June
Week 1-
Inspect Crepe Myrtles weekly
for aphids or powdery mildew. Consider replacing with mildew-resistant
varieties.
Minimize expensive foundation
damage. Water around the perimeter of your slab-on-grade
foundation every 2 to 3 weeks with a soaker hose.
If necessary, relocate spring-flowering
bulbs, including perennial Daffodils, and replant immediately.
Finish pruning climbing Roses
and all spring bloomers.
Harvest Garlic when "flower
spike" starts to dry. Garlic without the spike should be ready in
one more year.
Relocate all hanging baskets
with sun-tolerant plants to a site which is shaded after 3:00 PM.
Remove spent flower spikes
from all Salvias.
Week 2 -
Kill white fly, web worms
and spider mites as soon as outbreaks occur.
Be careful near brush piles,
weedy or overgrown areas and junk piles; a swarm of Africanized bees might
lurk there.
Mow spring wildflowers after
their seeds are mature.
Remove old, diseased Tomato,
Pepper, Squash, etc. plants to clean up vegetable garden.
Do NOT compost diseased plants.
Do not be a vector.
Wash your hands after discarding virus-infected plants, and before touching
disease-free plants.
Water young (less than two-years-old)
trees and shrubs deeply every two weeks during a dry summer.
Week 3 -
Apply the first of two pyrethroid
granule treatments for grubworm control in lawns and beds.
Use insecticidal granules only if you wish to also kill beneficial
earthworms.
Remove and discard most Strawberry
plants. Replant in early fall. Only the 'Selva' variety will
bear in
the summer.
This is a good time to prune
Fig and Oleander and thin old wood on Pomegranate. Watch out for
wasp nests.
Wear rubber gloves when harvesting
the hottest of hot peppers: Dorset Naga, Naga Jolokia, Habanero,
Red Savina, Scotch Bonnet, etc. Do not wipe your brow.
If you do, you will soon experience a medical
emergency.
Solarize your vegetable garden
for the next three to four weeks.
Week 4 -
Tired of watering your lawn
too frequently? Replace it with '609' or 'Stampede' Buffalograss
in low-traffic sunny sites; 'El Toro' Zoysia in high-traffic full sun to
part shade zones and 'Del-Mar' or 'Floratam' St. Augustine in shady areas
with deep soils.
Control damaging insects
on developing pecan nuts.
In case of very dry conditions,
start watering your grounds to prevent fires caused by pyrotechnicians.
If you can reach them and
if it is practical, remove Crepe Myrtle bloom spikes when half their flowers
have lost their color.
Mulch all beds three- to
four-inches-deep to keep soil cool, roots healthier, conserve moisture
and reduce weed seed germination.
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