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June in the Garden

 By David Maher

After the frost has cleared on a winter’s morning, it may be an enticing time to undertake a range of gardening tasks.  Frosty mornings are usually followed by crisp, sunny days which provide ideal gardening conditions, especially for maintenance tasks. These include the relocation of deciduous shrubs and perennial plants, which may not be in the positions most conducive to optimal outcomes.

A THERAPEUTIC EXPERIENCE

In the event that your garden boasts a Daphne odora, ensure that time is taken to enjoy its colour and its unique winter fragrance because, even in winter, the therapeutic benefits of gardens should not be overlooked. Moreover, there are few flowers that exude fragrance better than a Daphne’s and especially in winter.

DAPHNE'S can be frustrating and temperamental plants to grow. Experience has taught me that in warm to hot climatic zones, it is best to grow them in containers filled with an Azalea and Camellia mix and to position in an easterly or north easterly site where it receives light shade with protection from strong sun and wind. (The colour is just starting to show in the buds on my Daphne.)

Some varieties of Viburnum also carry an appealing fragrance.

FERTILIZING

Spring-flowering Annuals, Bulbs and Corms:  These will be at different stages of development depending on your climatic zone. As most annuals will either be in bud or close to it, apply a soluble fertilizer such as Aquasol or Searle’s Flourish or Yates’ Thrive Flower and Fruit Soluble Plant Food which have high potassium content. Any one of these will encourage strong, healthy flowering buds.

Broccoli, Brussels Sprouts, Cabbages, Lettuce and Spinach:  Soluble foliar feeding using a product high in nitrogen such as Thrive Soluble Plant Food will hasten maturity and increase the size and the productivity of these winter vegetables.  I also apply a few grains of Urea to hasten leaf development. The quicker they grow, the better the product and the better the flavour.

Cymbidium Orchids:  Apply a high potassium product such as Campbell’s Yellow or Phostrogen or Searle’s Orchid Booster or Neutrog’s Strike Back for Orchids every two to three weeks to advance and strengthen the emerging and growing spikes.  Do ensure that the potting mix is moist before the fertilizer is applied and, wherever possible, fertilize after rain.

Cyclamens:  Apply a foliar spray of a soluble fertilizer, e.g. Searle’s Flourish, about every fortnight to encourage strong flowering stems and buds.

SPRAYING

Azaleas:  In warmer districts, spraying every two to three weeks with Bayleton, a systemic fungicide, should have commenced to minimize petal blight damage to flower buds.  This is a fungal condition that blemishes the flowers, causing them to lose their colour.  It commences as a white marking and gradually spreads across the flower. Spraying should commence when the flower buds have swollen and just before the colour is visible.  As always, avoid spraying during sunlight so that the plant absorbs the maximum amount of spray.

Deciduous Shrubs: When the leaves have fallen, spray the shrub and the soil surface with Yates’ copper-based Fungus Fighter to provide protection from fungal conditions and from borers. Ornamental grape vines and older-type crepe myrtles are plants that need this spray to prevent fungal conditions.

Camellias, hoyas, citrus trees and holly ferns should be checked for scale. If present, spray with Pest Oil or White Oil. In the case of citrus trees, two or three sprays of Pest Oil during June and July will minimize the occurrence of the pestiferous bronze orange bug during summer. During winter the bug is in the nymph stage and the oil is readily absorbed by its soft tissue. Delaying the spraying makes it more difficult to kill the bug has a hard casing.

Cymbidium Orchids can attract ants and small eating mites that blemish flowering spikes easily. My practice is to spray the flowering spikes with a preventative spray of Confidor or Rogor.

Apricot trees can now be sprayed with Yates’ Fungus Fighter to minimize any prospect of scale, mites and fungal conditions.

MAINTENANCE

Bearded Irises and Day Lilies benefit from a winter application of dolomite because it contains calcium and magnesium. Use it sparingly because it has a pH of about 9.5 and should not be applied near any acid loving plants.

Berries can be pruned in April through to July. I shall prune my Youngberry vine in early June. The new growth can be pruned back by one-third and the old canes should be removed completely. The older canes need to be removed to allow for plenty of new growth. Fruit comes mainly from the current season’s growth, that is, the new growth.

Borers: Winter is the best time to search for borers in deciduous trees because they are bare of leaves. (See December/January calendar for the treatment of borers.)

Bouvardias flower on new wood and need to be cut back to ground level.

