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Gardening in the UK?→ June’s almanac for the British climate
ALMANAC · ITALIAN CLIMATE

The garden in June — Italy

June is the month of abundance: roses, oleanders and perennials are at their peak, the vegetable plot starts to produce and the days are the longest of the year. It's a month for maintaining rather than building.

Water becomes the main job. In the south and centre the real summer drought begins, while the north gets humid heat and thunderstorms. Watering well, deadheading to keep the flowers coming and staying one step ahead of pests: that's June.

Italy. In the centre and south rain becomes scarce until September; in the north expect sultry heat and thunderstorms, sometimes with hail. In the mountains and inland valleys, timings run 2–4 weeks later.

AT A GLANCE

Spotlight: how much water plants really need in the heat

The most common mistake is watering little and often: a daily sprinkle wets the top centimetre, evaporates within hours and trains roots to stay near the surface, where they are first to suffer in a drought. Plants in the ground do better with a thorough soaking once or twice a week – roughly a 10-litre can per square metre, or per established shrub.

Check before you water: push a finger into the soil up to the second knuckle. If it's moist there, wait. Water the base of the plant, not the leaves, and do it early in the morning or in the evening. In the south, where there is no rain from June to September, drip irrigation on a timer is the most efficient method of all.

Pots are a different story: in sun and wind they dry out in a day, so check them daily and water until it runs out of the bottom. Established Mediterranean plants in the ground – lavender, rosemary, olive, oregano, Japanese pittosporum – hardly ever need watering.

English lavenderOliveOreganoPittosporumCucumber Watering well ›

In your area

NORTH

Humid heat encourages powdery mildew, downy mildew and red spider mite. Water early in the morning and don't wet the leaves in the evening. After hailstorms, remove broken growth.

CENTRAL

Drought is on its way: water the vegetable plot and pots regularly and top up the mulch. The first courgettes, French beans and early tomatoes are ready to pick.

SOUTH AND ISLANDS

Full summer: water the vegetable plot in the morning or evening and shade lettuces and young plants. Many Mediterranean plants go into summer dormancy: don't push them with fertiliser.

Jobs this month

Watering well

A thorough soaking once or twice a week does far more than a daily sprinkle, which only wets the surface and keeps roots shallow. Pots are the exception: in hot weather they may need water every day.

Water pots and planters daily in hot weather; a mulch on the surface holds in moisture. Watering plants in pots ›
Water new plantings and moisture-lovers such as callas and busy lizzies generously. Watering well › Arum lilyBusy lizzie
Water cucumbers little and often to avoid bitter fruit. Watering well › Cucumber
Potted oleanders need plenty of water to flower; established ones in the ground need almost none. Watering plants in pots › Oleander

Keeping the flowers coming

Deadheading stops the plant putting its energy into seed. It's the most effective way to extend flowering on annuals, roses and many perennials.

Deadhead repeat-flowering roses back to the next leaf. Deadheading › Rose
Pick sweet peas every few days and remove any pods. Deadheading › Sweet pea
Pinch out zinnia tips for bushier plants. Pinching & stopping › Zinnia
Feed bougainvillea, mandevilla and hibiscus with a high-potash fertiliser. Feeding & NPK basics › BougainvilleaMandevillaHibiscus

Pruning after flowering

Shrubs that flower in spring on last year's wood are pruned now, not in winter – otherwise you remove next year's flower buds.

Prune mock orange and weigela by removing some of the oldest stems that have flowered. Pruning shrubs (general principles) › Mock orangeWeigela
Trim Japanese pittosporum hedges after flowering. Trimming a hedge › Pittosporum
Pick elderflowers on a dry morning for cordial and fritters. Elder

Vegetable garden

The first summer vegetables are ready to pick. Keep sowing salads for a steady supply, in the shade in the south.

Pick young courgettes, French beans and cucumbers every other day. CourgetteFrench beanCucumber
Lift garlic when the lower leaves turn yellow and leave it to dry. Ornamental allium
Pinch out melons after the fifth leaf and train the side shoots. Pinching & stopping › Cucumber
Sow chard and carrots for autumn. Propagation: sowing seed › ChardCarrot

Sow and plant

Sow
  • Lettuces and salad leaves (in partial shade)
  • Chard, carrots and late French beans
  • Cabbages and fennel in trays for autumn
  • Biennials
Plant out
  • Leeks
  • The last summer bedding
  • Potted perennials, well watered

Watch out for

Powdery mildewA white coating on courgettes, roses, crape myrtles and peas, especially when the roots are dry.Red spider miteDull, finely speckled leaves in hot, dry weather, on mandevilla, cucumbers and potted plants in the sun.Drought stressWilting at midday that doesn't recover by evening, and scorched leaf edges.

Questions

What's the best time of day to water in summer?

Early morning, then evening. Watering in the heat of the day loses much of the water to evaporation. In the humid north, morning is better so leaves aren't left wet overnight.

When should mock orange be pruned?

Straight after flowering, in June. Pruning in winter removes the stems that would have flowered.

Should I feed plants in summer?

Flowering plants in pots, yes, with a high-potash feed. Many Mediterranean plants in the ground (lavender, olive, rosemary) no: they slow down in summer and fertiliser weakens them.