Gardening jobs for June
Summer is here and with the solstice on June 20th marking midsummer (the 'longest day' and 'shortest night' of the year), why not take a moment to pause, appreciate your garden and the beauty of nature in this new season. Then, it’s back to work as you take on some of the jobs for June!
Dwarf fruit and vegetables
One of the great joys of gardening with children is growing your own fruit and vegetables, but if you’re short on outside space, certain crops may seem unsuitable. However, dwarf varieties are particularly suited to smaller gardens or even balconies as their compact size means they can be grown in containers. They also tend to mature faster than full-sized varieties, providing quicker harvests and allowing for successive planting throughout the growing season. Some interesting dwarf varieties to try sowing in June include courgette ‘Eight Ball’ F1, Squash ‘Butterbush’ F1, Cucamelon, Carrot ‘Paris Market – Atlas’ or Dwarf French beans, which we include in our June Activity box and Gardening box.
Feeding Fruiting and Flowering Plants
It’s common for lots of plants, especially those that are grown in containers, to run out of soil nutrients at this time of year. A shop-bought or home-made organic fertilizer is ideal to keep your plants healthy, but a high-potassium feed is particularly beneficial for those that produce lots of flowers or fruit, like roses or tomatoes. Why not give this eco-friendly and money-saving fertiliser a go, using our recipe below!:
Banana-peel fertiliser recipe
Take 3-4 banana peels, ensuring they are clean and free from stickers, cut them in to small pieces and pop them in a medium-sized jar
Fill the jar with water so that you so that the peels are completely covered, close the lid.
Leave for approximately 48 hours
Strain the water to remove any pieces of banana peel
Your banana peel fertiliser is ready to use! Apply approximately one cup full per plant, directly to the base of your plant approximately once a week. Avoid contact with plant leaves and don’t be tempted to use more regularly as it won’t be good for your plants.
Water for wildlife
June often brings hotter weather and less rain, so birds, insects and other garden creatures require a reliable source of water to stay hydrated. To create a wildlife-friendly water source, place shallow bowls or saucers at ground level for small mammals and insects. For birds, use a bird bath or a larger, shallow container placed at a height that cats can't easily reach! Ensure the water is refreshed regularly and add a few stones or pebbles which will help insects and small animals access the water more easily without the risk of drowning. Check out our blog post on how to make an insect watering station.
June harvests
Lots of veg garden plants will be providing food for you and your family this month! First-early (new) potatoes, peas, spinach and salad crops, strawberries, broad beans are just a few of the tasty crops you can expect to harvest.
Flowers such as sweet peas, Sweet Williams, roses, peonies, lilies and poppies are all providing a riot of beautiful colours, heralding the start of summer and many more months of blooms to come.
Author: Alison Kenehan, RHS-qualified gardener and mother
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