June 2026 Gardening Activities
Plant Divide and replant bearded iris. Tomatoes late this month for the fall harvest. Choose and plant daylilies when in bloom. Plants such as sunflowers, zinnias, Mexican sunflowers, cosmos, basil, and dill can still be direct-seeded. You can still plant watermelons, pumpkins, and sweet potatoes. You can continue the succession planting of corn and beans
Lawn Care Fertilize Zoysia and Bermuda with a complete fertilizer. Raise the height of your mower. For best results, mow 2 inches for Bermuda grass, 1 to 2 inches for Zoysia, and 2.5 to 3 inches for Fescue.
Fertilize late-blooming azaleas after they bloom.
Prune Deadhead flowers to encourage rebloom. Pinch back chrysanthemums. Remove blackberry fruiting canes after harvest and prune new canes to encourage side branching. Complete any pruning for size and shape, all spring-flowering shrubs that have already bloomed, to give them time to set buds for next year.
Other Continue to water. Water early in the day, and it is best not to get the foliage wet. Watch for insects and fungal diseases and treat as needed. Mulch and weed as needed. The best time to harvest most herbs is just before flowering, when the leaves contain the maximum essential oils. Be on the lookout for Japanese Beetles. You can easily catch them in the early morning and flick them into a container containing soapy water, and they will quickly perish. When you see an orange daylily growing on the side of the road in bloom, it is time to check for bagworms. Pick as many as possible and kill them by stepping on them or dropping them in soapy water and keeping them submerged overnight. If you choose to spray, they are easiest to control while they are small and young. Spinosad, a newer naturally-derived insecticide, can be helpful as is liquid Sevin when applied when they are young (maybe 1/2 inch or less). The more mature they get, the more difficult they are to control with any insecticide.
Attend Experience Memphis Gardens continues through June 14. Local radio celebrity Jim Crower as well as my garden will be on the June 7th tour. Please stop by to visit. Go to experiencemphisgardens.orgfor more information.
