Tag: to do list for gardens

To Do in the Garden: June 2026

On By durhammastergardenersIn Common questions, drought, Durham NC, fall vegetable gardening, Gardening calendar, growing tomatoes, native plants, pruning, soil samples Durham NC extension, soil test, Uncategorized

By Gary Crispell, NC State Extension Master Gardener SM volunteer of Durham County

Summer must have started because Memorial Day has come and gone.  Today is July-like — humid, rather warm, and breezy. (This informational tome of wisdom and snarkiness is still human generated, which means a deadline exists prior to the first of the month — hence the less-than-timely observation.)  It is threatening to rain, but the credibility of the threat is nonexistent.

Meanwhile the Accidental Cottage Garden (ACG) is trying its best to discern exactly what season it is and what it should do about it.  Current cohabitating contributors to the conspicuously colorful collection of organisms with cellulose cell walls include lance-leaf coreopsis (Coreopsis lanceolata), orange daylilies (Hemerocallis lilioasphodelus), black-eyed Susans (Rudbeckia hirta), Stokes’ aster (Stokesia laevis), wand flower (Oenothera lindheimeri, formerly known as Gaura lindheimeri), gaillardia (Gaillardia pulchella), Asiatic lily (Lilium x ‘Corsica’), thyme (Thymus vulgaris), and prairie coneflower/Mexican hat (Ratibida columnifera).  The English daisies (Bellis perennis), flax (Linum usitatissimum), larkspur (Delphinium carolinianum), and sweet William (Dianthus barbatus ‘Sweet Black Cherry’) are carry-overs from last month.

Close-up of white flowers with clustered petals surrounded by green leaves.
A cluster of vibrant yellow flowers with dark brown centers, commonly known as Black-eyed Susans, blooming in a garden.
Close-up of a vibrant purple flower surrounded by green foliage.

Left to right: New Jersey tea (Ceanothus americanus) (Image credit Debbie Roos CC BY 2.0); black-eyed Susans (Rudbeckia hirta), Stokes’ aster (Stokesia laevis), (Image credits Gary Crispell),

Others new to the conspicuously colorful collection are New Jersey tea (Ceanothus americanus), butterfly weed (Asclepias tuberosa), purple coneflower (Echinacea purpurea), butterfly bush (Buddleja davidii), and love-in-the-mist (Nigella damascena – a total surprise hidden amongst the larkspur).  A decidedly delightful display, if I do say so myself.

The weather continues to be perplexing.  Do we garden in jeans or shorts — sweatshirt, tee shirt, or layered?  Too many decisions.

Thought for the month: If a beverage containing alcohol is a potent potable, is a non-alcoholic beverage impotent?  LET’S GARDEN!!!

Lawn Care

Because I realize there are some of you out there who are too busy/new to the Piedmont of NC/not paying attention/just plain horticulturally uneducated, I am urging you to fertilize your warm-season grasses (Bermuda, zoysia) now, as in right now.  April or May would have been just fine, but now it is mandatory.  You will know how much and what formulation because you got a FREE SOIL TEST earlier.  (No.  Probably not, as you have not fertilized yet.  All excuses from above, I suppose.)  Remember that soil tests are free from April through November.  Contact the NC Cooperative Extension office at 919-560-0525 for more information on obtaining a free soil test kit with instructions. If you insist on winging it, 1 pound of nitrogen per 1,000 square feet of turf is a safe application rate.

Extension Horticulture Agent Jeana Myers from NC State Extension demonstrates how to collect a soil test. (Video credit: Homegrown YouTube Channel from NC State Extension).

June is THE month to fertilize centipede grass.  The 1 pound per 1,000 sq. ft. rate applies to centipede as well.

Summer is a good time to core aerate¹ any lawn.  Aeration facilitates air, water, and nutrient movement through the soil and to the root zone.

Always wanted a zoysia grass lawn?  June is a really good month to start one.  You will need to use sod or plugs, as zoysia seeds are not commercially available.

Fertilizing

Dogwoods (Cornus spp.) can be fertilized now.  Again, a FREE SOIL TEST and its resulting recommendations would be helpful here — too many variables for general guidance.

Throw a handful of 10-10-10 or equivalent at the plants in the veggie garden.  It will assist the quantity and quality of your anticipated harvest.

Planting

All of y’all who have been waiting for warm weather to plant your vegetable garden better hustle up now.  It is here and gone and come again.  So, if you want tomatoes before Labor Day…  At this point it is necessary to install plants rather than seeds for most vegetables other than beans and maybe pumpkins.

