Summer officially starts this month and so does the Central Florida hurricane season. It seems as though June is a month of waiting – waiting for it to really get hot, waiting to see if we’ll get any hurricanes, waiting for the daily afternoon thunderstorms to start, waiting to harvest, waiting for your soil solarization to work, waiting for the right time to start seedlings for the fall garden. There are not many new things you can plant during this hot, unpredictable month, so many landscape activities this month involve repair, maintenance, and overall upkeep. Here are some tips to keep in mind this month, brought to you by John Madison Landscape.

• As the weather gets warmer, monitor the water needs of your plants, especially new plantings. Stay on top of your watering of flower beds this month; at least 1-1.5” per week if rainfall does not meet this need.
• Most established woody plants do not require supplemental watering; however, some more moisture loving plants such as Birch, Rhododendrons, Azaleas, and Cranberrybush Viburnums do not like extended dry periods.
• June is a great time to purchase fresh spruces and pines because they are dug after July 4th.
• Regular pruning is the single best investment you can make for your landscape. When done correctly and at the right time, you enhance your landscape, improve the health of your plants, and reduce future maintenance costs.
• There are some vegetables and herbs that can be planted at this time. Herbs that love heat, like basil and rosemary, can also be planted this month.
• Watch for insect pests on crops like peppers and tomatoes. Treatment options include insecticidal soaps, organic horticultural oil sprays and chemical pesticides like permethrin.

Summer weather is officially here for the next several months! Daytime temperatures for June are typically in the low to mid-90s and nights are usually around 72°. For more landscape and gardening tips for the month of June, click here or call us at 407-935-9151.