Summer is finally upon us, it’s the season that we’ve all been waiting for. Warm weather, sunshine, holidays – it’s all here and it starts in June. However, don’t get too distracted by all the glory, there is still plenty to do in your garden that needs your attention. Here are the gardening jobs for June you should have on your to-do list.

General Tips

We all love the warmer weather, but unfortunately, so do weeds – they thrive in hotter temperatures. Keep on top of weeds by hoeing them off, using the dry surface soil leftover as mulch to reduce water loss.

Another way to reduce this is to not cut your lawn as short as usual. Longer grass protects your lawn from the sun, which will be imperative in the warmer temperatures. However, new lawns will require water as one of your regular gardening jobs for June.

Dry soil could become a real issue this month, with temperatures seeming to reach record highs every year. Pay close attention to newly planted trees and shrubs, and water all your plants on a regular basis (especially if they’re in containers).

Flowers

Given how hot British summers have been in the last few years, June will officially mark the end of frosty mornings for some time, finally making it safe for hanging baskets to be displayed outside. Harden them off for around two to three weeks before moving them outside.

With all the sunshine in the sky, you should be making the most of it all and finding opportunities for new growth, which can be found by deadheading plants such as roses and oriental poppies. It’s worth cutting the first flush of growth on hardy geraniums back to encourage more flowers. Similar can be said with Fuchsias, as pinching out their tips will help to encourage them to bush out.

Remember to pick your sweet peas as they flower. Any later than that, and you’re potentially running the risk of allowing them to set seed, preventing them from producing flower buds.

Vegetables

Harvesting season – the time of year that every gardener looks forward to. There are so many vegetables which could need you to pull them from the ground at the end of June. Some of the vegetables you may need to remove include:

• Broad Beans/Peas/Mangetout: Best to pick them when they’re small and tender.
• Salad Crops: There will always be new crops coming through every week so make sure you’re picking them regularly.
• Early Potatoes: This should be done towards the end of the month. Early potatoes taste better as soon as they’re dug up, so don’t waste any time sending them straight to your kitchen.
• Garlic/Onions: Should be ready for picking if you planted either of them in the Autumn. If the leaves are starting to yellow, they should be ready for picking.
• Asparagus: Harvest them before the spears reach 20cm tall and let the ferns grow out so crops are full of energy next year. Be wary of red asparagus beetles, which will look to distort your shoots. Our advice? Get your stomping boots out!

Fruit

If your produce is ripe and ready to go, then waste no time in collecting it. One of your gardening jobs for June for any fruit is to start off with pruning plum and cherry trees. You should also net the latter to beat the blackbirds to them. For the fruit that has been affected, remove them before picking the best of the bunch. The same applies for strawberries – if they look ripe, get them to safety as soon as possible.

As simple as it sounds, summer is hot, so make sure you keep watering those plants and feeding those grown in pots with a high potash tomato liquid feed.

Need more helpful tips and advice to maintain your garden throughout the year? Take a look at our Gardening Guides.