Gardening in the Midwest keeps us on our toes. Here are my top June garden tips to help you stay ahead this month, support pollinators and keep your garden looking its best.
June Garden To-Do List
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- Weed, weed, weed. Schedule sessions after a rain when the soil is soft and plants pull more easily.
- Divide spring-blooming perennials now. Wait until fall to divide late summer and fall bloomers.
- Deadhead annuals and perennials to keep plants tidy and encourage more blooms.
- Following deadheading, fertilize your annuals every 10 days to two weeks to keep containers and flower beds looking their best. You’ll find my favorite fertilizing techniques made easy in the Nutrition section of my gardening must-haves post.
- Continue planting container-grown or balled-and-burlapped trees and shrubs. Skip bare-root planting as summer heat approaches.
- Remove tulip and daffodil foliage once it yellows and pulls away easily.
- Try the June Prune. Cut back asters, goldenrod, sedum and phlox this month for bushier plants with less flopping later in the season.
- Cut back fading salvia blooms. When flowers begin to fade, give plants a haircut to encourage another flush of blooms later in the season.
- Keep feeding orioles while they’re still visiting. Orioles may rely less on feeders as natural food sources become more abundant, but continue offering oranges, grape jelly or nectar as long as birds are stopping by. I’ve also spotted cedar waxwings and house finches enjoying this feeder!
- Add a layer of mulch around trees, shrubs and perennials to help conserve moisture and suppress weeds. Be sure to pull the mulch away from the stems and trunks. No mulch volcanoes on your watch! 👀
- Keep an eye on watering needs. Most first-season plantings need supplemental water when Mother Nature doesn’t provide it.
- Pull out bolted spinach and lettuce once they become bitter. You’ll have another chance to plant these cool-season favorites later this summer for a fall harvest. For more tips, see Vegetable Gardening — The Six Essentials.
- Harvest vegetables often. You’ll enjoy the best flavor and encourage many crops to keep producing. Looking for ideas for using your harvest? Check out my favorite garden-fresh recipes.
- Keep hummingbird feeders clean and nectar fresh. Hot weather means nectar spoils faster. This hummingbird post includes my feeder-cleaning tips and a handy nectar change chart.
- Support all pollinators by planting nectar-rich annuals and perennials and providing a clean source of water. See BEE-LOW for all the deets! 🐝
Helpful Garden Resources
🌼 Ultimate Pollinator Garden Guide
Pollinators play a critical role in our gardens. Whether you’re starting from scratch or adding a few pollinator-friendly plants, my free guide will help you create a garden that supports bees, butterflies and other beneficial insects all season long.
🛠️ Garden Must-Haves
Looking for garden tools, supplies and other helpful finds? I’ve gathered some of my favorite recommendations in one convenient spot.
Don’t Forget
Take time to enjoy the garden you’ve worked so hard to create. Stop and smell the roses, listen to the buzz of pollinators around your flowers and savor the flavor of those fresh-picked peas before they’re gone for the season. ✨
