Gardening Tips by John Begeman: June Gardening Calendar

	Arid-Southwestern Gardening Information *Gardening Tips by John Begeman*


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Index : June Gardening Calendar

1. Protect yourself from summer heat and sun

2. Apply Pre-Emergent Weed Control

3. Shade Summer Vegetables

4. Hand Pollinate Squash

5. Solarize Garden Beds

6. Water patio plants twice daily

7. Remove wilted tomato and pepper plants

8. Prevent blossom end rot

9. Plant "yard-long" beans

10. Dead-head garden flower

1. Protect yourself from summer heat and sun - Top

Protect yourself from summer heat and sun when gardening or participating in other outdoor activities. Drink a minimum of six to eight, 8 ounce glasses of water daily. With strenuous outdoor activities, this amount should be increased to 10 to 12 ounces of water each half-hour. Wear sun screen with a Sun Protection Factor (SPF) of 30 or greater, sunglasses, and a wide-brimmed hat. - Updated: June 19, 2002

2. Apply Pre-Emergent Weed Control - Top

Apply pre-emergent weed control prior to the monsoon season. For ease of application, use a granular pre-emergent herbicide such as Amaze. Apply according to label directions and water the herbicide into the soil with a minimum of one half inch of water. A lawn sprinkler can be used to water the herbicide in. Cans placed under the sprinkler can be used to determine when one-half inch of water has been applied. - Updated: June 19, 2002

3. Shade Summer Vegetables - Top

Shade summer vegetables to keep them fruiting. Shade cloth can be purchased at garden centers and nurseries. Cover tomatoes, sweet peppers, cucumbers and other sun-sensitive vegetables with 30% shade cloth. Support the shade cloth with stakes or poles to keep the cloth off of plants. - Updated: June 19, 2002

4. Hand Pollinate Squash - Top

Hand pollinate squash to increase fruit set. Transfer pollen from male flowers to female flowers using a small artists paint brush. Female blossoms have baby squash under the flower, male flowers do not. By transferring pollen from the powdery yellow anther to the sticky female stigma, fruit set can be increased over normal insect pollination. - Updated: June 19, 2002

5. Solarize Garden Beds - Top

Solarize garden beds to kill weed seeds, soil fungus, and nematodes in preparation for fall planting. Till the soil to a depth of 12 inches and smooth out the surface with a garden rake. Next, wet the soil to aid in heating. Finally, cover the soil with a clear plastic tarp and tuck the edges in the soil to prevent the wind from lifting it up. Clear plastic does a much better job at heating the soil than white or black plastic. Leave the cover on a minimum of 4 weeks. After removing the plastic tarp, the soil is ready for planting. - Updated: June 19, 2002

6. Water patio plants twice daily - Top

Water patio plants twice daily through June. Hot, dry conditions are especially hard on potted plants. Moisture can readily escape through the sides of clay pots. Locating potted plants in the shade, especially in the afternoon, will reduce moisture loss. Wetting down plant leaves during mid-day will also help prevent drying by cooling the plant and slowing the escape of moisture through leaf pores. Just make sure the water runs cool before you turn it on your plants. - Updated: June 19, 2002

7. Remove wilted tomato and pepper plants - Top

Remove wilted tomato and pepper plants. Individual vegetable plants, especially tomato and pepper, that wilt my be infected with a virus disease called curly top. As the name indicates, leaves curl as if wilted, however, plants do not recover after watering. The virus is spread by aphids and other sucking insect pests. Spraying is ineffective. The only control for curly top virus is to remove infected plants to limit the spread of the disease. - Updated: June 19, 2002

8. Prevent blossom end rot - Top

Prevent blossom end rot in the vegetable garden by maintaining even and consistent watering. Blossom end rot causes a black or brown sunken area to develop on the bottom (blossom end) of fruit. It is particularly common on tomato and pepper, but can effect any other fruits and vegetables. - Updated: June 19, 2002

9. Plant "yard-long" beans - Top

Plant "yard-long" beans. Also called asparagus beans, yard-longs are tender green beans. They love the heat and are a great crop to grow in the summer. A trellis or other support a minimum of six feet tall is needed to support the beans. A short row of yard-longs will produce an abundance of beans all Summer long and well into Autumn. Seeds are available at local garden centers. - Updated: June 19, 2002

10. Dead-head garden flower - Top

Dead-head garden flower such as marigold, geranium, zinnia and rose. Removing faded blossoms before they go to seed will encourage your flowers to continue blooming. Cut faded flowers off with a scissors or a sharp knife, don't pull them off. Cutting insures the removal of the entire flower, including the seed producing ovary. - Updated: June 19, 2002