Cinerarias usually attract leaf miner, hence be watchful for silvery lines in the foliage and, if present, spray with a systemic insecticide such as Rogor or Confidor. Discard badly affected leaves.

Camellia Sasanquas:  Some minor trimming, shaping and cutting out of any dead wood may be justified after flowering has concluded. Sasanquas need only be pruned when they have outgrown their spaces, or when new growth needs to be encouraged, or when it is proposed to shape into a hedge or a small tree. If espaliered, my preference is to retain any lateral growth at the base of the plant because it will assist to hide the background material.

Citrus: Gall wasp, which manifests itself as a lump or swelling on stems, is an intermittent problem in some areas. Cut out any infected wood and burn, if possible, or place in a plastic bag and discard appropriately.

Clematis: Prune back to pairs of healthy growth buds which should be visible at the nodes of each stem. This would be approximately 20 to 30 cms above ground level.  Next fertilize with blood and bone and potash and then cover the pruned plant with a layer of old cow or horse manure. 

Cyclamens:   Indoor cyclamens such as Cyclamen respond to the chill of the June night air and should not be left indoors overnight.  Placement needs, however, to be in a frost-free area.

Cymbidium orchids need protection from snails and slugs which have a special fondness for their juicy flowering spikes.

Day Lilies:  Remove all withered and dead foliage and cut back all green leaves to 10cms above ground level.  This encourages fresh new growth that will benefit from the maximum supply of nutrients.

Deciduous Shrubs and Roses:  This is an appropriate time to relocate deciduous shrubs and roses which may have been planted in inappropriate locations. Progressively, spade around the nominated shrubs while they are dormant and, then about four to six weeks later, relocate to their new environments.  Do not forget to water in well.

After their leaves have been discarded, deciduous trees should be sprayed with a copper spray such as Yates’ Fungus Fighter or Lime Sulphur in order to remove scale insects and to clean up fungal diseases.

It is also an appropriate time to strike hardwood cuttings of deciduous shrubs such as cotinus (smoke bush), deutzia and philadelphus.

Suckers which have grown below the graft on roses should be removed by hand. If cut off, they generally re-shoot.

Frost sensitive plants such as bougainvilleas and stephanotis can be safeguarded with sprays of Stressguard every 3 to 4 weeks. Covering the plants provides an added precaution.

Hellebores should have withered and dead leaves removed so that the new leaves and the flowering shoots have the maximum opportunity to be displayed.

House Maintenance includes the clearance of gutters of autumn leaves and other airborne debris.

House Plants: These should be watered sparingly in winter, especially in rooms where the temperature drops below 15 to 20 degrees Celsius.

Hydrangea canes that have flowered in the previous year should be pruned back to a pair of plump buds ideally about 4 to 5 buds below the top of the plant.  Small buds will only produce leaves. Do not prune back to ground level otherwise flowering will be minimal. If you have a preference for blue flowers, apply blueing powder every 2 to 3 weeks after pruning according to the directions on the package.

Lawns:  Moss can occur in shaded, poorly drained and compacted soil areas.  Proprietary brands of moss killers may be used to kill the offending moss but long-term elimination depends upon the improvement of drainage. Rubble drains, agricultural pipes and perforated plastic pipes are materials which can be used to provide permanent drainage.

Vegetable Gardens: Beds, which are to accommodate spring and summer vegetables, should be treated to a generous helping of animal manure.  This will improve the soil structure, which in turn will enable easier soil penetration by the plants’ roots in the growing period; it will also  contribute to improved moisture retention and hence to an attractive environment for earthworms.

Rhubarb crowns can be divided and asparagus crowns planted.

Roses and Fruit Trees: The base of planting holes for new plantings can be manured or composted in readiness for plantings from mid-July onwards. If these two products are not available, use either dynamic lifter pellets or organic life in the base of the planting holes. I mix some gypsum and zeolite powder into whatever planting product is used.

Existing rose bushes and fruit trees should be mulched heavily with sheep or cow or horse manure.

PLANTING

Select and order bare-rooted fruit trees and deciduous trees that blossom, such as prunuses, provided your local nurseries have not closed off their orders. Planting in the dormant period when the trees are bare rooted enables wounded roots to be trimmed and the retained roots to be spread most evenly. (My favourite prunus is Prunus ‘blireana’ which has rose pink, semi-double flowers. It flowers early, does not grow too big and it has splendidly coloured leaves.) If you garden in a high altitude climatic zone, and you intend to plant a lilac, add dolomite or lime to the soil now.

