June

What to do now - July

Your monthly gardening checklists

Lift and store tulip bulbs after flowering
Give wisteria its summer prune, cutting all the long sideshoots back to 20cm, to promote flowering next spring
Plant up a new tropical display with tender exotics, including bananas, ricinus, coleus, cannas and amaranthus
Support tall-growing perennials, including hollyhocks and delphiniums, with a sturdy cane
Continue planting summer bedding in pots and borders, and water regularly to help plants establish quickly
Cut back spring-flowering perennials, such as pulmonaria, to encourage a fresh flush of foliage
Tie in new stems of climbing and rambling roses horizontally to supports, to encourage more flowers
Take cuttings from pinks and carnations, selecting non-flowering shoots, which should root readily
Pinch out the tips of fuchsias and bedding plants to encourage bushier growth
Give container displays and hanging baskets a liquid feed every few weeks to encourage flowering
Fill any gaps in borders with pots of tall bulbs, such as fragrant lilies, to add instant colour
Prune late-spring or early-summer shrubs after flowering, such as weigela and philadelphus, thinning out the older stems
Add marginal plants, such as arum lilies and marsh marigolds, around the edges of your pond

Plant marginal plants around your pond

Plant out sweetcorn after hardening off, arranging plants in blocks to aid pollination
Cover developing and ripening fruits with netting or fleece to protect them from birds
Enjoy the last harvests of asparagus this month, then leave the ferny top-growth to grow up over the summer
Spread mulch around thirsty crops such as beans and courgettes to hold in moisture around their roots
Check for woolly aphids on fruit trees, and treat infestations with soap-based spray
Water vegetables and fruit in containers regularly, especially during dry sunny weather
Go on regular snail hunts, especially on damp evenings, to reduce populations
Tie in new shoots of blackberries, raspberries, loganberries and other cane fruits
Apply tomato feed regularly to fruiting veg crops, including tomatoes, courgettes, pumpkins and chillies
Plant up an edible hanging basket with trailing tomatoes and herbs, and keep it well watered all summer
Rejuvenate chives by cutting the clump down to the base, for a fresh crop of new leaves in just a few weeks
Water beans and peas as they start to flower
Pull out any raspberry canes sprouting up out of their dedicated area
Take softwood cuttings of herbs such as marjoram and sage, plant in gritty compost and place on a sunny windowsill

Plant sweetcorn in blocks to aid pollination

Sow herbs in pots to grow on your kitchen windowsill, such as coriander, parsley and basil
Plant out tender vegetables raised indoors, including beans, tomatoes, pumpkins, courgettes and sweetcorn
Pinch out the side shoots of cordon tomatoes regularly
Harden off hanging baskets and pots of summer bedding that have been growing in the greenhouse
Sow biennials, including foxgloves, honesty, wallflowers and sweet rocket, in seed trays
Water plants daily in warm weather, ideally in the evening or early morning, and avoid splashing the foliage
Introduce biological controls to the greenhouse if you have pests such as whitefly or red spider mite
Take softwood cuttings from hydrangeas and pelargoniums and stand the pots on a bright windowsill or in a greenhouse
Increase greenhouse shading and ventilation to keep temperatures down on hot days
Feed flowering and fruiting plants weekly with tomato feed
Water greenhouse tomatoes regularly to prevent split fruits and blossom end rot
Treat pots with vine weevil control if this pest has been a problem in the past, as larvae become active this month

Water tomatoes regularly to void splitting and blossom end rot.

Start feeding houseplants once a week with liquid fertiliser, continuing through to autumn
Water your house plants more regularly as the temperatures warm and light levels increase, check the soil before watering. Take a look at our guide to watering house plants
Repot any houseplants that have become top heavy or pot bound into larger containers
Ensure house plants are not getting scorched by summer sunshine. Either move further from the window or choose house plants that will thrive in a sunny spot
Some house plants, like snake plants, are particularly prone to collecting dust on their leaves. So be sure to give these a wipe regularly
Put houseplants outside for the summer in a warm, sheltered spot to enjoy the fresh air and extra light
Take leaf cuttings from houseplants, including African violets and begonias
Check your house plants for pests like aphids, scale insects, thrips and mealybugs

For more house plant advice and inspiration visit our Growing and caring for house plants page

Empty, mix and refill compost bins to speed up decomposition
Spray roses showing signs of disease, such as black spot, powdery mildew or rust
Continue watering any new plantings until they're well established
Water newly laid turf several times a week, for at least the first month
Trim fast-growing hedges, such as privet, every six weeks over the summer
Put stakes in to support tall, large-flowered dahlias and tie in stems as they grow
Prune spring-flowering shrubs, such as kerria, choisya, chaenomeles and ribes, after flowering
Check hedges and shrubs for nesting birds before you start any trimming or pruning, so you don't disturb them
Remove any all-green shoots on variegated shrubs, cutting right back to their base
Treat patio pots with vine weevil control if this pest has been a problem in the past, as larvae become active this month
Dig out perennial weeds, such as couch grass and bindweed, as soon as you spot them
Feed lawns with a liquid or granular lawn fertiliser
Prune evergreen Clematis armandii if it has grown too large