June might be the brightest month of the year, but it’s also a demanding one in the garden. The days are long, and the sun’s angle is at its highest level of the entire season. I actually don’t like the sunlight this time of the year. It’s harsh by 11 a.m. and stays that way until late in the afternoon. Nevertheless, the plants like it.
This year, we are continuing to experience drier-than-average conditions, and between the lack of rain and the extensive water bans or restrictions, it can be difficult to keep up with the garden. If this dry weather persists, your lawn is going to go dormant earlier than usual. Most towns will allow you to water vegetables, so spend your time on the things that matter.
If you’re watering every day for just a few minutes, you’re wasting your time. What’s best for your plants is to water less frequently, one or two days a week, but deeply. Train those roots to survive through the dry spells and grow deep. If you only water a little bit every day, the topsoil may look wet, but it’s going to encourage the roots to stay shallow, and your plants will not be as resilient.
The best time to water is between 4 and 9 in the morning. You’ll lose little to evaporation and the foliage dries out before the fungal disease pressure begins. Watering at the end of the day leaves the plants wet overnight, while watering in the middle of the day, you’ll lose a lot to the atmosphere.
What can you still plant right now?
As far as what to put in your garden, there’s still plenty of vegetables you can plant. Various types of beans, from bush beans to pole beans to edamame, turnips, and carrots can all be sown, but the challenge is to keep the topsoil moist. With the strong June sunshine, things can dry out rapidly, so I recommend covering seeded areas with some shade cloth or weed-free straw.
Most garden centers are still going to sell you tomatoes, peppers, and eggplants, but get them in as soon as you possibly can. Remember to water those first few days, and I recommend planting anything new very late in the day or super early in the morning to avoid the shock of the midday sun.
June gives you a preview of what’s to come if you pay attention. Get in the habit of flipping your leaves over, looking for things like aphids and spider mites, and early signs of bacterial and fungal diseases. If you’re an organic gardener, it’s much easier to prevent problems than it is to cure them. Follow the directions on your products.
Neem oil is a very versatile and organic product you can use on the garden. I also like spinosad for some of the problem caterpillars, but remember, the product doesn’t know anything about good versus bad, so use it sparingly since even organic products will harm beneficial insects.
June pruning: Here’s what to tackle
June isn’t a great month to do heavy pruning, but there are some things that can definitely and should be cut back. Plants that flowered in April and May can be cut now so they will have time to put out new blooms for 2027.
Additionally, those taller perennials like phlox, Montauk daisies, and asters that bloom in late summer can be cut back to about a foot now. This will encourage new growth and not let them flop as much, if at all, this fall. You can do this up until around July 4th.
Container gardening: A thriller, a filler, and some spiller
Finally, container gardening can be done whether you have a large yard or just a tiny stoop. Your pansies might be leggy, so just rip them out and start with a new color palette. If you have sunshine or lots of shade there are still plants that will flower. I’ve been using zinnias in containers the past couple of years along with lantana and portulaca.
Verbenas are good workhorses of the container, but remember the mantra: a thriller, a filler, and some spiller for those containers. The soil can become hydrophobic very quickly, especially if it has peat. This makes the soil actually repel water. If this happens, take the entire container and put it in a bucket and let it slowly moisten the soil. Alternatively, a gentle mist setting on your hose nozzle directly on the soil surface can help it slowly accept water again.
The attentive gardener is certainly rewarded this month. Get out early, look closely, water deeply, and don’t be in too much of a hurry. The garden will tell you what it needs. You just need to listen.
Have a gardening question for Dave? Email weather@globe.com or leave it in the comments below, and he will answer it in an upcoming gardening column.
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