 9.
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Patty's Purple hebe, H. buxifolia 'Patty's Purple', broadleaf evergreen shrub, sun, 2'-3' x 1-2'. Zones 8 to 10.
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Stella D’Oro daylily, Hemerocallis 'Stella de Oro', herbaceous perennial, 10”-12” tall & wide, sun, part shade. Zones 2 to 9. Click on pic for more.
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Japanese spirea, Spiraea japonica, deciduous shrub, 3-4’ tall and wide, sun. Zones 4 to 9. Click on pic for more.
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Mont Rose Deutzia, D. x hybrida 'Mont Rose', deciduous shrub, 3 to 4 ft tall & wide, sun to part shade. Zones 5 to 8.
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Oriental poppy, Papaver orientale, herbaceous perennial, 15” – 3’ x 1’ -2’, sun. Zones 3 to 8. Click on the pic for more.
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Lupins, Lupinus spp., herbaceous perennial, 3’ – 4’ x 1’ – 1.5’, May - July, sun. Zones 4 to 8
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Nelly Moser clematis, deciduous vine, 6' to 8’, sun, part shade. Zone 4 to 8. Click on pic for more.
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Astilbes, herbaceous perennials, 6in to 4ft, partial shade to shade & moist soils. Zones 3 to 8. Click on the pic for more.
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Delphiniums, herbaceous perennial, 4’-6’ x 2’-3’, June to July, sun. Zones 3 to 7. Click on pic for more.
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Red Hot Poker, Kniphofia uvaria, herbaceous perennial, 3'-4' x 2'-3', sun. Zones 5 to 9. Click on the pic for more.
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English lavender, Lavandula angustifolia, semi-evergreen sub-shrub, fragrant, June, July, sun, 1 to 3’. Zones 5 to 9. Click on the pic for more.
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Calla lily, Zantedeschia, herbacous rhizomatous perennial, 1' to 3', sun to partial shade. Zones 8 to 10.
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Japanese Stewartia, Stewartia pseudocamellia, deciduous tree, 20 - 40' x 10 - 25', sun, part shade. Zones 5-8. Click on the pic for more.
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Masterwort, Astrantia major, herbaceous perennial, partial shade, moist soil 1’-2’ x 1’-1.5’. Zones 4 to 7.
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Portuguese Cherry Laurel, Prunus lusitanica, broadleaf evergreen, 10’– 20’ x 15’ – 20’, sun, part shade. Zones 4 to 9. Click on pic for more.
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Mandarin honeysuckle, Lonicera 'Mandarin', deciduous vine to 5 feet, May - June fragrant flowers, sun to part shade. Zones 4 to 9.
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Gladiator Flowering Onion, Allium 'Gladiator', fragrant, flowering bulb, full sun, flower stems up to 44 inches, Zones 4 to 8.
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Lady's Mantle, Alchemilla mollis, herbaceous perennial, prefers moist shade, 12"-18" x 18"-2'. Zones 2 to 3.
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Blue Waterfall Serbian bellflower, Campanula poscharskyana 'Camgood', herbaceous perennial, 8” x 4’, sun/part sun. Zones 4 to 7.
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'Royal Purple' smokebush, Cotinus coggygria, deciduous shrub, 10-15’ x 15’- 20’. Sun, part shade. Zones 4 to 8
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Blue globe thistle, Echinops bannaticus, herbaceous perennial, 2-4’ x 1–2’, flowers June to August, sun, dry soil, prickly. Zones 3 to 8.
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June Garden Chores
Click on the coloured links to be redirected.
Visit Your Garden
Roses and peonies make good partners in the back garden.
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Gardens come alive with blossoms this month.
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Bindweed, wild morning glory, will devour gardens if not controlled.
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Visit Your Garden: Give yourself a break from the world and take a tour through your garden. There’s always something going on, especially this month as gardens erupt with billowing rose blossoms and other summer favourites. Keep an eye out for buttercups, bindweed and other badly behaved weeds as they easily take over vast tracks of land in the blink of an eye. Then there’s bugs. It’s the vegan ones we must worry about as they devour our flora. To learn what to look for when checking out your garden click on Garden Inspections.
Planting
Finish planting as soon as possible.
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Loosen roots before planting.
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Handwater all newly planted plants. Don't rely on sprinklers, soaker hoses or drip systems.
