June

Greater Brisbane region

With cold temperatures and short days, growth in the garden is particularly slow this month and there isn't a lot to do as far as seed sowing and pruning is concerned. Take advantage of this down time to get those repair jobs, maintenance and hard landscaping projects done. While there's plenty of cold weather ahead, the winter solstice means that by the end of the month, days are already starting to get longer. This is a reminder that spring isn't really that far away, so get cracking!

Physical labour is also a lot more pleasant in this weather than the summer months. Think about:

preparation of new garden beds or soil improvement
repot patio plants, if necessary (Container gardening)
transplant established shrubs (also a good time because the plants are relatively dormant at this time) For more about transplanting see Advanced Plants
consult an arborist about questionable trees, have dangerous ones removed or pruned
maintenance of lawnmower and other Garden Tools
compare features and make an informed choice for new purchases like lawnmowers, shredders, compost bins etc.
installation, repair or cleaning of paving, retaining walls, water features, gazebos etc, or hire a landscaper to do it

On the other hand, if it really is too cold and dark to get out there, cosy up indoors and work on some new designs, browse garden catalogues and research any new plants you may be interested in or do some shopping for springtime supplies. The internet means there's a whole world of gardening information and inspiration available in an instant, and most it free!

One group of plants that are quite active now are, unforunately, the cool season weeds. As with all weeds, prompt removal (whether by hand weeding or spraying) will prevent multiplication and bigger problems in subsequent years.

Don't forget that weeds are also discouraged by good gardening practices - minimise exposed soil with mulches or cover crops and encourage strong growth of garden plants or lawn grass to outcompete weeds.

Untidy flowering perennials that have finished can be cut back, but hold off pruning summer-flowering shrubs and tropical foliage plants until closer to spring, especially if you're in a frosty area. Just trim off any dead flowers and stray branches to keep them looking tidy.

Spring-flowering shrubs should definitely not be pruned now - you'll be cutting off those developing flower buds. See also Shrubs

It's the season for planting bare-rooted rose bushes. Hopefully you've obtained yours from a quality grower who has not dug them too early. If you haven't ordered them in advance and are relying on supplies in garden centres now, you'll have to make your purchases asap to get the best pick. See also Roses.

The Vegetable Garden

Many veggies are happy growing in the cool conditions of the SEQ winter, but if you didn't get plants started off in autumn, you might find that seed germination will be poor in the coldest months. If you have spaces left to fill, try starting seed off in pots and trays in a warmer pot such as a patio or indoors, (provided they aren't starved of light after emergence), or save time with some seedlings from the garden centre. The exception is those that are normally sown direct, like beans and peas.

In June, try sowing broad beans peas, lettuce, English spinach, silverbeet and beetroot, carrots, onions and garlic, cabbages, broccoli, kohlrabi and turnip. In frost free areas, also regular beans, tomatoes, capsicums, eggplants, zucchini, squash, cucumber.

If growing unusual vegetables, consult the seed packet.

Meanwhile, vegetables sown in autumn should be coming along. Keep up the water if there is no rain (winter is traditionally out dry time) and apply regular supplemental feeding with liquid fertilsers.

Strawberries will be starting to fruit. Mulch around the plants with a loose dry mulch like sugar cane to keep fruit clean and dry off the ground. Chiken wire or vegetable garden nets might also be necessary to keep the local wildlife from getting to your fruit before you do.

See also: Vegetables, Seed raising,

Fruit Trees

Sorry, I haven't prepared any monthly notes for fruit trees yet. In the meantime, you can try the main page dealing with this subject and check the links for the type of fruit tree you're interested in, here: Fruit Trees

The Flower Garden

Why not bring some cheerfulness into the garden with flowers? We're lucky to be able to grow many spectacular tropical flowering trees, shrubs and vines as well as the more traditional English-style perennials and bedding plants.

The cultivation of annual flowers, or even herbaceous perennials, is not as popular as it once was, but with plenty of water about at the moment, why not give it a go? If you don't have much space in the garden, you can still create eye-catching displays in pots and planters and brighten up balconies, patios, and paved areas.

While it's too late to plant most spring annuals from seed, in frost-free areas you can can still sow some for later flowering. A few varieties that are readily available in seed packets to try now include alyssum, cleome, nasturtium, pansy and viola, petunia, salvia, snapdragon.

Perennial seed can be started just about any time if you can care for them, especially keeping them away from frost at this time of year, but germination will be slow in this cold weather. .

If you sow into smaller pots or seed trays you can get them started in a warmer place indoors, as long as you check them regularly and bring them out into the light at the very first sign of emergence (or before) and harden them off to the sun gradually.

An alternative is to buy seedlings from the garden centre, which will save you effort plus several weeks growing time. More advanced plants already in flower are more expensive but the way to go for colour immediately prior to a special occasion like a party or garden wedding.

Garden shows, open gardens

See what's in the Events Diary for June.

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NB: These notes are under development. At present, the following applies to the greater Brisbane region only. It's hoped to develop these notes further in future updates, adding more details and eventually, more regions.

Naturally, this is a general guide only and will vary depending on local conditions, weather, plant variety etc.

Ongoing water availability is also a big concern these days, so take this into consideration too, especially if planning new gardens.

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