June

Top Tips:
Watering is a pretty simple concept; ensure the garden has enough moisture to grow to its full potential. There are however a couple of things you need to think about. Water before plants start to wilt, by the time the plants show signs of dehydration their growth has slowed and the plants may even be damaged. Try to ensure the garden has a continuous water supply throughout dry periods. Pay particular attention to greenhouses, baskets, tubs and pots. When watering, ensure the moisture gets deep into the soil not just onto the surface. Avoid watering when its hot, you'll reduce on evaporation in the air and on the warm soil. If watering by hand you can add an appropriate liquid fertilizer to the water to feed the plants at the same time.

Lawns:
If you've worked on your lawn over the previous year June is when you'll start to reap the real benefits. Don't let the grass dry out and continue to rake vigorously after cutting if troubled by moss.
Mow frequently but not too short, the shorter you cut the grass the more you'll encourage growth, the more you'll need to feed the soil.

Flowers and shrubs:
You'll find a wide range of bedding plants to supplement your existing stock at the garden centre. Remember that many flowering plants will flower much longer if deadheaded.

Fruit & Vegetables:
Keep sowing your lettuce and radish at regular intervals, you still have months of warmer weather to reap the rewards

Think about some autumn carrots, avoid stony or recently manured soil.
Start to plant your autumn/winter brassicas (sprouts, sprouting broccoli, cauliflower and cabbage).
As a general rule thin fruit on apple and pear trees to two or three fruits a cluster, larger varieties can be cut to two or even one fruit per cluster, you'll get a better quality crop.

Greenhouse:
Ensure the temperature ranges doesn't go much outside 16oC to 26oC. Use water and ventilation and shading as much as necessary to ensure optimum growing conditions.