The Dirt on June
By June, the garden has officially moved from “getting started” to “keeping up. ” The transplants are settling in, the beans andcorn are starting to make promises, the berries are ripening, and the weeds have apparently decided this is their year. June is not the month to set the garden on autopilot. It is the month to walk it regularly, notice small problems before they become big ones, and help plants keep producing through heat, humidity, and all the Tennessee surprises that come with early summer.
The good news is that June gardening can be very satisfying. There is finally something to pick, something to prune, something to feed, and probably something to wonder about while standing in the garden with a coffee cup in one hand and a tomato leaf in the other.
Garden Checklist for June
Walk the garden at least weekly and check for pests, disease, and plant stress.
Watch tomatoes for early blight and other foliar diseases, especially during wet weather.
Continue fruit tree cover sprays as recommended, following all label directions.
Use protective fungicides only when conditions call for them, and apply before disease becomes severe.
Fertilize and irrigate blueberries and other small fruits as needed.
Harvest beans, summer squash, blueberries, and other early crops at peak quality.
Check sweet corn maturity if early plantings are nearing harvest.
Renovate or manage strawberries after harvest if needed.
Soft tip blackberry primocanes when they grow 8 to 12 inches above the top trellis wire.
Side-dress fruiting crops when appropriate, and record fertilizer applications.
Use buckwheat or another summer cover crop after cool-season crops are removed.
Rotate crop families when replanting open garden space.
Plant or finish planting warm-season crops such as pumpkins, watermelons, sweet potatoes, and okra.
Keep irrigation working well and avoid unnecessary leaf wetness.
Plant summer annual flowers such as zinnias, marigolds, nasturtiums, or sunflowers to support pollinators.
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