Lawn Care
• Fertilize warm-season grasses like Bermuda, Zoysia, and St. Augustine if you haven’t already done so. (Cool season grasses such as fescue should NOT be fertilized at this time.)
• A 1/3rd of the growth should be removed when mowing warm season grasses.
• Core aerate your warm season yard two days after a good rain or irrigation.
• Zoysia lawns can be started this month
Fertilizing
• Fertilize or sidedress vegetables as needed.
• June is the only month to fertilize centipede grass. A ½ pound of 15-0-14 per 1,000 sq.ft is recommended however; the fertilizing needs can be better determined with a soil test.
• Dogwoods can be fertilized at this time. Be sure to follow the soil analysis so that you don’t over-fertilize.
Planting
• Vegetable to be planted in June: beans, lima beans, southern peas, peppers, sweet potato, pumpkins, and tomato.
• Brussel sprouts and collards can be planted at this time for transplanting in mid-July.
• Trees like dogwoods can be transplanted at this time. Use proper planting techniques when doing a transplant. Dogwoods for example, grow best in soils which contain lots of organic matter.
Pruning
• New growth on white pines can be pruned.
• Outgrown hedges can be pruned.
• Pinch off garden mums till mid-July.
• Narrowleaf evergreens like junipers and arborvitaes can be pruned.
• Bigleaf or florist hydrangea can be pruned when the flowers fade.
• The dieback on hybrid rhododendrons, azaleas, and blueberries can be pruned out
• Lastly, don’t forget to pinch your chrysanthemums to encourage branching.
Spraying
• Watch shrubs for the following insects: bag worms, leaf miners, aphids, spider mites, and lace bugs. Bag worms already enclosed in their bags will need to be picked off by hand and destroyed.
• Japanese beetles are also emerging and can be controlled.
• Watch tomato leaves for dark spots which could be blight. Spray with the appropriate fungicide if observed.
• Use recommended herbicide to control poison ivy, kudzu, and honeysuckle if desired.
• Spray the following vegetables if insects are observed: cucumber (cucumber beetle), squash (squash borers and aphids), tomato and eggplant (flea beetle), broccoli, cabbage and cauliflower (worms).
• Continue pest control program for fruit trees and bunch grapes. .
• Continue with rose spraying program.
(Pesticides should be used sparingly! Use only when needed and always follow the label)
Other Activities
• Renovate strawberry beds after the final harvest.
• Build a coldframe for rooting your shrub cuttings.
• Water lawns in the early morning during dry periods. Don’t forget watering lawns late in the evening encourages diseases.
• Also, vegetables gardens should be watered about an inch a week.