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Planting: If you still have plants to get into the ground do so asap as summer is officially here. It’s preferable to wait for a cloudy day, or wait until later in the day. When planting, slightly loosen roots and firm soil to remove any air pockets. Hand water thoroughly after planting, then water every other day until new growth sprouts. Keep an eye on your new babies and don’t go on vacation. For more on planting click on Planting Know-How.
Prepare for Summer
Rocks don't have the benefits of organic mulches & plants suffer for it.
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Organic mulch helps maintain soikmoisture.
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Purchase mulch at garden centres & hardware stores.
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Be prepared to protect the garden from the hot afternoon sun. Place a 3 inch layer of mulch on top of the soil and between plants to keep the ground cooler and wetter. Avoid rock mulches. They get too hot in summer, they don't retain soil moisture, they are not nutrient rich and weeds grow between the rocks. To learn more about mulch click on Mulch & Mulching. If mulch is not your thing, protect the soil with ground covers such as sedum in sunny locations or Japanese spurge in shady spots. For more information click on Living Mulches & Groundcovers.
Overcrowded Gardens - Save the Meek
A rose is being overwhelmed by its neighbours.
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Here's the same rose after it's neighbours were cut back,
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Peonies need to be staked.
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A trellis holds up a Black Beauty lily.
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Feel free to cut peony rings to make your own staked design.
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Overcrowded Plants - Save the Meek: Cut back stems from plants that are interfering with other plants. Don’t take more off than you need to, just the branches that are in the way. Either remove the entire branch or cut them back to a side branch.
Keeping Plants Upright: Stake plants that need support. Continue to secure them as their stems elongate and flowers appear. Use bamboo poles, peony cages, trellises, tomato cages to support droopy plants. Dollar stores are a great resource.
Keeping Plants Upright: Stake plants that need support. Continue to secure them as their stems elongate and flowers appear. Use bamboo poles, peony cages, trellises, tomato cages to support droopy plants. Dollar stores are a great resource.
When to Water
Water in the morning, not the evening!
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This butterfly needs water STAT!
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Dead branches on this David viburnum were caused by a lack of water.
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When to Water: It’s best to water in the morning as plants need it to get through the day. They are actively growing and need their breakfast. Plants rest at night, so they don’t need the water. It also encourages diseases and fungus. However, wilted, thirsty plants need water asap so don't wait to give them a drink. To learn how to water more efficiently and effectively click on Watering Tips & Techniques.
Watering Trees
Water trees along their dripline.
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A strangled street tree is suffering from neglect and bad planting.
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The water bags on these street trees are better than nothing.
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Watering Trees: One way to kill a tree is by not watering it during the summer. Even after a wet spring, the ground quickly dries out when it’s hot and dry. Don’t apply water to the trunk. Instead give them a good soak along the dripline. That’s where the tree’s canopy ends and where their feeder roots are.
Street trees: They have a tough life. Stuck between roads and sidewalks they have little soil, and they don’t receive any water and food. Water bags are sometimes used by municipalities, but they are inadequate. They are placed on the trunk, not along the dripline where they are needed. To avoid dying and dead trees (and potential safety hazards), take the time to give them a really good soaking once a month.
Street trees: They have a tough life. Stuck between roads and sidewalks they have little soil, and they don’t receive any water and food. Water bags are sometimes used by municipalities, but they are inadequate. They are placed on the trunk, not along the dripline where they are needed. To avoid dying and dead trees (and potential safety hazards), take the time to give them a really good soaking once a month.
Drought Gardening
Avoid placing landscape fabric or plastic under mulch.
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Water drought tolerant plants well until they show new growth.
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Protect 'hot' plants from the sun.
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Shade hot locations by using plants to block the sun.
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Drought Gardening: There are many techniques to conserve moisture in the landscape. There are also many misconceptions on how to do it. It’s important to work with nature by encouraging a sustainable and more self-reliant garden. To learn the smart way to garden with less water click on Drought Gardening.
Fried Plants: Newly planted plants and ones that love the shade are prone to wilting when exposed to the hot afternoon summer sun. For a temporary fix, shade them with a trellis covered with cardboard, tablecloth or use an umbrella. For a more permanent fix, plant a tall plant or more on the south or west side of the flagging plant to block the light.
