June's Garden Bounty: A Guide to Thriving Vegetables

 June has arrived, and with it comes the promise of rich summer crops! Your vegetable garden is most certainly thriving, and it's time to focus on caring your plants to guarantee a successful season. This month, we'll focus on two crucial topics: insect control and correct irrigation.

Fighting the Good Fight: Pest Control In June

June is a perfect season for pests to make their move, so be vigilant. Here are some strategies for keeping your vegetables safe: 

Know Your Enemy:

Identify common pests in your region, such as aphids, whiteflies, squash bugs, or tomato hornworms, and use tailored treatments.

To discourage pests, consider interplanting with herbs such as basil, garlic, or oregano.

robust Soil:Plants that are strong and robust are more pest-resistant. Maintain proper soil fertility and drainage.

Netting and Row Covers: Use netting or row covers to keep flying insects away from crops such as squash and melons.

Organic Solutions:Insecticidal Soap:** Safe for plants and beneficial insects, apply early in the morning or evening for best results.

Neem Oil:** Neem oil, a natural pesticide with antifungal characteristics, may be applied to plants to prevent pests.

Diatomaceous Earth:** A fine powder that dehydrates and kills insects, which can be sprinkled.

Hand-Picking:For bigger pests like as hornworms, a simple hand-pick may be both effective and ecologically benign.

Beneficial Insects: Plant blooms that will attract ladybirds, lacewings, and other helpful insects to your yard. They will naturally control pesky insect populations.

Drench Your Garden with Success: 

Watering in June

Summer heat may rapidly dry up your soil, making your plants thirsty. Here's how to make sure your vegetables are properly hydrated:

Deep Watering**: Instead of regular shallow watering, water deeply less often. This promotes deep root development, increasing your plants' drought tolerance.

Early Morning Watering:** Avoid watering during the warmest part of the day, since this might cause evaporation and illness. Watering in the morning allows the water to be absorbed and the leaves to dry rapidly, so avoiding fungal threats.

Mulch, Mulch, Mulch! A thick layer of mulch helps to retain moisture, control weeds, and regulate soil temperature.

Bonus Tip: Keep a log of your pest control methods and watering regimen. This will allow you to track what works and alter your strategy as needed.

June's Abundance:

With diligent pest management and appropriate irrigation, your June garden will be brimming with wonderful vegetables! From sweet corn and crisp beans to juicy tomatoes and vivid peppers, savour the results of your labour and revel in the wealth of summer.

Happy gardening!

  

June's Bounty: Nurturing Tomatoes and Cucumbers for a Delicious Harvest

June is a month of warmth and growth, and our gardens are full with life! This month is critical for nourishing our tomato and cucumber plants in order to secure an abundant crop. Let's dig into the June gardening schedule, concentrating on the most important duties for these cherished summer crops.

Tomato Care and Harvesting:

Stake and Support:As your tomato plants get taller, stake them securely to keep them from toppling over. Use robust tomato cages or stakes, then tie the plants to them as they develop.

Pruning for Success: Remove any suckers (tiny shoots emerging from the junction of stems and branches) to help the plant to concentrate its efforts on producing larger, sweeter fruit.

Watering Wisely: Tomatoes require regular watering, particularly in hot weather. To avoid fungal infections, water thoroughly at the plant's base rather than soaking the leaves.

Harvest Time: Your first ripe tomatoes should be ready for picking! Choose them when they're firm and completely coloured. Don't wait too long, because they will get overripe.

Cucumber Care and Harvesting:

Taming the Vine: Cucumbers grow quickly, so supply them with trellises or cages to support their climbing vines. This keeps them from sprawling on the ground and promotes greater air circulation, so preventing disease transmission.

Pinch off the side shoots: Remove the side shoots (small branches sprouting from the main stem) to direct the plant's energy towards producing more cucumbers.

Regular Watering: Cucumbers require regular hydration, particularly during dry months. Water deeply at the plant's base, making sure the foliage remains dry.

 Harvesting Freshness: Pick cucumbers while they are young and firm. If left on the vine for too long, they will become sour and seedy. 

Tomato Seedlings: A Look Forward:

Starting Indoors: If you want to grow your own tomato seedlings for next year, June is an excellent month to start. Sow the seeds in seed trays filled with high-quality seed starting mix.

Provide the Proper Conditions: Keep the seedlings in a warm, sunny location and water them regularly. Thin out seedlings as required to allow them room to grow.

Enjoy the fruits of your labour:

June is the ideal month to experience the fresh flavours of homegrown tomatoes and cucumbers. Use your surplus to create delectable salads, sandwiches, and other summer foods.

