Oklahoma lawns and gardens look so good right now! However, all this beauty does come with a price, an enjoyable price I think.
Here is the price I am paying…what price do you pay?
1. Mowing and edging
2. Pruning & shearing shrubs into various shapes along with selective pruning to maintain health & over all beauty
3. Dead heading blooms
4. Fertilizing and watering on a schedule
5. Cultivating in mulch and compost
6. Cleaning and sharpening tools
7. Enjoying the porch and patio in the evenings and mornings
8. Watching the birds and bunnies
Enjoy your hard work and below is the Oklahoma Red Dirt Gardeners calendar for June.
Plant
Finish seeding of warm season grass to prevent winter over kill.
Sod with buffalo grass or burmuda at this time.
Summer Perennials like blue daze, cocks comb, copper leaf or cosmos to name a few.
COCKS COMB IS AVIALBLE IN A NUMBER OF COLORS
Summer Annuals such as begonias, caladiums, verbena, lantana and marigolds are all easy to grow.
Shrubs and trees that are of flowering types can still be planted, like crape myrtle.
Fertilize
If you have not done a soil test in the last 3 years, it is time do so again. This assures you are putting down the correct fertilizer.
Second Major Fertilization Of The Season
Warm season grass like bermuda can be fertilized for the second time this year. If you use chemicals see these articles (Oklahoma Red Dirt Gardening annual fertilization schedule), (Red Dirt Gardening application calculator)
Organic fertilizers can be applied to all areas with out worrying about burning the plants or having to change your watering pattern. Apply 20lbs to every 1000 sq. ft. Your plants can be given a boost with fish meal or corn gluten meal.
During this time of the year I spray all my plants 1 to 2 times per month with Garrett Juice.
I would not be without this product. purchase this from Amazon
Post emergent control for crabgrass and summer annual grasses will have better results when applied to young plants.
Broad leave post emergent can also be applied at this time but no later than the first week of July.
If you have pines suffering from any type of needle diseases it is time to treat them again as we close in on mid June.
Leave grass clippings on your yard to add nitrogen back into the soil and to keep the clippings out of landfills. If you do bag, this is a great source of green materials for your compost pile. Best results are achieved by having a mulching blade put on your mower. (How to Install a Mulching Blade).
Prune
Deadhead all flowers to improve the appearance and over all health of the plant. This will also trigger a new flush of blooms on most plants.
June is the prime time to prune most deciduous trees and shrubs.
Vigorous shoots from shrubs can be “selectively” pruned down at the base of the plant.
Remove any dead or damaged branches that remain in your trees or shrubs from the spring storms.
Remove any unwanted bulbs that are confused about what time of the year it is.
Water
Watering deeply will save you time and money because you will be able to water less frequently. Oklahoma’s hot summer weather coupled by the high winds we are currently experiencing may cause all of us to have to water more often.
Remember to provide water for the birds!
You can help the birds weather the Oklahoma heat by providing them a fresh water source. An important part of a bird’s daily life is to drink and bath in fresh water. This not only helps the bird to cool down but also helps to rid themselves of parasites.
I use a variety of different items in my gardens to provide the birds with fresh water. I have not only an “official bird bath” but also a small water feature which is easy to maintain, a pot plate, and even an old copper kitchen bowl which is not more than about 3 inches deep. Often I will put a rock in the container that sticks up above the water for the birds to sit on.
Since I have enough lawn work already and I did not want to add any more chores to my list I was thoughtful regarding the placement of the baths in my beds. I made sure that each bird bath was were near a water source and it was easily accessible for cleaning. The only mistake I made was putting one of the bird baths by the kitchen window. Perfect place to watch the birds, right? Well between their splashing and my refilling & cleaning of the bird bath, I have one spotted window!
You will need to check your birdbath or pond frequently to assess water levels and water cleanliness/freshness. On windier days, you may need to top off the water more often. I have found that being aware of the water level in the bird baths and how fast the water is evaporating out of them, gives me a little insight to what may be going on with the moisture levels in my lawn and gardens.
Remember to never use chemicals in the water for control of insects or algae. There are products specifically used to reduce algae, like Bird Bath Protector and you can scrub most of the algae off with a stiff brush. (One special note, moving water does not collect mosquitoes.)
“The Original” Red Dirt Gardener