Fried Plants: Newly planted plants and ones that love the shade are prone to wilting when exposed to the hot afternoon summer sun. For a temporary fix, shade them with a trellis covered with cardboard, tablecloth or use an umbrella. For a more permanent fix, plant a tall plant or more on the south or west side of the flagging plant to block the light.
Sprinkler Tips
Ensure all areas of the garden receive regular watering.
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Don't forget to set up a sprinkler in the veggie garden.
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Use a timer to make watering the garden and lawn stress free.
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Sprinkler Tips: Make sure you have an adequate amount of hoses and sprinklers to cover your entire garden, lawn and veggie beds. If not, get thee to a garden or hardware store asap before everything is sold out. To make your life easier, attach sprinklers to a timer. Don’t forget to follow local watering restrictions in your area. Each zone should be on for 45 minutes to an hour to ensure the soil is thoroughly wetted. To learn how to water more efficiently and effectively click on Watering Tips & Techniques,
Hanging Basket, Planters & Pollinators
Move suffering moss baskets from the hot sun.
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Keep an eye on planters as they dry out quickly.
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Set up water stations for pollinators.
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Feed butterflies with pieces of ripe fruit.
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A bee enjoys a false indigo (Baptisia) flower.
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Hanging baskets & Planters: Container grown plants need daily watering during the summer. Check on them daily and move them to a shadier location if they are suffering. To rejuvenate overly dry plants, dunk moss baskets and planters in a bucket of water or sink until the bubbling stops. For more on growing in containers click here.
Birds, butterflies and pollinators:
Attract butterflies with sliced oranges, overripe bananas and other fruit. Hang them in trees or place them on rocks or saucers. Add a shallow tray of water filled with pebbles, marbles or glass beads. For more information on how to attract and care for pollinators click on Helping Pollinators.
Birds, butterflies and pollinators:
Attract butterflies with sliced oranges, overripe bananas and other fruit. Hang them in trees or place them on rocks or saucers. Add a shallow tray of water filled with pebbles, marbles or glass beads. For more information on how to attract and care for pollinators click on Helping Pollinators.
Lawns
Due to water restrictions, water lawns once a week for an hour.
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This dried out lawn is vulnerable to grubs and weeds.
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Crows have feasted on the chafer beetle grubs.
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Apply a high nitrogen organic lawn fertilizer.
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Lawns: Metro Vancouver’s water restrictions only allow watering the lawn once a week, so make the most of that day. Keep it on for a full hour to ensure the roots absorb as much as possible. The lawn will be healthier and able to fight back against grubs including chinch bugs, chafer beetles, sod webworms and leatherjackets. There will be fewer weeds and will quickly green up in the autumn.
Feed the Lawn. Use a high nitrogen fertilizer, a high first number ex: 10-4-3. Opt for an organic or slow release fertilizers that contains no more than 20% N. Too much nitrogen spurs on rapid, lush, vulnerable growth prone to insects and diseases.
Feed the Lawn. Use a high nitrogen fertilizer, a high first number ex: 10-4-3. Opt for an organic or slow release fertilizers that contains no more than 20% N. Too much nitrogen spurs on rapid, lush, vulnerable growth prone to insects and diseases.
Grow a healthy lawn with correct maintenance.
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Don't cut the lawn too short.
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Keep clippings on the lawn unless they are too long.
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Lawn Mowing Tips: Raise the mower height to 2.5 to 3 inches. Check the height with a ruler after mowing a strip and adjust the height if necessary. The longer grass stops the adults of chafer beetles and other grubs from laying their eggs into the soil. The longer blades also shades the soil and promotes longer roots. For more on lawns click on Fertilizing Lawns - Lawn Basics - Lawn Maintenance Schedule - Lawn Grub Control - Moss in Lawns
Nix the Lawn
A shady area becomes a courtyard.
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A front lawn is converted to an attractive seating area.
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A back garden is full of flowers, veggies and fruits.
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A meadow garden consists of ornamental grasses and groundcovers.
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Nix the Lawn: You don’t need to have a lawn if you don’t want to. There are many alternatives to choose from to suit your lifestyle and the growing conditions, no matter what they are. If there’s too much shade for your lawn, consider converting it into a shade garden with ferns, hostas and other shade loving plants. If it’s too sunny, plant a meadow. For more options click on Lawn Alternatives.
What to Prune in June
Cut off the dead flowers from heathers to keep plants compact.
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It's too late to cut back hydrangeas.
