University of Vermont Extension
Department of Plant and Soil Science
Summer News
Article
RAISING
CONTAINERS AND OTHER JUNE GARDENING TIPS
Charlie Nardozzi,
Horticulturist and
Leonard Perry, UVM Extension
Horticulturist
Raising containers for better
drainage, removing caterpillar tents from trees, and removing
perennial flowers
after bloom are some of the gardening tips for this month.
To
allow good drainage in your container plantings, raise the pots off
the ground
or deck so water can seep out the drainage holes. This also will
reduce the
staining that can occur when pots sit directly on wooden steps or a
deck. You
can purchase pot feet from garden supply stores, or make your own
using flat
stones of similar size, rubber bumpers from the hardware store, or
even old
checkers from the game you never play anymore. Anything that will
elevate the
pot a bit should work. Bricks work well for containers on the
ground.
Check
apple, cherry, and other fruit trees for the white webbed tents of
caterpillars,
and poke them with a broom handle or long-handled pruners to break
open the
tent and expose the caterpillars to foraging birds. Or knock the
tent to the
ground and destroy the caterpillars. A spray of Bt (Bacillus
thuringiensis)
will kill the exposed insects, too, just make sure you get the right
strain
labeled for these pests, and as with any pesticide follow all label
directions
and cautions.
Examine
your yard for areas with standing water, such as old tires or
upturned garbage
can lids, and dump them. Mosquitoes breed in these types of places,
so by
removing them you'll get a head start on controlling the pests. Use
"mosquito dunks" in ponds. These disks contain a specific strain of
Bt that controls the mosquito larvae.
The
fruiting of tomatoes and peppers is improved by applying Epsom
salts, which
contains sulfur and magnesium. Apply one tablespoon of granules
around each
transplant, or spray a solution of one tablespoon Epsom salts per
gallon of
water at transplanting, first flowering, and fruit set.
Once
early summer perennials, such as peonies and foxgloves, have
finished blooming,
take the time to clip off the spent flowers to spare the plant the
energy it
would spend on forming seeds. If you
plan to save the seed and do some propagating of your own, leave
some seedheads
until they turn dry and collect the seeds before the wind and the
birds get to
them.
Sow
new crops of beets, carrots, and summer lettuce to extend the
harvest. You
don't need much space, you can sow a border around other vegetables.
If
possible, choose a spot that's partially shaded by taller plants for
sowing
lettuce, so it will stay cooler.
Tomatoes,
squash, and cucumbers can use some nutrients now, so scratch some
granular
fertilizer into the soil around plants or in a shallow trench
alongside a row.
Do this when the soil is already moist, and then water it in.
Begin
the early-morning or early-evening patrols for Japanese beetles and
knock them
into a can of soapy water. You can also hold a bucket under a plant
that's
hosting a beetle party and gently shake a branch and the beetles
will fall into
the bucket. Forget trying to catch them midday because they move too
fast in
the heat. If using Japanese beetle traps, don’t place them near
desirable
plants (for the beetles) as they will munch heavily on their way to
the traps.
(Charlie Nardozzi is a nationally known horticulturist,
author, gardening consultant, and garden coach; CharlieNardozzi.com).
Return to
Perry's Perennial
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