Remember:

Pest Control: Monitor pests and illnesses and take preventative measures. Fertilise Regularly: Fertilise your plants regularly to promote proper growth and fruit production.

By following these guidelines, you may help your tomato and cucumber plants produce a plentiful crop! Enjoy the results of your labour in delectable summer cuisine. Happy gardening!

 

 

hagen vår: Juni i hagen

hagen vår: Juni i hagen: Regn kan være utrolig etterlengta. Forrige uke kom det 12 mm og det siste døgnet 15 mm. Det synes.                                          ...

Propagate plants by cuttings

 

Cutting propagation is one of the most popular ways of plant propagation utilised globally. A cutting is a section of a mother plant that has been cut off and from which a new plant will grow.

 Plant propagation by woody cuttings is a simple and easy way of propagation. Annual shoots are used to make woody cuttings. The cutting period varies for each plant and must be properly adhered to. Not just berry bushes, but also most beautiful plants such as physocarp, and others, are propagated in this manner. Blackcurrant cuttings, for example, are produced after the leaves fall and continue until the buds mature in the spring. However, blackcurrant cuttings taken in late October yield the greatest results, as blackcurrants might be frosty near the end of winter. In the first decade of September, currant and gooseberry cuttings are made.

Cuttings range from 12 to 15 cm. Currant cuttings must not have the top bud removed, but blackcurrant cuttings must. The lowest portion of the cuts should be cut 2-3 mm below the bud, as obliquely as possible. The prepared cuttings can be cut in the bed immediately (with a 15-18 cm layer of peat following frost) or carefully buried in the overwintering location. Cuttings can be kept cold (0 to +20 C) in a basement buried in peat or in the field. When frost begins to fall, cover the burial location with a 15-18 cm layer of peat. Cuttings are planted upright in light, extensively tilled soil, whereas they are planted horizontally in heavier, wetter, and shallower soil.

Cut a 10-15 cm long plug 2-3 mm below the node and break off a piece of wood from a biennial branch to leave a trace at the end (this will stimulate the growth process). Cuttings that are too long must be trimmed by cutting off the tip so that they do not come out when implanted in the substrate. When the air temperature is over +10 °C, the optimal time for propagation is mid-March to early April.

Woody cuttings can be used to produce berry plants such as currants, blackcurrants, and golden currants, as well as decorative deciduous shrubs such as spireas, hydrangeas, willows, philadelphus. Trees can also take root (mulberry, poplar, and even lilac).

Aunts root nicely among the conifers. Junipers may be propagated as well. More careful gardeners have discovered how to root spruces and Douglas firs.

Conifer cuttings are made by severing the branch and snapping (rather than cutting) the shoots. At the bottom of the scion, a so-called foot - a piece of bark - develops.

- The soil around the cuttings is compressed, enveloping the trigger section and the buds in the soil.

- Professionals employ growth stimulants for cuttings, but amateur gardeners don't need them.

Unheated greenhouse

Unheated greenhouses that are not very hot right now and are still vacant are ideal for rooting cuttings. Digging in boxes rather than directly in the soil is preferable. In the summer, the young plants can be removed from the greenhouse. Later transplantation will cause less disruption to the root system.

Prepare the boxes for bursting by filling them with substrate. Garden soil is also appropriate since woody cuttings are resilient.

Moisture levels in all cuttings must be closely checked. The soil must not dry out, but neither should it become excessively wet.

- It is beneficial to pinch the cuttings tightly since this increases the likelihood of one developing.

Varieties of thuja are propagated vegetatively by cuttings. The best time to cut cuttings is early spring (before budbreak) or late June, early July, when the young shoots are no longer raw but are mature.

The shoots are first cut and then separated into cuts by ripping, leaving a sliver of biennial wood at the root. Cuttings should be 8-15 cm in length. Make them neither too short nor too long, or they will adhere to the substrate and root poorly. The cuts must be done at an oblique angle and roughly 1 cm deep. The cuttings can be bathed in Schultz Garden growth booster for enhanced rooted, although conifers root well without it. In the spring and summer, rooting can be done in a greenhouse on a raised bed or in a bed in the shade of a shrub in a 1:1 mixture of peat and sand or vermiculite. 

Growing dahlias for cutting inflorescences

 

Dahlias are one of the most popular cut flowers because they produce beautiful and long-lasting inflorescences in a wide range of forms, sizes, and colours. Growing dahlias for cutting, on the other hand, necessitates great care and attention because to their sensitivity to cold, pests, and diseases. We'll walk you through the process of cultivating dahlias for cutting inflorescences, from selecting the correct types to planting and caring for them to harvesting and storing them.