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Cut back stems just above a node (bud), not between the nodes.
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Pruning Shrubs: There’s more to pruning shrubs than just lopping off their tops, they also need to be thinned. Remove all spindly, weak, old, diseased and dead stems at their base as well as any branches that grow towards the centre of the plant. To shorten shrub branches, cut just above a side branch or a bud (node). Remove no more than 1/3 of overall growth because cutting too much off sets plants back. Avoid pruning hydrangeas, rose of sharon, buddleias, roses and other plants that have yet to blossom.
Pruning Trees
Remove suckers from trees and the burl they arise from.
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Shorten stems by cutting just above a side branch.
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Cut off tree branches directly in front of the branch ridge.
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The tree on the right has been badly pruned, while the one on the right has not.
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When trees are topped, ugly suckers take the place of the branches.
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Pruning Trees: Remove dead branches, broken ones and any diseased growth. Pull or cut off all the suckers and watersprouts so they don’t take over the plant. Cut back or just remove branches that are in the way of walking and overtaking other plants. To shorten tree branches, cut just above a side branch. Don't cut back all the branches from a tree. That's called 'topping' and 'hat-racking'. It results in an ugly tree as suckers replace the branches. It also weakens and kills trees.
Pruning Wisterias, Grapes & Conifers
Prune wisterias after the finish flowering.
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Cut back wisteria's side stems back to 2 to 4 buds to promote more flowers.
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Pinch pine candles in half to keep branches short.
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Prune Wisterias: To control wisterias and to promote flowering, cut back all the side shoots to 2 to 4 buds. These shortened stubby stems will become flowering spurs in a couple of years. Repeat this process again in winter.
Pruning Cedars & Other Conifers: Prune or shear your cedar hedges when the new growth turns a dark green. Pinch pine tree ‘candles’ in half to keep branches from growing. Do NOT prune the top from pines, firs, cedars, spruce, arborvitaes trees. Never prune conifers without a darn good reason as they do not have the ability to regrow like other plants.
Pruning Cedars & Other Conifers: Prune or shear your cedar hedges when the new growth turns a dark green. Pinch pine tree ‘candles’ in half to keep branches from growing. Do NOT prune the top from pines, firs, cedars, spruce, arborvitaes trees. Never prune conifers without a darn good reason as they do not have the ability to regrow like other plants.
Pruning Fruit Trees
Fruit trees abort extra fruit in June.
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An apple's fruiting spur produces flowers and fruit.
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Cut back apple stems to a couple of buds & shorten longer ones.
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Thin fruit so they don't touch.
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Prune peach trees after harvesting.
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Summer Fruit Pruning: It’s important to prune fruit trees in the summer to redirect the growth to fruit production and to remove errant and unproductive growth. Remove suckers, watersprouts, old unproductive stems, dead, diseased and broken branches.
Stone Fruit: Wait to prune cherry trees, peaches, apricot and other stone fruit until after the fruits are harvested in late summer to reduce infection from bacterial canker.
Thinning fruit: Is there such a thing as too much fruit? There sure is. Overladen branches weighed down by ripening fruit are prone to breaking, plus overcrowded fruit clusters breed diseases, encourage insects and delay ripening. It’s natural for fruit trees to abort some of their extra fruit in June. This process is referred to as ‘June Drop’, but it does not take the place of judicious thinning. Snip off any deformed, blemished, sickly and tiny fruit then follow up with thinning fruit clusters.
Apples: Remove ones that touch each other and keep only two fruit per cluster. Plums leave one fruit every 2 -3” or a pair of fruit every 6 inches. Thin pears to 4 to 6” apart, peaches and nectarines to one every 4”.
Stone Fruit: Wait to prune cherry trees, peaches, apricot and other stone fruit until after the fruits are harvested in late summer to reduce infection from bacterial canker.
Thinning fruit: Is there such a thing as too much fruit? There sure is. Overladen branches weighed down by ripening fruit are prone to breaking, plus overcrowded fruit clusters breed diseases, encourage insects and delay ripening. It’s natural for fruit trees to abort some of their extra fruit in June. This process is referred to as ‘June Drop’, but it does not take the place of judicious thinning. Snip off any deformed, blemished, sickly and tiny fruit then follow up with thinning fruit clusters.