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: 1. Protect yourself from summer heat and sun; 2. Apply Pre-Emergent Weed Control; 3. Shade Summer Vegetables; 4. Hand Pollinate Squash; 5. Solarize Garden Beds; 6. Water patio plants twice daily; 7. Remove wilted tomato and pepper plants; 8. Prevent blossom end rot; 9. Plant "yard-long" beans; 10. Dead-head garden flower

1. Protect yourself from summer heat and sun - Top: Protect yourself from summer heat and sun when gardening or participating in other outdoor activities. Drink a minimum of six to eight, 8 ounce glasses of water daily. With strenuous outdoor activities, this amount should be increased to 10 to 12 ounces of water each half-hour. Wear sun screen with a Sun Protection Factor (SPF) of 30 or greater, sunglasses, and a wide-brimmed hat. - Updated: June 19, 2002

2. Apply Pre-Emergent Weed Control - Top: Apply pre-emergent weed control prior to the monsoon season. For ease of application, use a granular pre-emergent herbicide such as Amaze. Apply according to label directions and water the herbicide into the soil with a minimum of one half inch of water. A lawn sprinkler can be used to water the herbicide in. Cans placed under the sprinkler can be used to determine when one-half inch of water has been applied. - Updated: June 19, 2002

3. Shade Summer Vegetables - Top: Shade summer vegetables to keep them fruiting. Shade cloth can be purchased at garden centers and nurseries. Cover tomatoes, sweet peppers, cucumbers and other sun-sensitive vegetables with 30% shade cloth. Support the shade cloth with stakes or poles to keep the cloth off of plants. - Updated: June 19, 2002

4. Hand Pollinate Squash - Top: Hand pollinate squash to increase fruit set. Transfer pollen from male flowers to female flowers using a small artists paint brush. Female blossoms have baby squash under the flower, male flowers do not. By transferring pollen from the powdery yellow anther to the sticky female stigma, fruit set can be increased over normal insect pollination. - Updated: June 19, 2002

5. Solarize Garden Beds - Top: Solarize garden beds to kill weed seeds, soil fungus, and nematodes in preparation for fall planting. Till the soil to a depth of 12 inches and smooth out the surface with a garden rake. Next, wet the soil to aid in heating. Finally, cover the soil with a clear plastic tarp and tuck the edges in the soil to prevent the wind from lifting it up. Clear plastic does a much better job at heating the soil than white or black plastic. Leave the cover on a minimum of 4 weeks. After removing the plastic tarp, the soil is ready for planting. - Updated: June 19, 2002

6. Water patio plants twice daily - Top: Water patio plants twice daily through June. Hot, dry conditions are especially hard on potted plants. Moisture can readily escape through the sides of clay pots. Locating potted plants in the shade, especially in the afternoon, will reduce moisture loss. Wetting down plant leaves during mid-day will also help prevent drying by cooling the plant and slowing the escape of moisture through leaf pores. Just make sure the water runs cool before you turn it on your plants. - Updated: June 19, 2002

7. Remove wilted tomato and pepper plants - Top: Remove wilted tomato and pepper plants. Individual vegetable plants, especially tomato and pepper, that wilt my be infected with a virus disease called curly top. As the name indicates, leaves curl as if wilted, however, plants do not recover after watering. The virus is spread by aphids and other sucking insect pests. Spraying is ineffective. The only control for curly top virus is to remove infected plants to limit the spread of the disease. - Updated: June 19, 2002

8. Prevent blossom end rot - Top: Prevent blossom end rot in the vegetable garden by maintaining even and consistent watering. Blossom end rot causes a black or brown sunken area to develop on the bottom (blossom end) of fruit. It is particularly common on tomato and pepper, but can effect any other fruits and vegetables. - Updated: June 19, 2002

9. Plant "yard-long" beans - Top: Plant "yard-long" beans. Also called asparagus beans, yard-longs are tender green beans. They love the heat and are a great crop to grow in the summer. A trellis or other support a minimum of six feet tall is needed to support the beans. A short row of yard-longs will produce an abundance of beans all Summer long and well into Autumn. Seeds are available at local garden centers. - Updated: June 19, 2002

10. Dead-head garden flower - Top: Dead-head garden flower such as marigold, geranium, zinnia and rose. Removing faded blossoms before they go to seed will encourage your flowers to continue blooming. Cut faded flowers off with a scissors or a sharp knife, don't pull them off. Cutting insures the removal of the entire flower, including the seed producing ovary. - Updated: June 19, 2002

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