For those of you who plan ahead, it is time to start seeds for your fall/winter garden.  Cruciferous veggies (cabbage, broccoli, cauliflower, kale, collards) can be started now to be transplanted in mid-July.  For more information on fall vegetable gardening read more about year round gardening on our blog.

Pruning

Coniferous² evergreens such as pine, juniper, chamaecyparis (Chamaecyparis spp.), and cryptomeria (Cryptomeria japonica) can be lightly pruned now.  Be aware that they generally do not produce new foliage beneath a pruning cut.

Hedges and any severely overgrown plants can be radically cut back.  The book says never more than one-third of the top, but anecdotally I can tell you that many broadleaf evergreens and deciduous shrubs can be reduced to 18 inches or so and recover nicely.  (The author, the publication, the Extension Master Gardener SMprogram, NC State Cooperative Extension, and the university assume no liability for plants that do not recover.)

Continue to pinch back garden mums (Chrysanthemum × morifolium) until mid-July if it is fall blooms you desire.  If you do not care when they bloom, well, good for you, you rebel.

Bigleaf hydrangea (Hydrangea macrophylla) can be pruned as soon as the blooms fade.

Azaleas, including Encore® cultivars, can be pruned anytime from bloom fade through the 4th of July.

A dense rhododendron shrub with many green leaves and some branches with brown drooping leaves caused by dieback.

Rhododendron dieback from Botryosphaeria dothidea (Image credit: Elizabeth Bush, Virginia Polytechnic Institute and State University, Bugwood.org)

Dieback can occur in ericaceous³ plants in early summer.  Rhododendrons, including azaleas, pieris (Pieris spp.), and others can be infected by the fungus Botryosphaeria dothidea or a Phomopsis spp. fungus.  Scraping away the bark with a knife reveals a reddish-brown discoloration under the bark on dying branches of rhododendron. On azaleas, the discolored wood under the bark appears chocolate brown. Prune infected branches well below the point of infection and sterilize your pruning tools between cuts with a 10% bleach solution or 70% isopropyl alcohol.  (Good gracious, NO — not the 140-proof vodka.)  Destroy all clippings.

Spraying

Be on the lookout for the following dastardly destructive six- and eight-legged pests: lace bugs (azaleas, pyracantha), leaf miners (boxwoods), spider mites (needle-leaf evergreens), bagworms (mostly, but not exclusively, on needle-leaf evergreens), and aphids on anything they can get their pointy little mouthparts into.

There are numerous pest-control products available.  Try organic products first.  The planet is counting on you.

Close-up of a green beetle resting on a leaf, displaying iridescent colors and intricate markings.
Three green and brown beetles resting on a damaged green leaf with visible holes and erosion.

Japanese beetle adult and leaf damage (Image credit: Steve Schoof, NCSU)

June is prime Japanese beetle time.  (Contrary to popular myth, they do not sing “Sgt. Pepper’s Lonely Hearts Club Band” in Japanese while devouring your roses and crape myrtles.)  Treat them with an appropriate pesticide or pick them off and drown them.  Smush them if it gives you satisfaction.  (Personally, “I Can’t Get No Satisfaction.”)  You will find additional help in this previous blog post – Coping During Japanese Beetle “Season.”

Be aware of tomato early blight.  It shows up as brown spots on the lower leaves, followed by yellowing around the spots; eventually the whole leaf will usually turn yellow and drop.  There are several products available to treat early blight, some with a zero-days-to-harvest rating.

Vegetable gardens are susceptible to a myriad of pests.  Lots of insects (and other genera) like the fruits of your labor as much as you do — and they outnumber us.  There are multiple species of worms seeking sustenance from your cruciferous veggies.  Then there are the cucurbit lovers: cucumber beetles on (believe it or not) cucumbers and other cucurbits, squash borers on most squash varieties and melons.  You might also find flea beetles (they do not sing either) on any bean species, plus tomatoes and eggplant.  And let us not forget the ubiquitous aphids.

Continue spray programs for roses, fruit trees, and bunch grapes.

Use pesticides only when necessary.  ALWAYS read the label and follow the instructions.  Try organic first.

Miscellaneous Stuff to Do Outside in June

A word about watering.  Sometime this summer you will find it necessary to supplement Mother Nature’s somewhat capricious watering schedule.  Plants, including lawn grasses, need about one inch of water per week to sustain growth.  It is best applied in the early morning to minimize evaporative loss.  Evening watering is acceptable if leaf surfaces will be dry before nightfall — damp leaves promote disease. More information on drought-related watering is available in this previous blog post.