Apples: Remove ones that touch each other and keep only two fruit per cluster. Plums leave one fruit every 2 -3” or a pair of fruit every 6 inches. Thin pears to 4 to 6” apart, peaches and nectarines to one every 4”.
Grapes, Raspberries & Fruit Protection
For larger grapes, remove extra stems & fruit clusters.
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Train raspberries on supports for easy harvesting and maintenance.
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Protect fruit with mesh, not netting.
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Grapes: For larger grapes remove every third or fourth side shoots so the remaining stems are a foot apart. Cut back the remaining side shoots to a couple of buds (nodes) on each of those side stems. For more click on Pruning Grapes.
Raspberries & Cane Fruit: Stake the new canes of raspberries, blackberries and other cane fruit. Cover ripening berries with row covers or nets to protect them from animals. Inspect wilting canes for raspberry cane borers by cutting off stems 6 inches past the wilted portion. Inspect the removed stem for a wee bug inside and discard. To learn more about how to train, prune and grow raspberries, click here.
Protect Fruit: Keep birds, squirrels and other critters from devouring your fruit with shiny tape, whirligigs, fake owls, or rubber snakes. Avoid netting as birds get caught and can’t escape. Use a mesh or organza to keep your fruit safe without harming wildlife.
Raspberries & Cane Fruit: Stake the new canes of raspberries, blackberries and other cane fruit. Cover ripening berries with row covers or nets to protect them from animals. Inspect wilting canes for raspberry cane borers by cutting off stems 6 inches past the wilted portion. Inspect the removed stem for a wee bug inside and discard. To learn more about how to train, prune and grow raspberries, click here.
Protect Fruit: Keep birds, squirrels and other critters from devouring your fruit with shiny tape, whirligigs, fake owls, or rubber snakes. Avoid netting as birds get caught and can’t escape. Use a mesh or organza to keep your fruit safe without harming wildlife.
In the Veggie Garden
Use thuricide to control caterpillars.
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Floating row covers keep bugs off veggie plants.
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Caterpillars love to feast on many types of crops.
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In the Veggie Garden: Daily inspections are warranted as crops are popular to a host of predators including slugs, cutworms, caterpillars, birds and critters. There are many ways to control slugs from baits to deterrents, for more click here. Use thuricide (Bt, Bacillius thuringiensis) to control caterpillars. To deter critters from digging, place a mulch on top of the soil and to stop them going into the garden, place a few whirlygigs around the garden. Another option is to cover the crops with floating row covers or a cloche.
Garlic: Remove the flowers (scapes) as soon as they appear to promote bigger cloves. Use the tasty scapes in salads and stir fries.
Garlic: Remove the flowers (scapes) as soon as they appear to promote bigger cloves. Use the tasty scapes in salads and stir fries.
Cut off broccoli heads, but leave the plant.
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New broccoli heads will grow from the remaining plant.
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Remove garlic scapes when they are small.
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Hill soil around potatoes as they grow.
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Harvest new potatoes when they flower.
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Keep plants well-watered so they don’t wilt. Harvest often, preferably in the morning after the dew has evaporated. Avoid touching and harvesting plants when they are wet. Remove any dead, dying and diseased plant parts asap to reduce infection. Keep hilling up the soil around potatoes as they grow. Snip off garlic and onion flowers and stop watering to allow the bulbs to form. Cut off broccoli heads and leave the rest of the plant for new heads to grow. Here's more on growing veggies: Growing Food - Crop Rotation, Succession & Companion Planting - Harvesting
Getting Buggy With It
Use mineral oil to prevent corn earworm.
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Japanese beetle damage on potato foliage.
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June beetles feed on plant roots. Click on pic for more.
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Stink bugs like hot, dry weather. Click on pic for more.
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Stink bug damage makes this pepper inedible.
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Earwigs: Create a trap by mixing 1 part soy sauce with 1 part olive oil in a small plastic lidded tub. Make 3 or 4 holes an inch from the rim around the container large enough for the earwigs to enter. Bury the container up to the holes. Check every few days and discard any victims and replace the solution when necessary.
Corn Earworms: To prevent corn earworms from infesting ears of corn, place a couple of drops of mineral oil on the silks of each corn cob within a week of when the cobs develop.
Stink Bugs: These shield shaped insects emerge in summer and suck the sap out of flowers, fruits and foliage making crops inedible. To learn how to control them click on Stink Bugs.
