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This is still a time for planting — vegetables, annuals, even trees and shrubs — but it is also importantly the time to WATCH WATERING! We are seeing lots of example of heat stress coming our way and are hearing stories of dry, wilting plants. To help with the acclimation to warmer weather, remember the following:
- Water deeply, less-frequently, rather than a daily spot-watering that won't get water down to the deeper roots (A soaker hose or drip system makes this much easier and affordable).
- Water early in the morning, rather than in the heat of the day or in the evening.
- Water at ground level. Watering from overhead risks leaf-burn from midday sun on wet leaves.
- Mulch plants to help the soil hold in moisture and keep it more evenly available to the plants.
Perennials, Annuals and Vegetables
Clean out containers of spent bulbs and early spring annuals and repot with a fresh supply of all-summer annuals. The selection at the nursery is at its peak, everything from annual vines to unusual tropical plants to the traditional favorites. Mix and match for a season of color! (Try adding some Osmocote timed-release fertilizer in with the potting soil for a long season of feeding.)
Sunflowers will start to shoot up, now that we've had some warm weather. If you didn't get around to planting by seed this year, we have an assortment of varieties now on hand in starts, so it's not too late to be sure to have these favorites in your garden.
Watch out for premature flower stalks appearing in your garlic! Uneven watering is often the culprit, which seems especially easy to occur when the temperature fluctuates as much as it has recently. Break off those stems (they're lighter in color and have an inverted teardrop shaped bud on the top), and try feeding with a liquid fertilizer higher in nitrogen like Ellie's or Fish Town. Sometimes this works and you can leave the plants in the ground for a few more weeks' growth. BUT... check the stems of the plants near the soil level; if they are starting to feel hard or woody, it will probably be best to go ahead and harvest ahead of schedule and not risk losing the whole crop, as the flower extracts its food energy from the bulb.
Fertilize and mulch tomatoes; also prune them for good air circulation, to help prevent those unwanted funguses and blights. Water them regularly and evenly; uneven watering is one of the causes of blossom drop (remember not to water overhead at the heat of the day, to avoid leaf burn).
This month is the time to start thinking about planting beans. Look for our heirloom varieties for something a little different.
It is also time to think about starting another succession planting of greens — lettuce, spinach, chard, arugula — this will help maintain a supply of these delectable through the fresh-eating season.
If your vegetables are being visited by flea beetles, cucumber beetles and their relations apply Rotenone dust or spray with one of our pyrethrum-containing products.
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Lawn Care
Last chance to feed your lawn before the heat of summer (see this month's web coupon). Note that it's not a good idea to feed in the summertime — it is the normally dormant time of year for the grass plants that make up a lawn, so at that point you are essentially just feeding the weeds! Feed again in the fall (the most important fertilizing time of the year for lawns).
Try raising the setting on the mowing height — it will not only decrease the frequency of mowing (more time in the hammock) but it will also help to shade out and therefore discourage weed growth.
Apply beneficial nemetodes for crane fly larvae, fleas and other lawn-living pests. Note: Another possibly good reason to also water your lawn deeply and infrequently, crane fly eggs cannot survive if they get dry, so less frequent watering might prove to be an efficient and effective control for these pests.
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Trees, Shrubs and Fruit
This month will be time for the second feeding for roses. Still time to spray for blackspot and powdery mildew too (be sure to spray in the cool shade of early morning).
If your are thinking about planting some new roses, now is a great time to select your favorites, as they are coming into bloom and you can discover their colors and scents in person, rather than from the description on a label. But be prepared! You may find your favorites multiplying and end up with more must-have roses than you thought you would!
Treat for pests and disease — spray neem or other horticultural oil for scale, aphids, spider mites, neem oil or lime sulfur for scab and mildew. Set out pheromone sticky traps for Apple maggots. For other insect pests, you can also try introducing beneficial, predatory insects like lacewings. There are several types available through special request at the nursery.
Last call for pruning those early-bloomers like Camellias, Quince and Forsythia. If they have already set buds for next year's bloom, bear in mind that any pruning you do will reduce next spring's show.
And it's too early yet for the best-time summer pruning for other trees and ornamentals. If in doubt about pruning time for any particular plant, please give us a call at the nursery. Better to be safe than sorry!
Another pitch for even watering: Blueberries especially, seem to produce their sweetest berries when watering is kept even and not fluctuating from too wet to too dry.
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Indoor Plants
Coming soon!
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General Tips
Get mosquito dunks to keep those critters from making a home in your pond.
Temperatures are now warm enough to plant anything you have been waiting to set into the pond.
Projects for the month include:
- Start or refresh a compost pile.
- Set up a rain barrel.
- Build a trellis.
- Clean/paint garden furniture.
- Fix leaky hoses, change washers.
- Set up the hammock!
Now is a great time to shop for tropicals. They will add zest and an exotic flavor to your garden or patio. Citrus trees will grow happily in containers (ever imagine lemonade from your own tree?) Many of these plants will need to be wintered over with your houseplants, but not all. Check in with us to see how these beauties could be a part of your landscape this summer.
And, speaking of houseplants, it's a good time to set many of them outdoors. They will benefit from some fresh air in a shady spot. Just make sure the nighttime temperatures don't drop unexpectedly below 40°.
Hummingbirds. Who hasn't been taken by pleasured surprise to experience the sudden and nearly silent appearance of these tiny creatures, moving swiftly and intimately amongst the garden flowers? The nursery has a selection of hummingbird feeders from simple to those artisan-created of hand-blown glass. We also have lots of plants that you add to your garden that these birds find especially appealing: mimulus, trumpet creeper, penstemon, allium, aquilegia, fuschias and honeysuckle are just a few of the possibilities. Come see us for more ideas!
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