Strawsparagus

Leafy June is finally here. June brings us the full Strawberry Moon on the 15th and the summer solstice, the first day of summer, on the 21st. The arrival of the summer solstice always makes me melancholy, at least for a while. The realization that the sun has reached its zenith and is beginning to retreat towards winter depresses me. Just when the season has started it’s over? But then my practical side shuts out my theoretical side and reminds me that it is the first day of summer. We still have at least three months of warm weather ahead of us. That brings a smile to my mind and my outlook turns sunny.

June also brings two of my favorite fresh foods, strawberries and asparagus. I no longer grow them primarily because of my limited space, although I am tempted. Strawberry plantings, properly cared for, can last for years. Asparagus takes a few years to be established before you can enjoy the harvest but, once established, it can produce for 25 years or more. Now there’s a retirement program to rival your 401k. No amount of tinkering and manipulation by the Wall-Streeters can affect it.
June also brings the Pickaway County Fair, one of the first in the state. When you visit the fair notice the plantings around the grange building that our local master gardeners, along with a group of young volunteers, have been working on for the past couple years. Demonstration gardens such as these not only serve to beautify the area but to educate the public about the variety of plants and how they perform in the landscape.

Things are especially green and leafy after all the spring rain we had and are still having. Parts of my yard have been under water several times this spring. There is so much water that a short drought almost sounds good. Plants do best when they have a consistent amount of water totaling one to one and a half inches per week. Too much water is just as bad as too little. Our clay soils hold water for a long time giving it up slowly which is good. Once it dries out it becomes rock hard which is bad. As it continues to dry out in our (usually) droughty summers we can even see large cracks in the ground. What to do?

Add organic matter. By regularly adding organic matter, whether by digging it in or spreading it out as mulch, you can greatly improve your garden soil and for that matter your lawn. We seldom think of our lawn as a garden but it is. It just grows one crop, grass, a monoculture. At least that’s the goal of most homeowners. My lawn on the other hand grows a few more varieties, a multiculture, some I tolerate and some I don’t. Of course you wouldn’t mulch your lawn in the usual sense unless you have a mulching mower and mow frequently. For the lawn, leaving grass clippings (not clumps) to break down, core aeration, finely chopping up leaves and twigs with your mower, all add organic matter to the soil.

Garden soil benefits from all the organic matter you can add and there is no better source than compost. The garden can benefit from this addition every year as organic matter is used by the plants and oxidizes and needs to be replenished. Compost also adds nutrients to the soil. This organic matter also helps sandy soil retain water and clay soils to drain. This is really important for you tomato growers.

Have you reached for a nice red tomato only to find the bottom blossom end black and rotten? If so your plants probably have blossom end rot. Clever and creative name isn’t it? This condition often happens early in the season. It is caused by a lack of calcium and that is often caused by inconsistent sources of water, either too much or too little but especially by dry conditions. Tomatoes should never be allowed to wilt. Because the blossom end is the farthest from the source of water it is the first to be affected. It is not caused by an organism but once affected the area is susceptible to organisms causing it to rot. Good soil and consistent watering practices can prevent blossom end rot. Tomatoes can grow in a variety of soils but require good drainage and good aeration. The soil should be loose. A slightly acidic soil is best, a PH of 6.0-7.0. It may seem strange but peppers and eggplant are also susceptible to the same condition. In peppers the affected area will appear brown. All three plants are in the same (solanaceous) family which is the nightshades.

June 11 and 12 The Circle of Caring will have their annual Garden Gala. Tickets are available at Goodwin’s, Rhoads Farm Market, Royal Gardens and Engel’s near Ashville or at any of the gardens to be toured, $8 before or $10 at the garden gate.. Not only do you have an opportunity to see some outstanding gardens but you support a worthwhile charity that, among other things, builds ramps for people with disabilities.

Things to do in the garden:
First, if you haven’t started a garden it is not too late. You will best set out plants rather than seeds. Read the seed package to determine how many days the variety takes to maturity. If there is enough time then go ahead and plant the seeds. When choosing plants, choose strong vigorous green ones. Avoid the yellowish leggy specimens. Plants of tomato, peppers, eggplant are the best bet for early June planting.

Some plants that can be planted from seed in early June are: green beans (successive plantings to mid-June can extend the harvest), beets, carrots, swiss chard, corn (depending on the variety), cucumber, lettuce, lima beans, musk melon, winter and summer squash.

Some varieties can be planted later in the summer for a fall garden but more about that in a later column. Mulch vegetables in mid-month after the soil has warmed up, at the same time you can fertilize all vegetables, corn two times, this month.
Weed and thin planted crops. Water deeply (not a little each day) one inch per week all summer. It is best to apply the water to the base of the plants rather than on the foliage. If you must use a sprinkler water very early in the day so the foliage can dry before night fall. Wet foliage overnight can encourage fungal diseases to develop.

Remove seed heads from perennials. Don’t allow fancy hybrids to ripen and self-sow as their offspring will not come true. Dead head flowers for more blooms. Iris can be divided and replanted after blooming.

If your daffodils didn’t bloom well it could be because they are now growing in the shade of trees or shrubs which were small when the bulbs were planted. Or perhaps the daffodils are too crowded. Once the foliage turns yellow you can dig up the bulbs and divide and/or move them.

Fruit trees often shed small fruits in early summer called June Drop. Thin apples to one per cluster and one fruit every four to eight inches. This will cause bigger fruit. Pick up all fallen fruit whether caused by nature or man. Only compost fallen fruit if you have a “hot” heap. Otherwise dispose of the diseased fruit in the trash.
Mow the lawn to about 3 inches, this promotes a healthier plant and shades out weeds and conserves water. The gardening season is well under way and we can be overwhelmed with all there is to do. Take the time to enjoy this leafy month. Gardening is a process to be enjoyed. Enjoy!