Alas, strawberry season is over.  It is appropriate now to renovate those beds in preparation for September planting.

Once you have exhausted the day’s to-do list (and most likely yourself), take time to kick back and enjoy the garden.  Outdoor living spaces were made for June evenings — food, family, friends, firepit, and a cool beverage (to go with the s’mores, silly).  That is what it is all about.  As T.S. Eliot wrote in “Choruses from “The Rock” (1934): “There is no life that is not in community.”  Find your community and welcome summer.

Notes

1-Core aeration is the mechanical removal of small plugs of soil and thatch from a lawn, improving air, water, and nutrient penetration to grass roots.

2-Coniferous refers to cone-bearing evergreen trees and shrubs, such as pines, junipers, and firs.

3-Ericaceous refers to plants in or adapted to the conditions preferred by the heath family (Ericaceae), which thrive in acidic soils. Rhododendrons, azaleas, blueberries, and pieris are common examples.

Resources and Additional Information

A how-to on preparing your (free until November!) soil test: Now’s the Perfect Time to Test Your Soil! – Durham County Center | N.C. Cooperative Extension

Helpful information on summer and fall vegetable gardening: Vegetable Gardening 101 – Gardening | NC State Extension and previous blog post Garden Veggies Year Round – One Gardener’s Calendar

More about rhododendron and azalea dieback and other diseases: Azalea & Rhododendron Diseases in South Carolina: Identification, Prevention, and Treatment | Home & Garden Information Center

Learn more about Japanese beetle management here: Japanese Beetle | NC State Extension Publications and previous blog post Coping During Japanese Beetle “Season”

Guidance for drought-related watering strategies: Essential Gardening Tips for Drought Conditions

Edited by Susan Sharp, NC State Extension Master Gardener SM volunteer of Durham County

Article Short Link: https://wp.me/p2nIr1-7BO

To Do in the Garden: March 2026

On By durhammastergardenersIn Accidental Cottage Garden, Durham NC, Gardening calendar

By Gary Crispell, NC State Extension Master GardenerSM volunteer of Durham County

Aka: GARY’S GARULOUS GARDENING GUIDE

OMG! Was February wild or what? It was consistent in its inconsistency and that’s about all there is to that. Don’t look now, but it is March. Not the parade kind of march with bands and floats and stuff. March as in “Look at all the green things coming up in the garden!” That March. The garden wakes up in March and stretches like a dog after a nap.

Close-up of a violet grape hyacinth flower spike against a dark background.
Close-up of pink and white magnolia flowers blooming on branches.

Grape hyacinths and Saucer Magnolia are colorful harbingers of spring. It’s time to get back in the garden, but be cautious. NC State Extension says that the last spring frost date for Durham County is April 5th. (Image credit: CC BY-SA 4.0)

The Accidental Cottage Garden (ACG) is still hibernating for the most part. There are some grape hyacinths (Muscari armeniacum) in bloom, and the saucer magnolia (M. soulangeana) is opening just in time to get frosted. We’ve been here eight years now and we got to enjoy that tree in full flower twice. It would really prefer to be in Wilmington, but the bus ticket is too expensive. Even the pansies (Viola x hybrid) on the deck succumbed to the cold this year. The pots froze solid and killed the roots. I think there are plenty of perennial rosettes out there, but literally not having a leg to stand on has made it difficult to negotiate the yard. It will be a grand adventure seeing who has returned and who was just resting preparing to show off. We have attained meteorological spring, so get out those garden gloves and hats. Locate the sunscreen just in case, and don’t forget the liniment and heating pad and ice packs. Just being real here. Let’s go work in the garden before the insects wake up.

Lawn Care

It is time to fertilize cool season grasses (tall fescue, bluegrass, perennial rye). A slow release, high nitrogen (the “N” /first number on the bag) fertilizer will give you the greenest lawn into the summer. These grasses typically want to go dormant in the heat of summer (July & August), so unless you want to water them a lot during that time, this will be the last time to fertilize them until late August/early September. Preemergent crabgrass control should be applied between the time the forsythia (Forsythia intermedia) bloom and the time the native dogwoods (Cornus florida) bloom. Later than that and the soil temperature will be warm enough that the crabgrass will have already germinated. Mowing can commence whenever it seems appropriate. You know, like when the lawn looks raggedy and the soil is dry enough that the mower won’t leave ruts. Mow to a height of 3” to 4”. That height allows the grass blades to shade the soil (read root zone) and protect it from the heat of summer. It also helps weed control by preventing enough sunlight for weed germination and growth. win, win.

