June Gardening Part Two

The month of June is still alive and well and what a glorious month it is! Our coveted vegetables are maturing and tomatoes are beginning to ripen on the vine. Flower gardens are showing off their wares. Truly we gardeners are enjoying the fruit of our labor. Does it get any better than this? Let’s not rest on our laurels, however, for additional tasks are waiting to be done. Following is a list of things you may want to consider tackling during this prime gardening month.

There is still ample time to plant annuals for summer and fall color. Nurseries and garden centers probably have a few choice selections in stock. When planting, remember to avoid digging a hole and shoving the root system into it. Gently untangle the roots, especially those on the bottom of the root ball, to allow them to venture out into the loose soil awaiting them. Firm the soil around the roots to eliminate air pockets and water in well. Always water in new transplants.

When watering, recall that deep, less frequent applications are superior to shallow, frequent ones. The general rule remains-in the absence of rain, one inch of water per week for lawns and gardens. Regarding watering, a distinct advantage of drip irrigation and soaker hoses is that water is kept off the leaves of plants and applied only to the roots where it belongs. Keeping the leaves relatively dry prevents leaf diseases such as leaf spots, which weaken plants and render them unattractive.

Remember to deadhead, or regularly remove the spent flowers from, your annuals and perennials. Some will require more attention than others. Some that you will want to deadhead often are zinnias, verbena, marigolds, ageratum, Shasta daisy, rudbeckia, scabiosa, etc. Others are “self-cleaning” in that their seed pods are not as conspicuous. Daylily blooms open for one day and then fade away. It is a good idea to pinch off dead blooms as soon as you see them. This will help the plant look much better.

Gladiolus corms, caladium tubers, and dahlia tuberous roots can be planted now. These require a warm soil. Mulching these plants helps conserve moisture, reduces weeds, and cools the soil. Once they have developed about five leaves, fertilize them with a complete water soluble fertilizer such as 20-20-20 or a granular one like 8-8-8 or 10-10-10.

Cut off the yellowing foliage of daffodils now. It is safe to remove if it is mostly yellow and dying and lying on the ground. This condition indicates that the leaves have completed their mission of making and storing energy for the in-ground bulbs, and a rest period is about to begin.

Sweet corn is a favorite crop of Southerners. I recommend planting it in succession-about every two weeks-that is, unless you want a great deal of corn all at once. As the different plantings mature, your corn harvest can be greatly extended.

Corn can be planted through the month of June, even though the later crop will most likely experience challenges with weeds and insects. Keeping a close watch on these formidable adversaries will be essential in ensuring a successful sweet corn crop.

Try several different varieties of corn. There are some that are far superior to the old standby varieties Silver Queen, Truckers Favorite, Golden Queen, Merit, etc.

Some of the newer, sweeter, and hardier varieties include the bicolors Ambrosia, Honey N Pearl, Peaches N Cream, Luscious, and others. Excellent white varieties are Silver King and Avalon, and yellow varieties include Kandy Corn, Honey Select, Inferno, Xtra Tender, and many more.

Remember-it is also beneficial to make successive plantings of other vegetables besides sweet corn. These include summer squash, lima beans, pole beans, and field peas.

May you be blessed in your gardening efforts in what’s left of the month of June!

Tim Lewis is a Georgia Green Industry Association Certified Plant Professional, gardening writer, former Perry High School horticulture instructor, and former horticulturalist at Henderson Village and Houston Springs. He and his wife, Susan, own and operate Lewis Farms Nursery located on Hwy 26 two miles east of Elko, where he was born and raised. He can be reached at (478)954-1507 or timlewis1@windstream.net.