Gardening Guides
Texas Gardener's June Checklist
Win the battle against heat and drought with these plant picks and extra effort, for a garden that reigns supreme in summer
It doesn't matter what the calendar says; 90-degree days mean summer is here. Texas gardeners have to be tough to garden in our particular brand of summer heat and occasional rain. And while many parts of our state saw some spring rains, the reality is that we are still in a drought cycle. It takes a little extra effort to have a beautiful, healthy and thriving garden in these conditions, so follow this checklist for some helpful tips and be sure to always follow the recommendations of your local professionals and authorities.
Plant fruit, vegetable and herb transplants. You can also plant black-eyed peas, pumpkin, okra, Malabar spinach, New Zealand spinach, peppers, sweet potatoes, winter squash, cantaloupe, honeydew and watermelon from nursery containers.
Also look for basil, bay laurel, bee balm, yarrow, thyme, tansy, catnip, catmint, comfrey, sage, rosemary, oregano, lamb's ear, echinacea, lavender, lemon balm, lemon verbena, Mexican mint marigold, mint, pennyroyal and artemesia.
Also look for basil, bay laurel, bee balm, yarrow, thyme, tansy, catnip, catmint, comfrey, sage, rosemary, oregano, lamb's ear, echinacea, lavender, lemon balm, lemon verbena, Mexican mint marigold, mint, pennyroyal and artemesia.
Plant annuals. Favorite warm-weather annuals include zinnia, torenia, purslane, begonia, blue daze, celosia, ageratum, copper plant, impatiens, marigold, geranium, petunia, penta, dusty miller, Mexican heather, portulaca, periwinkle and gazania.
Plant perennials and ornamental grasses. Now is also the time to plant perennials: black-eyed Susan (Rudbeckia hirta), butterfly weed (Asclepias tuberosa), Copper canyon daisy (Tagetes lemmonii), cuphea (Cuphea spp), four nerve daisy (Tetraneuris scaposa), coneflower (Echinacea spp), lantana (Lantana spp), ruellia (Ruellia spp), salvia (Salvia spp), plumbago (Plumbago ariculata), sedum (Sedum spp), coreopsis (Coreopsis spp), esperanza (Tecoma stans), gayfeather and blackfoot daisy (Melampodium leucanthum).
Add ornamental grasses to your garden, including maiden grass (Miscanthus sinensis), purple fountain grass (Pennisetum setaceum), gulf muhly (Muhlenbergia capillaris), bamboo muhly (Muhlenbergia dumosa), Mexican feather grass (Nasella tenuissima) and inland sea oats (Chasmanthium latifolium).
Shown: A variety of annuals and perennials with purple fountain grass (Pennisetum setaceum)
Add ornamental grasses to your garden, including maiden grass (Miscanthus sinensis), purple fountain grass (Pennisetum setaceum), gulf muhly (Muhlenbergia capillaris), bamboo muhly (Muhlenbergia dumosa), Mexican feather grass (Nasella tenuissima) and inland sea oats (Chasmanthium latifolium).
Shown: A variety of annuals and perennials with purple fountain grass (Pennisetum setaceum)
Tend your lawn. In Texas it's recommended to fertilize your lawn three times a year — in March or April, again in June and a third time in September or October. Look for a lawn fertilizer that is higher in nitrogen (the first number in the three-number ratio on the package), which encourages vigorous growth and deep green color.
Avoid overfertilizing, which can burn your lawn and run off into the water system. Apply fertilizer after the lawn is mown and the grass is dry. Lawns at this time of year will need about 1 inch to 1½ inches of water a week — but be sure to always follow your area's water restrictions or guidelines. Remember, watering less frequently but more deeply is actually better for your lawn.
Avoid overfertilizing, which can burn your lawn and run off into the water system. Apply fertilizer after the lawn is mown and the grass is dry. Lawns at this time of year will need about 1 inch to 1½ inches of water a week — but be sure to always follow your area's water restrictions or guidelines. Remember, watering less frequently but more deeply is actually better for your lawn.
Repel mosquitoes. Mosquitoes aren't simply a nuisance; they also carry diseases like West Nile virus for humans and heartworm for dogs. There are many things a gardener can do to minimize the mosquito population, starting with getting rid of any standing water where mosquitoes can breed.
Add products like Mosquito Bits and Mosquito Dunks to ponds, birdbaths and around air conditioning drip tubes; these products and others like them contain nontoxic ingredients that keep mosquito larvae from developing into adults. You can also add mosquito-repelling plants like catmint, citronella and lemongrass to your garden, or install a mosquito misting system near your outdoor gathering areas.
Add products like Mosquito Bits and Mosquito Dunks to ponds, birdbaths and around air conditioning drip tubes; these products and others like them contain nontoxic ingredients that keep mosquito larvae from developing into adults. You can also add mosquito-repelling plants like catmint, citronella and lemongrass to your garden, or install a mosquito misting system near your outdoor gathering areas.
Complete a summer garden project. Summer is the perfect time to plan some creative garden projects. Add a compost bin, build a simple deck, install a water feature or make an insect habitat. Beneficial insects like ladybugs, beetles, centipedes and bees have fewer and fewer places to nest and create a habitat. These beneficial bugs are great at keeping the "bad" bugs under control.
Insect habitats are a creative way of displaying dead wood, leaves, tubes, sticks, straw, hay and loose bark to encourage the good guys to stick around and do their part to keep our gardens healthy. They're also great projects to do with children, who will learn lessons about recycling, life cycles and garden health in the process.
Shown: An Urban Hedgerow bug habitat
Insect habitats are a creative way of displaying dead wood, leaves, tubes, sticks, straw, hay and loose bark to encourage the good guys to stick around and do their part to keep our gardens healthy. They're also great projects to do with children, who will learn lessons about recycling, life cycles and garden health in the process.
Shown: An Urban Hedgerow bug habitat
Control grasshoppers. Some years the grasshopper population simply gets out of control, and the damage to our gardens can be astounding. Grasshoppers will strip trees, flowers, shrubs and vegetables bare with their voracious appetites, seemingly overnight, so it pays to stay on top of this problem. There are a number of organic sprays and spreads that are available to stop grasshoppers in their path; ask your garden center for a recommendation.
Or mix up a DIY remedy at home consisting of:
Or mix up a DIY remedy at home consisting of:
- 1 cup diatomaceous earth
- 1 gallon water
- 2 tablespoons blackstrap molasses
For herbs, plant thyme, tarragon, tansy, basil, anise, bay, catnip, comfrey, southernwood, sorrel, winter savory, cumin, fennel, germander, lamb's ear, lavender, oregano, summer savory, sage and rosemary.
Add annual color with zinnias, sunflowers, periwinkle, morning glory vines, moonflower vines, marigolds, impatiens, gourds, hyacinth bean vines, four o'clocks, gomphrena, cypress vines and coleus.
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