GardenAdvice Gardening Calendar – Second Week of June

Codling Moth Trap

June is one of the busiest and most rewarding months in the garden. Growth is rapid, roses are reaching their peak flowering period, fruit trees are setting crops, and now is the perfect time to prepare for autumn colour while managing pests and encouraging repeat flowering.

Deadhead Roses for More Flowers

Removing spent blooms from roses encourages a second flush of flowers later in the summer and helps keep plants looking tidy. Continue feeding roses every two to three weeks with a high-potash fertiliser, such as a liquid tomato feed, to promote strong flowering.

As you deadhead, keep an eye out for any signs of black spot or mildew and remove affected leaves where necessary.

Check Your Codling Moth Traps

This is the time of year when codling moth activity begins to increase around apple trees. Check pheromone traps weekly and record the number of moths caught.

Keeping a simple record helps build a picture of local moth activity and can indicate the likely risk of maggot damage in apples later in the season.

Record:

• Number of moths caught
• Date checked
• Which tree the trap is hanging in

Monitoring year after year can provide valuable information about pest levels in your garden.

Sow Vegetables for Late Summer, Autumn and Winter Harvests

There is still plenty of time to sow a wide range of vegetables directly into prepared ground or containers.

Suitable crops include:

• Beetroot
• Carrots
• Lettuce
• Radish
• Spinach
• Spring onions
• Coriander
• Dill
• Pak Choi

For autumn and winter harvests consider:

• Kale
• Winter cabbage
• Calabrese
• Brussels sprouts

Keep seedbeds consistently moist during dry weather and protect carrots from carrot root fly where necessary. For sowing and harvest timings across the season, see our fruit and vegetable growing calendar.

Plan for Autumn Crocus Displays

Although autumn crocus flowers do not appear until later in the year, now is an excellent time to plan where they will be planted.

Autumn crocus (Colchicum autumnale) provides valuable late-season colour when many summer-flowering plants are beginning to fade. They are particularly effective beneath deciduous trees, in borders and when naturalised through grass.

Ordering bulbs now ensures the best selection of varieties before planting begins later in the summer.

Feed Soft Fruit and Cane Fruit

Raspberries, blackcurrants, gooseberries and strawberries benefit from regular feeding during June.

Apply a high-potash liquid fertiliser and ensure plants receive adequate water while fruit is developing.

Where magnesium deficiency is suspected, an application of Epsom salts can help improve leaf colour and plant vigour.

Maintain Wildlife Ponds

Wildlife ponds are becoming increasingly active at this time of year.

Look out for:

• Dragonflies
• Water boatmen
• Pond skaters
• Frogs and toads

Continue planting oxygenating plants and water lilies where required and keep shallow wildlife access points clear.

As pond plants establish, they help maintain water clarity, stabilise water temperatures and create habitats for a wide range of wildlife.

Update Your Garden Notes with Elena AI

Take a few minutes each week to record observations about your garden using Elena AI.

Useful information to record includes:

• Rose flowering performance
• Codling moth trap catches
• Vegetable sowings
• Areas needing watering
• Plants you would like to add in autumn
• Wildlife sightings around ponds and borders

Regular updates allow Elena AI to build a better understanding of your garden and provide increasingly personalised recommendations throughout the year.

Weekly Garden Checklist

• ✓ Deadhead roses
• ✓ Feed roses with a high-potash fertiliser
• ✓ Check and record codling moth trap catches
• ✓ Sow late-season vegetable crops
• ✓ Order autumn crocus bulbs
• ✓ Feed soft fruit and cane fruit
• ✓ Monitor wildlife ponds
• ✓ Record garden observations in Elena AI

For GardenAdvice members using the One Day Gardening Course and MyGardenTeam service, this is also an ideal week to review your online garden notes and update your seasonal project list.