Japanese Beetles: Many plants, including potatoes and apple trees are favoured by this destructive pest that skeletonizes leaves. To learn more, click on Japanese Beetles.
Corn Earworms: To prevent corn earworms from infesting ears of corn, place a couple of drops of mineral oil on the silks of each corn cob within a week of when the cobs develop.
Stink Bugs: These shield shaped insects emerge in summer and suck the sap out of flowers, fruits and foliage making crops inedible. To learn how to control them click on Stink Bugs.
Japanese Beetles: Many plants, including potatoes and apple trees are favoured by this destructive pest that skeletonizes leaves. To learn more, click on Japanese Beetles.
Tomato Tips
Remove suckers!
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Space plants at least 2' apart.
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Infrequent watering and lack of calcium causes blossom end rot.
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Inconsistent soil moisture causes tomatoes to crack.
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Tomato Tips: Tasty tomatoes are borne from nutritious rich loam that’s kept evenly moist and where they receive at least 6 hours of direct sun a day. In hot climates such as the southern US, refrain from placing tomatoes where they receive full afternoon sun. Don’t overcrowd tomato plants – they don’t like it. They should be at least 2 feet apart so air can circulate, and the sun can penetrate. Secure stems as they grow as their supple stems break easily. Remove suckers, preferably when they are small. Don’t allow the soil to dry out as fluctuating soil moisture leads to blossom end rot and the fruit to split. There’s lots of tips and techniques for growing healthy delicious fruit. Here’s a few links to check out: Tomato Tips - Tomato Seedlings to Plants - Taming Tomatoes - Speeding up Tomato Harvest - Tomato Troubles - Saving Tomato Seeds
Rockin' the Roses
A Bonica floribunda rose flowers effortlessly.
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Rose sawfly damage is unsightly but it's not fatal. Click on pick for more.
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Excess rain encourages rose bloom balling. Click on pic for more.
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Ladybug larva on the left feasts on aphids.
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Rose Care: June is the beginning of rose season and they need some TLC to keep them flowering and to be healthy. Happy roses require direct sunshine for at least 6 hours a day, a rich moist loam and a 3 inch layer of mulch. Don’t allow the soil to dry out as this sets them back and encourages ants to make nests in their roots. Cut off faded blossoms to encourage reblooming. For cut flowers and to deadhead, prune stems back to a leaf that has 5 or more leaflets, not 3.
After each flush of bloom, give plants a drink and some food. Fertilize with compost, SeaSoil, triple mix, kelp or another organic fertilizer. Roses love a good mulch. Add 3 inches of recycled wood chips. Place it on top of the soil around their stems, but don’t cover their canes. On grafted roses, remove any suckers (stems) that emerge from below the bud union.
After each flush of bloom, give plants a drink and some food. Fertilize with compost, SeaSoil, triple mix, kelp or another organic fertilizer. Roses love a good mulch. Add 3 inches of recycled wood chips. Place it on top of the soil around their stems, but don’t cover their canes. On grafted roses, remove any suckers (stems) that emerge from below the bud union.
Climbing roses need to tied to their support.
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To remove blossoms, cut above a 5-leaflet leaf.
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A 5-leaflet leaf.
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Ants have formed a nest under the rose bush.
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Climbing Roses: Their long supple canes don't have the ability to cling to a support so they must be tied as they grow. If possible, grow them horizontally along a fence as this encourages more flowers along the cane.
Click on the following links for more on roses.
How to Grow Roses - Types of Roses - Easy Roses - Climbing Roses - Rose Sawfly - Portland's Rose Test Garden - Rose Insects & Diseases - Pruning Roses - Rose Bloom Balling
Click on the following links for more on roses.
How to Grow Roses - Types of Roses - Easy Roses - Climbing Roses - Rose Sawfly - Portland's Rose Test Garden - Rose Insects & Diseases - Pruning Roses - Rose Bloom Balling
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THE GARDEN WEBSITE INDEX
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for the tropical Gardener
While working in Florida as horticultural consultant, it became apparent that there was a need for a book on tropical shrubs. There are so many wonderful shrubs to choose from, so I wrote a reference book to make the selections easier. Ornamental Tropical Shrubs includes pictures in full colour and information about the plants in point form. So if you live in the tropics and subtropics and need a reference book on tropical shrubs, or you just want to have a look-see click here.
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