Important takeaways

- Dahlias are classified into 14 groups based on the shape and size of their inflorescences, which range in diameter from 5 cm to 30 cm.

- Dahlias may be produced from tubers or seeds, although tubers produce bigger and more diversified inflorescences.

- Dahlias require a sunny, well-drained position, rich, wet soil, consistent watering and feeding, and protection from frost, snails, and aphids.

- Dahlias should be cut when the inflorescences are fully open, ideally in the morning or evening, and immediately placed in a bucket of water.

Dahlias can be kept in a cold, dark spot for up to a week, or dried for longer storage.

Dahlias are classified into 14 groups based on the shape and size of their inflorescences, which range in diameter from 5 cm to 30 cm. Some of the most common cutting groups are:

**Decorative dahlias**: These feature big, flat petals in the shape of a ball or oval. They are available in a variety of colours and bicolbi-coloursors and are great for adding a splash of colour to bouquets and centrepieces. 'Café au Lait,' 'Thomas Edison,' and 'Arabian Night' are a few examples.

**Cactus and semi-cactus dahlias**: These feature long, pointed petals that curve backwards and forwards, giving them a spiky or star-like look. They are highly visible and give texture and contrast to flower arrangements. 'Chat Noir,' 'Nuit d'Été,' and 'Yellow' are a few instances.

**Ball and pompon dahlias** feature petite, spherical inflorescences that look like pompoms or balls. They are quite consistent and clean, and they are ideal for adding colour and filling gaps in bouquets and arrangements. 'Cornel,' 'Little Robert,' and 'Willo's Violet' are a few examples.

**Anemone-flowered dahlias**: These feature a tubular disc in the centre surrounded by one or more rows of flat ray florets. They have a delicate and whimsical appearance and are ideal for achieving a romantic and feminine impression. 'Totally Tangerine,' 'Blue Bayou,' and 'Honka' are a few examples.

 **Single-flowered dahlias** contain a single row of flat ray florets around a centre disc. They are simple and attractive, and they attract bees and butterflies. 'Bishop of Llandaff' is one example.

The table below summarizes the main characteristics of each group:

Group	Inflorescence size	Inflorescence shape	Petal shape	Petal arrangement
Decorative	10-30 cm	Ball or oval	Flat	Regular
Cactus and semi-cactus	10-30 cm	Spiky or star-like	Pointed	Curved
Ball and pompon	5-10 cm	Spherical	Round	Regular
Anemone-flowered	5-15 cm	Disc and ray	Tubular and flat	Irregular
Single-flowered	5-15 cm	Disc and ray	Flat	Regular

Dahlia plantation and care

Dahlias may be produced from tubers or seeds, with tubers producing bigger and more diversified inflorescences. Tubers are available at nurseries and online retailers, and should be planted in the spring, after the last frost, in a sunny, well-drained position. The soil should be rich and wet but not soggy, and it should be supplemented with organic materials like compost or manure. Depending on the size of the variety, the tubers should be planted 10-15 cm deep and 60-90 cm apart. To support the plant as it grows, attach a stake close to each tuber.

Dahlias require consistent watering and feeding throughout the growth season, especially during hot, dry spells. Every two weeks, a balanced fertiliser, such as 10-10-10, can be used, or a slow-release fertiliser can be incorporated into the soil at planting time. Mulching is also beneficial to dahlias since it helps to retain moisture, control weeds, and protect the tubers from cold. Dahlias should be pruned when they reach a height of around 30 cm to stimulate branching and additional inflorescences. Deadheading, or the removal of spent inflorescences, encourages continual flowering and avoids seed production.

Dahlias are vulnerable to cold, snails, and aphids, all of which can harm the plants and inflorescences. When the temperature falls below 5°C, cover the plants with a frost cloth or a covering of straw or leaves to protect them from frost. Slugs can be deterred by placing a barrier of crushed eggshells, diatomaceous earth, or copper tape around the plants, or by using slug bait. A powerful spray of water, a soap solution, or a natural predator such as ladybirds can be used to control aphids.

Garden Tours: Showcasing Sustainable Success Stories. June

 

Garden tours are a fantastic way to showcase the beauty and diversity of gardens, while also highlighting successful examples of sustainable gardening practices. They provide an opportunity for garden enthusiasts to learn from each other, gain inspiration, and see firsthand the positive impact of sustainable gardening. In this article, we’ll explore the concept of garden tours and how they can showcase sustainable success stories.

