June marks the beginning of Winter, which means everything you plant is ready for spring. Plan diligently! Refeed your garden soil with some compost and fertiliser so that your heavy feeders are nutrient-rich. Here are 3 tasks you should complete in June:
Plant asparagus
Winter is the perfect time to plant asparagus crowns, available now from garden centres or online suppliers. Asparagus is a long-term investment and is best planted in a bed of its own where it can spread — give it a sunny spot and a well-prepped soil, and it’ll reward you with harvests for 20 years!
Dig a trench about 40cm wide and 40cm deep and backfill it halfway with a rich mix of soil and compost. Mound it slightly, then sit your crowns on top, spacing them 45cm apart and spreading out the roots. Cover with a little compost, sprinkle on some organic fertiliser, water well, and gradually fill the trench as the plants grow. Once the trench is filled, cover the soil with a 10cm layer of sugar cane mulch.
Put in deciduous plants
It’s also the ideal time to plant deciduous trees, fruit trees, roses, vines, and shrubs. Winter is when they are available bare-rooted, which makes them cheaper and less prone to transplant shock.
- Prep your planting site in advance with compost or manure and add gypsum if your soil is heavy clay.
- Once home, soak the roots in diluted seaweed solution for half an hour or so to hydrate them.
- Trim damaged roots, then plant at the original soil level, spreading the roots over a mound of soil.
- Backfill, water in well, and cover the soil surface with sugarcane mulch.
Clean up gingers, cannas and heliconias
Gingers, cannas, and heliconias can start looking a bit tired at this time of year, so it’s a great time to give them a tidy-up.
Follow any spent stems down and snip them off at ground level. If the whole plant’s looking shabby, feel free to cut it right back.
Cover the clumps with sugar cane mulch for protection, and pop in a stake to mark the spot. They’ll re-sprout in spring — or even as early as July in the tropics.