Let the clippings return to the ground unless they are too long (Waited a bit too long between mowings, did we?) or wet and clumping (and if we are mowing the grass when it’s wet, why?). Clippings do not belong in the landfill. If leaving them on the ground isn’t an option use them in the compost pile or as mulch.

(Image credit: Gman Viz/CC BY-NC-SA 2.0)

Fertilization (other than the lawn)

Green things that can be fertilized this month include shade trees, shrubs, and spring-flowering bulbs. Green things that should not be fertilized this month include St. Patrick’s Day revelers and leprechauns. Moderation is the key. (Take note revelers.) Asparagus beds should be fertilized early in March before the new spears appear. Work some fertilizer into the veggie garden bed(s). Lime may also be worked in now if your SOIL TEST so indicates. It will take 3 to 6 months for the calcium to become available to the plants, but that should be just in time for the June tomatoes and great timing for the Fall garden. Besides, if you don’t do it now, when will you?

Planting

All the things you didn’t get around to planting in the Fall (life got in the way, right?) can be planted now, and sooner rather than later. Just be cognizant of the fact that they will probably have greater water needs through the summer than anything planted in the Fall. Fall planted material had all winter to establish a root system strong enough to carry it through less than severe drought. There are exceptions, but there are always exceptions. (Take the aforementioned revelers and leprechauns for example.) Other things to be planted this month include perennials, for example coreopsis (C. bipinnata, C. lanceolata), foxglove (Digitalis purpurea), purple cone flower (Echinacea purpurea), balloon flower (Platycodon grandiflorus) and roses (Rosa sps.) While you have the trowel in hand might as well hit the vegetable garden. The same things that could be planted in late February can still be planted now. We’re talking root veggies (beets, carrots, potatoes, turnips, etc.) and salad greens (leaf lettuces, cabbages, kale, etc.). There is still time to start annuals and warm season vegetables inside for transplanting in April or May.

Pruning

Be advised, finish any fruit tree pruning ASAP. Prune roses mid to late March. (As an aside, now that we have been bumped up a USDA zone to 8, that timeline may need revising to an earlier date. I’ll research that for next year. Stay tuned.) Prune to a 5 leaflet leaf if those are visible. Otherwise prune the cane to an outward facing bud. Prune spring-flowering shrubs soon after the blooms fade. Dead head (pick off spent blossoms) pansies (Viola x hybrid) to prolong bloom time.

Spraying

Break out the sprayers! However, before using said sprayers check the plants for pests. With few exceptions (There they are again and we’ll get to them yet again in a minute.) prophylactic pesticide application is unwarranted. Always know what it is you are trying to control so that you can use the appropriate product. ALWAYS read the label and ALWAYS follow the instructions thereon. Applying a horticultural dormant oil to fruit trees, (prophylactically) particularly those that have recently been pruned, will help control several insect problems. (I told you we’d see exceptions again.)

MORE THINGS TO DO WHEN THE WEATHR IS HIGHLY UNPREDICTABLE

Get all the soon-to-be-needed gardening equipment ready for use. If it is supposed to be sharp, sharpen it. If it needs calibrating (sprayers and spreaders), calibrate it. If it has moving parts, lubricate them. If it has a four stroke motor, change the oil and filter. Plant a tree for Arbor Day. Here in North Carolina that is March 20th this year. It is always the first Friday after the 15 th . There will be several city, county, state sponsored events that will be posted on the various websites after March 1. In all things gardening, have fun. If it isn’t fun, hire it out or plant something that doesn’t require the burdensome task you deplore. Gardening should be fun, relaxing,
therapeutic even. It is March. Let the fun begin!

Logo for North Carolina Arbor Day featuring the text 'NC' in dark blue and 'Arbor Day' in green, with a green tree graphic.

NC Arbor Day will be held March 20, 2026 with many events throughout the state. To learn more go to: https://www.arborday.org/celebrate/history

Additional Reading and Resources

NC State Extension. Central North Carolina Planting Calendar for Annual Vegetables, Fruits, and Herbs

NC State Extension. Pruning Calendar

Edited by Martha Keehner Engelke NC State Extension Master GardenerSM volunteer of Durham County

Shortlink: https://wp.me/p2nIr1-7aD