June in the garden – Welcome to the Wonder of Winter

The landscapes of southern gardens are transformed as the wonderful display of autumn foliage disappears and winter arrives. There is a beauty in the bareness of the winter trees resting and being prepared for the showcase of freshness, life and colour of the coming spring.

Deciduous Trees

June is the month when deciduous plants shed their leaves and move into a dormant period in preparation for an explosion of growth and colour as the spring arrives. During this dormant time, growers dig, prune and send a vast selection of fruiting and ornamental trees, shrubs and berries to garden retailers and orchardists.

Wonderful deciduous fruiting trees including Apples, Apricots, Cherries, Peaches, Pears, Plums and Nectarines are all available for growing fresh and healthy fruit at home.

Blackberries, Raspberries, Loganberries, Blueberries and Strawberries are just some of the many tasty berries and small fruits that can be planted now.

Beautiful flowering ornamental trees such as Prunus, Crab Apples, Crepe Myrtles, Lilacs, Ornamental Pears and Dogwoods planted now will deliver a stunning display of seasonal colour as the warm weather returns.

Spectacular ornamental foliage trees such as Ashes, Birches, Elms, Maples, Oaks, Poplars, Liquidambars and Plane trees can also be planted now for their showcase of brilliant seasonal displays.

Before planting your new fruiting and ornamental deciduous trees it is very important to prepare their new home. Dig the hole about twice the size that you need to and dig a generous amount of a premium composted soil improver such as Rocky Point ActivGrow. The blend of organic compost, composted chicken and cow manure, blood and bone, gypsum, fish meal, seaweed extract, iron, zeolite and trace elements will give your trees the best start possible.

When planting your new trees, be sure to mound up the soil to avoid planting too deep. This allows a nice thick layer of mulch to be applied without covering the base of the tree. The application of mulch not only looks great, but helps to retain moisture, warm the soil and suppress weeds.

There are many new exciting varieties of dwarf growing fruiting trees available that are excellent in pots or in smaller garden areas. When growing any plants in pots always use a premium potting mix. Rocky Point Coco Pro is the first Super Premium Potting Mix available to the market and will give the very best results.

Roses

June is also the time that new seasons roses are available. Originating from China, the earliest modern rose was the tea rose. With centuries of breeding, modern roses are long flowering with it possible to achieve continuous flowering from spring to autumn. Like the deciduous trees, winter is a dormant time for rose bushes and this is a great time to plant.

Popular Varieties

Although the thorny bare stems do not look very exciting during this winter dormant period, rose bushes planted now will reward us with years of beauty. There are single, semi double and double flowered forms in every colour imaginable and most with a beautiful fragrance.

• Hybrid Tea roses grow from 1 to 2 metres in height with large double flowers on single stems. Most are very fragrant.
• Floribunda roses grow 1 to 1.5 metres in height with many clusters of flowers on one stem.
• Climbers or pillar roses grow 2 metres plus in height. Some have hybrid tea type flowers and others have floribunda clusters.
• Old Fashioned roses are often called species roses. Some grow to 4 metres in height, most are fragrant and have colourful hips in winter.

English roses (modern shrub) are bred to retain the best old-fashioned rose traits of fragrance and flower form but benefit from modern breeding and are disease resistant with a very long flowering season. They grow to a height of 1 to 2 metres. David Austin roses are popular English roses.

Low growing ground cover and shrub roses such as Flower Carpet roses are hardy and very long flowering.

Miniature roses grow from a height of 15cm to 50cm, are compact bushes, do not require lots of pruning and are great in patio pots and tubs.

Planting Roses

Roses like a sunny, open position in the garden and love a rich and well-drained soil. Prepare the soil before planting by digging in plenty of compost such as Rocky Point ActivGrow, Rocky Point Compost or Rocky Point Cow Manure. Once the rose bushes are planted, add a dressing of good quality rose food. Rocky Point Blooming Roses is the ideal premium quality rose food for all types of roses in the garden and in containers. Blooming Roses is an easy to use pelletised rose food and is all you need to keep your rose gardens happy and blooming.

As with the planting of deciduous trees, mound the soil to avoid planting your roses too deep. When you complete your planting project with a nice thick layer of mulch, you are mulching the mound rather than the stem of the rose.

The Wonder of the Northern Winter

While southern gardens are resting, winter is an excellent time for northern gardening. The heat and humidity have passed, and this is a pleasant time to be outdoors and enjoying this season of planting and growth.

Being in a warmer climate is no reason to miss out on the joys of planting your food forest. There are loads of fantastic fruiting plants to be planted now. Lemons, Oranges, Mandarins, Limes, Mangos, Bananas, Finger Limes, and Blueberries are just some of the vast selection for this time of the year.

There is lots happening in the veggie garden. Tropical, subtropical and arid regions are enjoying lots of growth. Asian Greens, Beetroot, Broccoli, Cabbage, Cauliflower, Chives, Celery, Kale, Leek, Lettuce, Radish, Rocket, Silverbeet, Spring Onion, Tomato and Strawberry plants can all be planted now. Most herbs can also be planted now including Basil (in frost free areas), Coriander, Thyme, Marjoram, Oregano, Dill and Mint.

To encourage lots of winter growth apply a good quality fertiliser to all garden beds. Rocky Point Organic Life is perfect for Vegetable, Herb and Flower gardens. Organic Life offers more than one form of the same nutrient, to deliver nutrients with different complimentary release times. This allows the plant to source the available nutrients as required for constant strong and healthy growth.

June Gardening Jobs

Pruning

Most existing deciduous fruiting trees, ornamental trees and rose bushes in the garden should be pruned in Winter – but not yet. To prune too early will stimulate the plant to produce new growth that will be damaged by the cold weather to come. From mid-July is the best time for the pruning of deciduous plants.

Fixup Time.   

We all make mistakes in the garden and winter is the time to move those plants that are in the wrong position. Without the summer heat and the risk of drying out, now is the perfect time to make adjustments. Give the plant to be moved a good prune back and ensure that it has plenty of water by watering well each day for a few days before the move. Select the new position and prepare the area. Dig the hole larger than required and dig in some Rocky Point ActivGrow. Soak the area to ensure that it is nice and moist.

Once the new position is prepared, carefully dig around the root area of the plant with a sharp spade. Try to minimise disturbance to the root system and retain as much of the soil as possible. Continue to carefully dig around the plant until it is free to move. Place the plant straight into its new position and fill around the plant with a mixture of the existing soil and ActivGrow. Firm the soil ensuring that air pockets are filled. Water in well with an organic plant tonic such as Rocky Point Seaweed Concentrate to minimise transplant shock and encourage new root growth. Repeat this application once a week for three weeks and ensure that the plant remains moist. Fertilise with Rocky Point Organic Life once new growth is happening for a long and happy life in the perfect new home.

Now is also the time to lift and divide large clumps of summer-flowering perennials such as Cannas, Asters and Phlox. Plant smaller fresh new pieces – these will quickly grow into large plants in spring and summer.

Wonderful Indoor Plants

During the winter months there is much more time spent indoors. Growing plants indoors is hugely popular and there are many great plants available to create your Urban Jungle. It is common that because the weather may be cold and wet outside, to presume that indoor plants do not need to be watered as regularly. If the home is being heated, there is a good chance that plants may need more water than during the warmer months. Check indoor plants regularly and be ready to change your watering patterns. Winter is a great time to repot indoor plants. Rocky Point Coco Pro Potting Mix contains a granular wetting agent for maximum water retention.

Whatever part of the country your garden may be, there are lots of exciting things to achieve during June.