All comments and tips to be attributed to Amber Tunney, Plant Buyer at Cherry Lane Garden Centres.
With summer just around the corner, June is one of the busiest and most rewarding months in the garden.
Longer days and warmer temperatures mean plants are growing quickly, flowers are beginning to bloom, and vegetable gardens are starting to produce crops. It’s also an important time to keep on top of watering, feeding and general maintenance to help gardens thrive throughout the warmer months.
Horticultural experts at Cherry Lane Garden Centres have rounded up the key gardening jobs for June, helping gardeners keep their outdoor spaces healthy, colourful and productive as the summer season gets underway.
- Feed containers and hanging baskets every few weeks to encourage growth and good flowering
“Plants in containers and hanging baskets use up nutrients quickly during the warmer months, so regular feeding is important to encourage healthy growth and continuous flowering. Using a liquid fertiliser every couple of weeks will help plants stay vibrant and full throughout summer.”
- Cover your fruit with netting to protect from birds
“As strawberries, currants and other fruits begin to ripen, birds can quickly damage crops if left unprotected. Lightweight netting helps prevent birds from reaching the fruit while still allowing sunlight, air and rain to get through.”
- Apply tomato feed to your fruiting vegetables
“Once tomatoes and other fruiting vegetables begin producing flowers and fruit, switching to a tomato feed helps support healthy development. This is because tomato feed is high in potassium, which is essential for encouraging strong growth and supporting crop development throughout the season.”
- Start harvesting first early potatoes
“Harvesting first early potatoes in June provides the best, freshest flavour while also helping gardeners avoid peak blight season later in the summer, when warmer and more humid conditions allow the disease to spread more easily. Carefully lift potatoes with a fork to avoid damaging the crop and enjoy them while they’re fresh for the best taste and texture.”
- Put your hanging baskets outside
“By June, temperatures are usually warm enough for hanging baskets to be moved outdoors permanently. Position baskets in a sunny, sheltered spot and water regularly, especially during hotter weather, as containers can dry out quickly.”
- Pinch out your side shoots on tomatoes
“Removing the small side shoots that grow between the main stem and branches helps tomato plants direct more energy into producing fruit rather than excess leafy growth. This is particularly important for cordon tomato varieties, especially those grown in greenhouses or trained against supports.”
- Shade your greenhouse to protect from the scorch
“Greenhouses can become extremely hot during sunny spells in June, which can stress or damage plants. Using greenhouse shading, blinds or even temporary netting can help regulate temperatures and protect plants from scorching.”
- Give wisteria its summer prune, tame those wild shoots and take them back to 20cm
“Wisteria benefits from a summer prune to help keep growth under control and encourage better flowering next year. Long, whippy side shoots can be cut back to around 20cm, helping maintain the plant’s shape and prevent it becoming overcrowded.”