June Gardening To-Do List: San Diego Edition

Ahh, June. Kids are starting their summer break, vacation plans are in motion, and foggy mornings and sunny afternoons are the norm. Sure, there are overcast days, so this time of year is affectionally called "June Gloom.” However, the cool morning and afternoon warming patterns are ideal for gardening in San Diego, bringing us to our June gardening tips.

Keep planting edibles in your garden. Edible plants started from seed today will be ready to harvest in late summer or early fall.  The following are excellent edibles to plant now:

• Tomatoes
• Eggplants
• Peppers
• Cucumbers
• Squash
• Melons
  

• Pro JUNE GARDENING TIP: Warm-season and tropical veggies shoot as the temperatures rise!
• Fall is right around the corner, so it's the perfect time to plant a giant pumpkin!

• Mulch: June is typically the driest month. If you are growing vegetables, add a thick layer (2 to 3 inches) of straw mulch. Do not use hay. Applying a 3 to 4-inch layer of mulch around the roots of your plants will help retain moisture. Applying a layer of mulch is also an excellent way to keep weeds at bay! If weeds are starting to take over your landscape, you can read about how to eliminate weeds sustainably.
• Do you have fruit trees in your yard? Inspect apple, peach, orange, and other fruit trees for pests and diseases.
• Shrubs are easy to care for this time of year. You can clean out spent leaves and dead flowers. Be sure to mulch shrubs and water them deeply once every few weeks.
• Big trees can provide excellent shade cover in the summer. Keep them healthy by deep watering once a month in summer.
• We love California native plants. After all, they adapt perfectly to dry summer conditions. That means you do not have to give native plants any extra water.
• Are you growing herbs? If you’re a fan of cilantro and basil, you can start a new crop from seed.
• If you're thinking about planting a lawn, plant warm season grasses, such as Hybrid Bermuda or Paspalum.
• Bring color to your landscape by planting summer annuals such as marigolds, cosmos, salvia, or petunias.
• Saving water is a must. Westturf is proud of our reputation as a “green” landscaper, so we recommend sweeping driveways and walkways instead of hosing them down.
• Fertilizer: To promote growth, apply nitrogen fertilizer to warm-season crops. However, you should cut back on fertilizing your roses during hot temperatures.
• Common problems to look for: Look for spider mites, lace bugs, gray leaf spots, and blossom end rot.

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From HOA landscaping to irrigation work and weed clearing, no one does it better than Westturf Landscape Management. We provide a full range of landscape management services. Call us 760-650-3120 or send us a message.