Country calendar: garden work in June
If work is in full swing in the garden at the beginning of summer, then June can seem like a very calm month in the garden. But this is not the case. Although the mass flowering is over, the spring pruning and treatment of plants from pests is long over, it's too early for the gardener to rest on their laurels and wait for the harvest!
No matter how much he would like to calmly observe how the fruits are poured and a young growth rises above the crowns, there is not a minute for idle rest. In June the time comes:
- fight against insects that become active in summer and common plant diseases;
- watering and fertilizing fruit crops;
- cuttings of shrubs and trees to obtain autumn planting material.
The summer resident's attention is required for the vaccinations carried out in the spring, as well as plants that have suffered from insidious frosts. One of the most beloved berries by Russians, garden strawberries bloom in June, bear fruit and give a mustache. She also needs a lot of care.
Caring for fruit trees and shrubs in June
The hot summer sun quickly dries up the earth. In order for the garden to provide the summer resident with a harvest in the second half of summer and autumn, trees and shrubs should be watered regularly and abundantly from the first days of June. In total, during the growing season, irrigation is arranged at least 4 times; during hot dry periods and on sandy soils, the need for moisture increases greatly.
Depending on the soil, 4 to 7 buckets of water are poured per meter of area under the fruit trees. This allows you to completely wet the root system, which in different species lies at a depth of 20 to 80 cm.
To slow down evaporation and the loss of moisture valuable for pouring fruits, mulching of near-stem circles, watering into a well or using drip irrigation systems helps.
Fruit bushes, which respond faster to moisture deficit, are watered twice in June:
- in the first days of the month, when the growth of the ovaries begins and the plants give a bright green growth;
- after 2-3 weeks, during the coloring of the fruit and their intensive filling.
At the same time, one should not forget about weeding the near-trunk circles. The warmth and water bring many weeds back to life, and controlling them in the garden is an important part of the June job. Removing unwanted guests and loosening the soil are combined with fertilizing with nitrogen and potassium fertilizers. After flowering it is good to use:
- infusion of 1 part of manure to 10 parts of water;
- solution of 1 liter of poultry droppings in 20 liters of water.
At the initial stage of fruit development, a weak, damaged ovary is removed, they think over and install, if necessary, supports under the most loaded tree branches.
Reproduction of fruit crops by cuttings in June
The works in June are aimed not only at obtaining the harvest this year, but also at laying the future garden.
The beginning of summer is the most convenient time for propagation by cuttings and layering of such fruit crops as gooseberries and currant, chokeberry, irga, plum, sea buckthorn and many other species.
Planting material from shrubs with a low arrangement of branches can be obtained using cuttings.To do this, strong shoots are tilted and fixed in loose soil. To speed up the process of root formation in the place of powder on the bark, several transverse cuts are made. In June, the gardener needs to huddle the rooting sites, weed, water and loosen the soil.
For fruit trees and vigorous crops, it is more convenient to use green cuttings with 4–5 healthy buds. Planting material treated with a root formation stimulator is added dropwise in a greenhouse. It is better to take washed river sand mixed with peat as a soil for rooting.
At elevated temperatures and humidity, but not in direct sunlight, after 1.5–2 months, the cuttings germinate and are ready for planting in a permanent place or grafting.
First June berries
June is the time of flowering, fruiting and reproduction of the garden strawberries loved by many, honeysuckle and early raspberries. In order for the plants to give a generous harvest, they must be provided with moisture and nutrition, and protected from pests and diseases.
Mulch or replacing material is spread under the bushes of strawberries; to obtain a large berry, a mustache with daughter rosettes is cut, which can be used to start a new plantation.
To protect the berries from powdery mildew, they should be watered in the morning. In this case, the spores of the fungus will be less likely to gain a foothold and cause illness.
In addition, in June it is necessary to process the garden from pests, among which are not only those that spoil the long-awaited apples, plums and pears, but also no less dangerous aphids, attracting them to the garden ants, all kinds of leaf rollers. Apples and pears, especially in cool, wet weather, are treated for scab and fungal diseases.