Why Garden Tours?

Garden tours offer several benefits:

• Education: They provide an opportunity to learn about different types of gardens and gardening techniques.
• Inspiration: Seeing the creativity and hard work of other gardeners can inspire you to try new things in your own garden.
• Community: Garden tours bring together people with a shared interest in gardening, fostering a sense of community.
• Sustainability: They can showcase successful examples of sustainable gardening practices, promoting environmental stewardship.

Burstiness of Creativity in Garden Tours

Garden tours can lead to a burst of creativity. Seeing the innovative ways in which other gardeners have designed and maintained their gardens can spark new ideas and inspire you to think outside the box in your own garden. This burstiness, or sudden increase in creative output, is a common phenomenon in many fields, including gardening.

Human-like Approach to Garden Tours

A human-like approach to garden tours involves using intuition and personal experience, rather than strictly following a set itinerary or schedule. This approach allows for more flexibility and personalization in your garden tour experience.

Showcasing Sustainable Success Stories

Garden tours can showcase sustainable success stories in several ways:

1. Highlighting Sustainable Practices: Tours can highlight gardens that use sustainable practices, such as composting, rainwater harvesting, and organic pest control.
2. Educating Visitors: Garden owners can share their experiences and knowledge about sustainable gardening with visitors.
3. Inspiring Change: Seeing the benefits of sustainable gardening firsthand can inspire visitors to adopt similar practices in their own gardens.

Remember, the goal of a garden tour is not just to admire the beauty of the gardens, but also to learn, get inspired, and foster a sense of community among garden enthusiasts. So, why not join a garden tour near you and discover the sustainable success stories in your local community?

🌱🐞 Managing Garden Pests the Eco-Friendly Way 🐞🌱

 

Hello, fellow small garden owners! Today, we're diving into a topic that's essential for maintaining a thriving garden while staying true to our commitment to sustainability – managing garden pests the eco-friendly way. As an expert in sustainable gardening, I'm excited to share some planet-friendly strategies to keep your garden pest-free without harming the environment. Let's get started! 🌼🌿

The Importance of Eco-Friendly Pest Management

Effective pest control is crucial for a bountiful harvest and a flourishing garden. However, it's equally important to avoid harmful chemicals that can harm beneficial insects, pollinators, and even our health. Here's how to strike the right balance:

1. Identify the Culprits

Before taking action, identify the specific pests plaguing your garden. Different pests require different approaches, and knowing your adversary is the first step in eco-friendly pest management.

2. Encourage Beneficial Insects

Nature provides a built-in pest control system. Attract beneficial insects like ladybugs, lacewings, and parasitic wasps by planting nectar-rich flowers and providing habitat options such as insect hotels.

3. Companion Planting

Certain plants can deter pests when grown alongside your vegetables and flowers. For example, marigolds can help keep aphids away from your tomatoes.

4. Neem Oil Spray

Neem oil, derived from the neem tree, is a natural insect repellent. Dilute it with water and spray it on affected plants to deter a range of pests.

5. Homemade Remedies

Create DIY pest repellents from common household ingredients like garlic, chili pepper, and soap. These natural solutions can help keep pests at bay.

6. Handpick Pests

Handpicking pests such as caterpillars and snails can be effective and environmentally benign for lesser infestations.

7. Nematodes That Are Beneficial

Introduce helpful nematodes to the soil of your garden. They eat dangerous soil pests like grubs and caterpillars.

8. Rotation of Crops

Rotate your crops every season to disrupt pest life cycles and prevent pest development in the soil.

9. Cover Crops 

In the offseason, plant cover crops to boost soil health and reduce pest burden.

10. As a last resort, consider organic sprays.

If all else fails, consider using organic sprays like diatomaceous earth or insecticidal soap as a final resort.

Keep in mind that the goal is not to eliminate all pests, but to maintain a balance that allows your garden to thrive naturally. Eco-friendly pest management practices promote a healthy garden, protect beneficial insects, and protect the environment.

Let us grow responsibly and sustainably, delivering a harmonious environment for both plants and animals. Stay tuned for more sustainable gardening advice! 🌎🌱

Dāznieka kalendārs - Jūnijs

darbs ar augiem: Sauss un karsts.: Jautri. Tirgotāja, ko paņēmu, aizdzērās. Kamēr tirgoju pats, siltumnīcās viss burtiski deg ārā. Esmu pazaudējis daudz iekaramos podus, kas j...