June in the garden

It's June in the garden. What should we focus on? As I look at my UC Master Gardeners of Placer County Garden Guide and Calendar, I know what I'm going to do. It's a month of attending to wise watering, preparing plants to grow through the summer, finishing spring cleanup, staying ahead of pests and diseases, and mulching for moisture and soil health. And one more thing. For that, read to the end. Wise watering as temperatures rise includes checking and adjusting irrigation systems. It also means deep, infrequent watering, especially for trees. If you're gardening on a slope, you may want to cycle your irrigation on and off several times to accomplish deep watering to reduce runoff. Monitor your raised beds and hanging baskets more frequently, and watch for signs of water stress. To prepare plants for the best summer growth, fertilize your warm-season vegetables and flowering plants as needed. But don't fertilize during periods of extreme heat. Fertilizer can increase plant growth and the need for water and nutrients, adding to plant stress. Support your tomatoes, beans, dahlias, and other vigorous growers with stakes or cages. Ornamental landscape plants do not need added fertilizer, especially during hot summer months when they are just trying to survive. Continue succession planting of summer crops. I do frequent basil plantings. I love anything with lots of basil. Remove spent flowers to encourage continued blooming. One of June's less glamorous tasks is to finish your spring cleanup. Allow spring bulbs to die back naturally before removing the foliage. I accidentally pulled two bulbs when I got a little too aggressive. They're now hanging in my potting shed along with the ones I divided, waiting to be planted next December. I'm not quite ready to cut back other spring plants, but that time is coming soon. Aggressively remove weeds before they set seed. Clean up plant debris that may harbor pests or diseases. In fact, to stay ahead of pests and diseases, inspect your plants regularly for insects and damage. In that way, you can identify problems early before they get out of hand. If needed, use insecticidal soap for pests such as stink bugs on tomatoes, squash, and other plants. Encourage beneficial insects whenever possible. On July 11, the UC Master Gardeners of Placer County will present How Good Bugs Can Help Manage Pesky Pests in Your Garden at the Loomis Library. Read about this here: https://ucanr.edu/site/uc-master-gardeners-placer-county/workshops-and-special-events Mulch for moisture and soil health. Mulch around trees and shrubs should typically be applied in the fall after winter rains begin. Mulching this time of year for those in a wildfire area has an increased risk from fresh mulch application. But you may want to add mulch to your garden area. I'm waiting a bit because I planted my beds late and still have seedlings emerging. Mulch helps conserve water and moderate soil temperatures, especially in planting beds. Mulch also helps reduce weed growth. Over time, organic mulch improves soil health as it breaks down. I promised one more item: enjoy and observe your garden. Keep a garden journal. Note what's thriving and what's struggling. Record your watering schedules, pest problems, and successful plant combinations. Use your observations to guide future garden decisions. If you already keep a journal, you know June is a pivotal month in the garden.