Now summer is underway, it’s the ideal time to take advantage of the warmer weather and tick off that list of gardening jobs for the month. As the 21st of June is the longest day of the year, the extra light and warmth encourages our gardens to grow; bringing out some of the very first harvests from the veg patch, including delicious new potatoes and tasty salads.
Read on to find out which jobs should be top of the list for June…
Plant up containers & hanging baskets
Planting up containers and hanging baskets can be a fun, relaxing task that you can enjoy with the grandchildren. Be sure to choose colourful bedding plants for a beautiful summer show, or herbs, shrubs and evergreens that will create a longer-lasting display. Summer and winter bedding plants provide seasonal colour, and with careful plant selection they can last throughout the season. It is recommended to use trailing plants positioned in the top of the hanging basket, as these will spill over and cover the sides. Don’t forget, hanging baskets with summer flowering plants require regular watering, especially during the warmer days of the year.
Pinch out tomatoes, harvest lettuces & early potatoes
Removing the side shoots is a simple task and can be done every time you water – check the plant for any shoots in the joint between the leaf and the stem. This encourages the tomato to grow vertically up the main stem, if they’re not removed side-shoots grow rapidly, forming a mass of long, leafy stems which are difficult to support, produce few fruits and take up a lot of space.
Start harvesting salad leaves now, snip off a few of the outer leaves with scissors, and more will grow from the centre, pick leaves just before you want to eat them and put straight into water or a plastic bag, to stop them wilting. Salad leaves are best eaten freshly picked, but can be stored in the fridge in a polythene bag for a couple of days.
Install a water butt to conserve water
Watering is key to growing plants well, especially those in containers, as well as hanging baskets and fruit and veg. If you don’t already have a water butt, installing one is a great way to help the environment and promote economical watering habits. It’s best to water either first thing in the morning or at dusk; watering in the heat of the day is not a good idea as most water will be lost via evaporation from the surface of the soil. Plants also use water more efficiently if watered in the cooler parts of the day.
Happy Gardening!