June brings shorter, milder days, making it a delightful time to enjoy the outdoors. With the heat and humidity behind us, it’s perfect for planting and nurturing new growth.
The Kitchen Garden
Sweet Potatoes
Harvest and replant sweet potatoes this month. Carefully lift the tubers to avoid damage and replant either a tuber or a rooted cutting to kickstart the next growth cycle. For those short on space, try a sweet potato tower—use pots and add potting mix as the stems grow to encourage more tubers in a compact area.
Curcurbits
Sow seeds like pumpkin, zucchini, and cucumber directly into the soil. Cucumbers will need a trellis, while zucchini and pumpkin can spread out on the ground. To improve yields, learn how to pollinate curcurbit flowers and keep a good layer of mulch to retain moisture and protect the fruit.
Herbs and Vegetables
June is ideal for planting a variety of delicious herbs and veggies. Enjoy fresh dill, basil, coriander, parsley, oregano, and thyme. Preserve large harvests by freezing chopped herbs in ice cube trays with oil, or make fresh herb pesto to freeze. Tomatoes are also ripening now; keep them productive with fortnightly applications of Triple Boost Fruit & Veg liquid fertiliser.
The Colours of June
Brighten your garden with flowering annuals like alyssum, marigold, cosmos, violas, vinca, zinnia, and dianthus. These flowers thrive in cooler weather and can enhance your garden beds, hanging baskets, and pots. Besides their beauty, they attract pollinators and beneficial insects that help control pests in your vegetable garden.
Pruning and Maintenance
Avoid heavy pruning this month as many plants, such as Euphorbia Snowflake and Cassia biflora, are in their peak blooming season. Regularly fertilise with potassium to enhance flower displays. After citrus trees finish fruiting, prune to remove dead wood and inward-growing branches, improving sunlight and airflow. For older, congested trees, a more severe prune might be necessary. Our staff can assist you with a pruning plan if needed.
Take advantage of the cooler weather to control weeds, as slower plant growth gives you more time to manage them before they seed. Reducing the weed seed bank now will help prevent future growth.
Fruit Trees
Plant a variety of fruiting plants this month, including avocados, lemons, oranges, mandarins, limes, mangos, bananas, finger limes, lychee, and blueberries. This diverse selection thrives in June’s conditions.
June Gardening Jobs
Indoor Plants
Monitor indoor plants and adjust your watering schedule. With less air-conditioning and more fresh air, plants may need less frequent but more thorough watering. Check light levels and move plants as needed. It’s also a great time to repot or refresh indoor plants with premium potting mix.
Transplanting
Now is ideal for moving plants to better locations. Cooler weather reduces the risk of drying out, increasing the success rate of transplanting. Here’s how to do it right:
- Water plants well a day before transplanting.
- Prepare the new planting hole.
- Dig out as much of the root ball as possible.
- Plant at the same level and orientation in the new location.
- Water thoroughly to settle the soil around the roots. A seaweed solution can help with transplant shock.
- If you removed part of the root ball, trim back the foliage to balance the plant’s needs while new roots establish.
Enjoy the delights of cool weather gardening.