June Yard and Garden Tips From Clemson Extension

The Clemson University Cooperative Extension Service has released its June yard and garden calendar with timely guidance for Laurens County homeowners. Tips cover flowers, fruit trees, lawns, trees, and vegetable gardens, and are drawn from Extension resources available at www.clemson.edu/laurens.

Flowers and Fruit Trees

Japanese beetles are a serious threat to ornamental plantings this month and can defoliate plants quickly. Treat infestations with carbaryl (Sevin or similar) in liquid spray form, applied after 5:00 p.m. to protect pollinators. Fruit tree growers should inspect for fireblight, prune infected branches 12 inches below the damaged area, and continue applying a fungicide such as Captan every seven to ten days. Hold off on insecticides until fewer than 10 percent of blooms remain, then malathion may be added to the program.

Lawns

Warm season lawns face several threats in June, including brown patch, dollar spot, chinch bugs, mole crickets, and spittlebugs. Bermuda lawns should receive a nitrogen application this month, and a slow-release fertilizer on St. Augustine grass can help reduce chinch bug pressure. Apply fire ant bait when ground temperatures are between 70 and 95 degrees Fahrenheit. A second pre-emergent herbicide application this month will help control crabgrass and goosegrass. Aeration is recommended for any actively growing warm season lawn, and irrigation should deliver about one inch of water per week, including rainfall.

Trees

Bagworms are the primary tree concern this month, particularly on juniper, arborvitae, and pine, though they will also attack broadleaf trees and shrubs. Hand-picking handles light infestations; Bacillus thuringiensis is effective for heavier ones. Trees with adequate moisture can receive a second light fertilizer application in June. Most trees and shrubs can be pruned now, though azalea, dogwood, forsythia, redbud, and rhododendron should wait until July or August, after they bloom.

Vegetables

Gardeners should watch for corn earworm, cucumber beetle, and squash vine borer. Tomatoes forming with blossom end rot likely have a calcium deficiency; placing gypsum beside the plant at planting time helps prevent it, and foliar sprays are available. Affected fruit should be removed. June planting windows include cantaloupe and okra (June 15 to 30), pumpkins (through June 15), southern peas and melons (through June 30), and sweet potatoes (through June 10).

All referenced publications are available at www.clemson.edu/hgic. For local resources, visit www.clemson.edu/laurens.