Sally Scalera

Brevard County Horticulture Extension Agent
3695 Lake Drive -- Cocoa FL 32926 -- 321-633-1702

June gardening plans

May 31, 2008

June begins tomorrow and even though the high June temperatures can make working in the yard very hot and steamy, there are still plenty of things to do. Luckily the days are longer so, just remember to get out in the yard early in the morning, work under a tree through the middle of the day or wait until the evening hours.

  • Plant a new tree to provide some shade! If you want some ideas for small trees (25 feet tall or less), medium trees (25-50 feet) or tall trees (over 50 feet) just let me know and I can send you a list or two.
  • If your lawn is a pale green add some iron to green it up (that way you won’t be a slave to your mower.) Use either a liquid seaweed, a chelated iron source or mix two ounces of ferrous sulfate in three to five gallons of water and sprinkle the solution over 1,000 square feet of turf.
  • Check your sprinklers to make sure that all of the heads are spraying full force and in the right direction. After all, we don’t want to waste our precious water on the sidewalk, driveways or roads!
  • Some flowers that you can plant this month include begonias, celosia, coleus, gaillardia, impatiens, marigolds, vinca, portulaca, purslane, salvia, gomphrena, lisianthus, cosmos and zinnias.
  • Herbs that do well now include basil, chives, dill, marjoram, mint, oregano, sage, Mexican tarragon, rosemary and thyme.
  • Bulbs to plant include African iris, caladiums, canna, crinum, daylily, eucharis lily, society garlic, and rain lily.
  • COMPLETE all azalea pruning by the end of the month.
  • For bushier poinsettias, prune them back four inches after every foot of new growth.
  • Some possible vegetables to plant for the hot summer are malabar spinach, calabaza, boniato, Jerusalem artichoke, chayote, jicama, okra, Southern peas, Seminole pumpkin, cassava, sweet potatoes, and winged beans.
  • If you have been having problems with nematodes or diseases in the vegetable garden, now is the time to treat them using soil solarization. Till or dig up the area and then wet the ground. Cover the soil with a sheet of thick plastic and anchor it along the edges. Allow the soil to remain covered for six to eight weeks or more!
  • After the solarization is complete, remove the cover and let the ground cool. Later, add a new layer of organic matter over the top and plant the new crops without disturbing the soil too much. When planting is complete, mulch the area.
  • Continue to fertilize your vegetable plants monthly and remember to spray liquid seaweed on the leaves (both sides until they drip) weekly as long as the plants are flowering and producing fruit.
  • Prune blueberry shrubs to shape them.
  • Prune blackberries to the ground.
  • Fertilize your banana plants monthly - harvest the stalk when the first hand (row of bananas) begins to yellow and hang them in a shady spot to ripen. You can then chop off the top of the stalk where the leaves are (leaving the trunk) and cut it all into pieces and scatter them around the base off the plant to add more organic matter to the soil.
  • Fertilize mature citrus trees a second time this year with up to eight pounds of an 8-8-8 citrus fertilizer per tree.
  • Here is a list of some of the fresh produce that could be available at produce stands or farmer’s markets in June: avocado, blackberries, blueberries, cabbage, cantaloupe, carrots, celery, Chinese cabbage, cucumbers, eggplant, endive/escarole, grapefruit, guava, mangoes, oranges, peppers, potatoes, radishes, squash, sweet corn, tomatoes and watermelon.