Community Corner

June Gardening Tips: Take Advantage of the "June Gloom" and do some planting.

Now is the time to plant pumpkins, transplant citrus trees and start a vegetable container garden.

June can be a tricky month for Southern California gardeners. The warm weather is just around the corner, but “June Gloom” may keep it at bay for a few more weeks.

That gives gardeners a last chance to transplant trees before it gets too hot and just enough time to start vegetable container gardens for the summer. Though summer hasn’t technically begun, fall staples such as pumpkins need to be planted now if they are to be ready by Halloween.

Plant Vegetables and Flowers in Containers: Gardeners with limited space can still enjoy a bounty of fresh vegetables and flowers by using containers for growing. Containers don't have to be fancy--old buckets, reusable plastic or ceramic containers--anything will do as long as the container can hold soil and plants and is well draining. Flower and vegetable plants that do particularly well in containers include begonias, petunias, geraniums, impatiens, succulents and fuchsias, cherry tomatoes, lettuce, peppers and all kinds of herbs.

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Plant Trees Needing Little Water: The joy of a beautiful garden can be dampened after opening the monthly water bill. Consider planting trees and shrubs that require little water once established. Drought tolerant trees include many varieties of oak and pine as well as the Australian willow, olive and California pepper tree. Flowering plants include Desert Willow, Scarlet Larkspur, Beach Suncups, Red Buckwheat and Golden and Woolly Yarrow. Shrubs include California Fuchsia, Hollyleaf Cherry, Bigberry Manzanita, California Buckwheat, Spice Bush and Evergreen Currant. By planting a portion of your yard with these trees and shrubs, you can offset the increased water usage during summer needed for vegetables and seasonal flowers.

Transplant Citrus Trees: Typical overcast skies and cool weather in June make it the ideal time to transplant trees. Properly transplanting a tree is often the key to its future health. First, dig a hole at least twice a large as the tree's root system. Next, set the tree in the hole and position it properly. Fill the hole with a mixture of soil conditioner and soil. Press firmly on the soil and water deeply and thoroughly. The soil should be moist at all times for the first three to four weeks following transplanting. Apply a two to three inch layer of mulch around the trunk (but not touching the trunk) to keep in moisture and the soil cool. If unable to transplant trees in June, wait until fall when the weather cools.

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Plant Pumpkins: It's hard to think about Halloween in June, but now is the time to plant pumpkin plants so pumpkins will be ready for harvest and carving in October. If planting from seed, plants will begin to sprout seven to 10 days after planting. The plants need lots of warmth and moisture to thrive. Once transplanted, leave plenty of room for the plants' vines to spread and develop--10 to 15 feet of area is optimal. Yellow flowers will start to appear in about three weeks. The flowers will develop into pumpkins after they are pollinated. Pumpkins will be ready for picking in three to four months.

Control Weeds Before They Flower: Flowers aren't the only ones that love to grow in late spring. This is growing season for weeds too. Weeds start to flower around the same time as the rest of your garden. Remove them before they flower and their seeds spread. This is the best time to pull weeds as their roots are not yet established and the soil is still moist. Once weeds are removed, cover the area with mulch to keep weeds from returning.

This handy set of gardening tips is from Agromin, a Southern California manufacturer of earth-friendly soil products made from organic material collected locally.


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