TODAY’S GARDEN          JUNE 2006

	Inspect plants frequently for pests and take action promptly.  Early detection often provides an opportunity to manage pests without having to resort to the use of potent chemicals.
	To get maximum bloom, don’t forget to deadhead flowers (cut off dead blossoms).
	Pinch off the tips of chrysanthemums during June and early July.  This keeps plants compact and increases the size of flowers.  Disbudding (removing all but one or two buds in a cluster) creates the largest blooms.
	Fall-blooming asters benefit from being pinched or sheared periodically in early summer.  Remove the top 1/3 of the plant.  Many annuals should also be pinched back to encourage compact, bushy growth.
	Spring-blooming shrubs such as lilacs should be pruned right after they flower.  If you wait too long, you will end up cutting off many of next year’s flowers.
	The perennial Phlox subulata, which brightens many gardens in spring with white, pink and lavender flowers, should be cut back after flowering.  Shear off the top half of plants.
	Fertilize plants grown in containers every two weeks with a water-soluble plant food if you didn’t add a time-release fertilizer to the soil.  Nutrients in the soil are washed out rapidly by the frequent watering that containers require.  Read and follow the instructions on the fertilizer label.
	Having your sprinklers and drip system on an automatic timer is convenient, but it can result in over-watering or under-watering of lawns and plants.  Be sure to adjust the length of watering cycles in response to weather changes and plant needs.
	Kentucky Bluegrass lawns should be fertilized with one pound of nitrogen per 1000 square feet of lawn between May and mid-June.  Tall fescue lawns require ½ pound to one pound of nitrogen per 1000 square feet between May and mid-June.  (Kentucky Bluegrass and tall fescue lawns do not require fertilization between mid-June and early August.)
	Buffalo grass, Blue Grama, and Bermuda grass should be fertilized with ½ pound to one pound of nitrogen per 1000 square feet of lawn between May and mid-June.  Apply the same amount of nitrogen between July and early August.