Berry fruiting canes can now be planted.

Lettuce:  Winter is an appropriate time to plant small growing varieties such as mignonette which is particularly suited to small families and to those who have small spaces in retirement villages and in units. I also plant English spinach at this time of the year.

Lilacs should be planted into soil which has been well-limed.

Onions and Carrots can be planted in cool to warm temperate areas but planting is best delayed until July/August in cold areas. Beds which were used during summer for beans are appropriate sites. Do not manure the beds as an over fertilized bed can cause carrots to form multiple, distorted roots.

Perennials:  Day lilies, hippeastrums and gladioli can be planted this month in most areas.  In warmer areas, agapanthuses, gerberas and polyanthuses can also be planted. In cold areas, such as Glen Innes, peony roses can be planted.

Rhubarb and raspberries can be planted in a rich organic soil and in positions that attract generous morning sun to mid-afternoon sun.

Tulips and Hyacinths:  In my climatic zone at an altitude of 450 metres approximately, this is planting time.  Flowering will occur in August or early September and the flowers will usually be spared the rising temperatures. In general, I only recommend these bulbs for cold climatic zones.

PRUNING

Bougainvilleas: Tip prune after completion of flowering but defer major prune until July.

In warm climatic zones, the pruning of roses and peach and nectarine trees can be undertaken.  In milder areas, however, pruning should not occur before July and, in cold climatic zones, August/September are appropriate months. If in doubt, consult a local, experienced gardener.  As a general rule, it is better to prune roses, peaches and nectarine trees later rather than earlier.

Berry fruit plants should be pruned immediately after the fruit has been harvested.  If this task was overlooked, then remove the old, dark-coloured branches to ground level and prune back the previous season’s growth by about one-third. The young canes can be retained fully in the case of blackcurrants and youngberries.

Plumbago and Tibouchina: Prune out spent flower heads. 

Prune out old canes from multiple-stemmed shrubs such as Abelia and Buddleia.

THE SELECTION AND THE POSITIONING OF MAINLY PERENNIAL PLANTS

Plants have optimum preferences for positioning and for climatic zones. Experimentation with selection is desirable but commonsense, sound horticultural judgement and the advice of experienced gardeners about position, soil type and temperature sensitivity should always dictate the final choices.

Some Important Considerations Influencing Selection:

• The pH of your soil is a critical factor in the selection of plants, e.g. azaleas, camellias, gordonias, daphnes and blueberries require an acidic soil in the pH range of 5 to 6.5, whereas bearded irises and day lilies are very tolerant of alkaline soils.
• Temperature and dew and frost sensitivity should always be critical factors in guiding selection, e.g. in the case of azaleas, camellias, stephanotises, bougainvilleas and cinerarias.
• Most plants require good drainage, e.g. natives grow best on a sloping embankment.
• On the North West Slopes and Plains, most plants appreciate mid to full afternoon shade in summer.
• At cooler altitudes, most plants which perform well with afternoon shade will also grow in full sun.
• Some plants that grow and flower well in full sun perform even better if shaded p.m.
• The selection of plants should always be influenced by sun, height, foliage and colour requirements.

PLANT PROFILE

Camellia Japonica ‘Magnoliaeflora’ was for many years named 'Hagoromo’. I can recommend it most confidently.  A delicate pink colour, its single flowers first appear in my garden during the first week of July and, depending on the weather, have still been flowering in early September. It is a compact bush which tolerates sun much better than most pinks. My plant is shaded until about 3 p.m. in summer and then it receives western sun.

‘Magnoliaeflora’ is a very ancient camellia, being first recorded as far back as 1695.

Camellia Sasanquas ‘Weroona’, a very old plant bred by Professor Waterhouse, is a pink, single, compact plant with prominent stamens. As the five (usually) fluted and reflexed petals point upwards at the ends, the fully-formed flower is an attractive cup shape.

Chrysocephalum apiculatum ‘Desert Flame’ with its grey leaves bears yellow to gold small button head flowers in profusion. These form a splendid contrast with the grey foliage. Heemskerk’s Nursery has the plants in stock. I have planted my plant adjacent to a purple flowering Scutellaria which should enhance the colour contrasts. The small size and the colour of the foliage suggest that the plant should be very suitable for the whole of the North West Slopes and Plains. I am uncertain, however, of its acceptance of black soil. (Image attached for e-mail subscribers.)

Until next month may all your bugs be good bugs.

Happy gardening!