Following are some garden activities that may be appropriate in Central North Carolina during the month of
June
Annual & Perennial Flowers
Plant Perennials
You can divide most perennials about anytime if they have gotten crowded or you want to get them started in another location.
Recovery is quicker if plants are well watered before planting. Water after planting to ensure good root-to-soil contact.
Watch as new growth begins, and water on an as-needed basis.
Plant summer annuals.
If you didn't get summer color beds started yet, it's not too late. But the pickings will be slim at the garden centers.
Take whatever you can find, and get them in the soil. You may need to pull the roots apart.
Fertilize to get them off to a good start. And make sure they have
sufficient water until they are established and able to fend for themselves.
Lawns
Keep the
Lawn mowed as necessary.
Recommended mowing heights are based largely on the ability of the grass to suppress weeds.
Bermudagrass,
Centipedegrass, and
Zoysiagrass
suppress weeds best when mowed at 1 inch. That's probably as low as your mower will go.
Fescue does a better job when kept at least 3 inches high, and 4 inches is not too tall during summer.
Mow frequently enough so that you do not remove more than 1/3 of the grass height. And practice
Grasscycling. There is no good reason to remove grass clippings unless the grass has gotten too
tall between mowings. Grass clippings return organic matter to your soil and do not cause thatch.
Routine Chores
Walk around the lawn and gardens at least weekly
to monitor plants for problems during the growing seasons.
Regular monitoring allows you to develop a sense of how plants look. Then if there is a problem, you’re more likely to notice it early.
Early detection allows control before damage is severe and the plant unsightly. Take your favorite beverage in one hand, pruners in the other and unwind.
Mulch can help suppress weeds as well as reducing moisture loss.
Mulch helps reduce cold injury to shallow roots. It allows the soil to cool gradually in the fall, moderates extreme cold temperatures,
allows warming gradually in spring, and moderates extremes of heat in summer.
Conserve water
Water conservation is good for plants. Extension Agents typically see more injury from excessive watering than from infrequent watering.
Recent plantings will need more frequent attention than established plants. But in all cases, hold off on watering until you have confirmed that the plant needs more water.
Soil testing can be done at any time of year.
Boxes and forms are available at your
County Extension Office. Summer is often not a busy season for the Agronomic Lab. Check their website for
Estimated Processing Time.
It's OK to sample now even if you won't be doing soil preparation for several months.
Get samples in as soon as possible for timely reports.
For quickest action get them directly to Raleigh yourself rather than leaving them at any local collection point where they may sit for days or weeks.
You can mail them to the address on the form or deliver them to
the lab in Raleigh. From the State Fairgrounds, go north on
Blue Ridge Road. When you see the Art Museum on the right, turn left on Reedy Creek Rd. The lab is about 1/2 mile down
Reedy Creek Rd. on the right.
Things to Watch For
Fire ants
Fire ants are most active in warm (not hot) weather. As summer advances, we expect diminishing returns from treatments.
You don't need to deal with every mound you see.
If mounds are in areas likely to cause problems of people contact, drop a potato chip or piece of hot dog a foot or two from the
mound in the afternoon.
If they are actively foraging, you'll find them feeding on the "bait" in less than an hour. If they are taking the bait, it's a good time to
bait them with an appropriate fire ant bait. If the ants are not lured to an oily potato chip, they probably won't take the more expensive bait
either. Be sure to select bait products suitable for use on the site. Read the directions and follow them
exactly. And be patient. Slow control is most long lasting. The strategy is more important than the product. Use baits on warm afternoons when
the ants are actively foraging. Avoid use under damp conditions. Keep the bait fresh and in an airtight container.
Watch for
Fire blight
on any members of the rose family but especially on pears, apples, and crabapples. The fire blight bacterium is often introduced by
pollinating insects. Some years it's worse than others, somewhat affected by the weather during pollination. Affected shoots will first
appear water soaked followed by wilting. Eventually the leaves turn brown or black and remain on the stem. The bacterium continues to
grow inside the stem if not removed. Prune at least a foot below any sign of injury. Between cuts, sterilize pruners with a solution of 1 part household
bleach to 9 parts water . Continue to monitor the plant for further signs of disease and prune as needed. There is no product
that can cure these infected stems, which will get worse if left unattended.
Watch for
Bagworms
on any junipers, arbor-vitae, and especially Leyland cypress. By now, most eggs left in cocoons from last year have hatched.
Young bagworms will be actively feeding and are relatively easy to control with organic insecticides such as
Bacillus thuringiensis (B.t., BiobitHP, DiPel, Foray). Later in the summer, these products will be less effective.
Treat before extensive damage is done. Removal of old "bags" is always a good idea.
Watch for
Aphids
These tiny insects (sometimes called plant lice) tend to congregate on the young new growth of plants in spring. The insects may be
white, green, pink, red, brown, or black. They move slowly or not at all, content to sit there sucking juices out of your plants.
Sometimes affected plant cells die causing plant parts to develop a
distorted appearance. Aphids ingest more plant sugars than they can process and their excretions, known as honey dew, serve as a
substrate for
sooty mold. This black coating interferes with photosynthesis but does not harm the plant otherwise. To control sooty mold requires
control of the aphid or other insect providing the substrate. Aphids have many natural enemies. If they are numerous, they can also
be controlled with a wide range of comparitively low hazard insecticides such as insecticidal soaps.
