June’s Gardening To-Do List (By Region)

If you are new to gardening or a particular region, it can become quite tricky to know exactly what you should be doing in the garden in June to prepare it for the summer months in your part of the United States. Regardless of where in the US you live, however, after reading the rest of this blog you should have a much better idea of what needs to be done. 

Things that need to be done in all regions 

Weeds. Regardless of where in the US you live, weeds are never good for your garden - especially not at the start of the summer. They steal nutrients, smother other plants, and use up water that was meant for crops.  

That’s why June is a good time to get rid of weed wherever they pop up in the garden. The smaller they are the better. Don’t wait until they’re fully grown - then it will be a huge effort to get them out.  

Fertilize. June is also the time to make sure your garden is well fertilized and ready for the main growing season. This is particularly true in the case of plants that seem to be struggling. Make sure, however, that you add the correct type of fertilizer for that particular type of plant. Some plants prefer slow-release fertilizers while others prosper on the quick-release versions. 

Mulching your garden in June is a great way to keep pests at bay, weeds in check, the soil cool, and your plants disease-free. Make sure you add the mulch around the base of all trees, shrubs, and other types of plants.  

Diseases and pests. June is the perfect time to check your plants for diseases and pests. Particularly keep your eyes open for signs of asparagus beetles, aphids, tomato hornworms, cutworms, cabbage worms, snails, scale, leaf spot, slugs, rust, four-lined plant bugs, Japanese beetles, bagworms, and mildew.  

Pruning. The start of the summer is also a good time to prune wisteria but it’s best to wait until they’re no longer blooming. The same is true for shrubs that are blooming on old wood. 

Covering edibles. Unless you want the birds to devour berries or other types of fruit before they even get a chance to ripen, cover them with netting or row covers.  

The Northwest

In this region, June is perfect to continue weeding your garden. This is the time when seedlings are often still small and it’s important to weed so you can prevent overcrowding. Gardeners who have planted annual crops might find June a great time to start or continue harvesting. Both snap peas and lettuce grow well in the cooler temperatures one gets early in the season. As the days start to get warmer, the time also arrives to start with direct sewing or to transplant tender vegetables. 

In the North West, June is also the time to check all your plants for diseases, to ensure the compost is damp, and to turn it if necessary. This is also a good time to spray fruit trees to keep the pests that flourish during the summer months away. 

The Northeast

June is when gardeners in this region should guard against Japanese beetles. It’s also a good time for sowing frost-tender vegetables and to transplant any remaining peppers and tomatoes. Before the really hot weather arrives, harvest the last cool-season veggies such as lettuce because hot weather can cause them to become bitter and to ‘bolt’. 

To stop your spring bulbs from spending unnecessary energy on seed production, deadhead and fertilize them when they’ve finished blooming. Before trimming off the leaves though, wait until they have turned yellow. 

The Southeast

In June you should start closely monitoring the garden for fungal diseases linked to the high humidity levels. Also, keep checking your vegetables for insect-related issues caused by e.g. Japanese beetles. This is also the time to finish securing and staking tomatoes and other vegetables and to harvest white potatoes. June is also when you should start planting palms and lima beans, rosemary, okra, and basil.  

The Midwest

June is a good time to make sure your perennials are well fertilized and to proceed with your next planting of carrots, beets, and beans. If you want to have a fall harvest, start your cole crops now. Also, don’t forget to hill the potatoes so they remain covered.  

This is also an excellent time to plant cucumbers, gourds, squash, beans, and members of the nightshade family outside.  

The Southwest

In June the South West will often experience dry, hot days - and gardeners have to ensure that their automatic irrigation systems are functioning properly. To help to preserve moisture this is also a great time to continue mulching. This is also the time of the year when date palms should be harvested. 

The South Central

This part of the United States gets quite warm in June and gardeners will have to regularly check their crops for signs of insects and disease. Quite a few plants will need crop support and weeding, while staking tomato plants should continue. Now is also a good time to fertilize flowering perennials and shrubs. 

The Ohio Valley

In this region, gardeners should finalize the sowing of crops such as beans, corn, and squash. Tomato plants need to be staked or trellised and suckers have to be removed. Also, don’t stop weeding vegetable and flower beds. Continue with general cleanup throughout the garden. It’s also often necessary to remove spent spring-flowering bulbs around June. 

The Plains and Northern Rockies

Fairly similar to the Northwest, gardening chores in this region include continuing the harvesting of cool-season plants such as kale, spinach, lettuce, and peas. It’s also a good time of the year to continue with the maintenance of tubers and root crops. Crops like carrots, turnips, and beets must be weeded as well as thinned around mid-year. June is also the time for potatoes to be hilled and by the end of June, you should be able to start harvesting your strawberries. Apart from that, this is also the best time of the year to start checking fruit trees for diseases and pests.