June is a favourite time amongst gardeners, from fruits and vegetables starting to appear to the garden smelling beautifully sweet. We also love seeing all the bees and butterflies pollinating as we're weeding or cleaning our gardening accessories. We’ve got some expert tips from our charity partner The National Garden Scheme for June’s list of jobs in the garden.
- Tomato plants - This is the time to nip off the side shoots from your tomato plants to encourage healthy but controlled production along the main stem.
- Net your soft fruit – Soft fruit will be very attractive to birds, so if you don’t want all your hard work to disappear in a flurry, make sure your fruit is netted.
- Keep sowing salads – The trick is to sow little and often. Sow some more now, and at fortnightly intervals through the summer if you have room.
- Stake your dahlias - Dahlias, chrysanthemums, and other late-summer flowering specials will be growing apace. They will need support, however, and it is a good idea to put it in place now, before the plants are too big and you risk damaging the flowers that have formed.
- Keep the greenhouse ventilated - This is probably the worst time of year for greenhouse bugs and diseases, so it is vital to maintain as much ventilation as possible to encourage fresh air to circulate.
- Hoe your garden regularly – Hoeing weeds regularly is an effective way of weakening and eventually killing them off without using weed killers.
- Keep your greenhouse ventilated – Bugs and diseases thrive in a greenhouse this time of year, due to the heat. Ensure you create as much ventilation as possible to encourage fresh air to circulate.
- Plant out winter greens – Cabbage seedlings will have made stronger plants now, and they’ll need planting out. Plant them 50-60cm apart and give them a good watering. Keep watering them daily in dry weather over the summer.
- Prune rose suckers – When you are dead-heading roses, ensure you cut off any suckers – these are the long stalks with no flowers that grow vigorously from the very base of rose plants. They can divert valuable energy resources from your plants.
- Asparagus season is over – If you grow asparagus, remember to stop cutting them around now. The new shoots will need enough time to mature for next year. Cut the plants down right at the end of summer when they have turned yellow.
Our gardening essentials are perfect for keeping your garden in tip-top condition. We love these Rose gardening must-haves, including secateurs, tool set, kneeler, garden gloves, and apron. Shop the full gardening accessories range.
The National Garden Scheme gives visitors unique access to over 3,500 exceptional private gardens whilst raising funds for key charities. The charities supported include Macmillan Cancer Support, Marie Curie, Hospice UK, Carers Trust, The Queen’s Nursing Institute and Parkinson’s UK. Looking for garden inspiration - why not visit an open garden near you and support the National Garden Scheme?
