Tag: summer gardening

If you spend time in an Arizona garden in June, bountiful harvests and stunning blooms are common at the beginning of the month. Early June fills harvest baskets as spring and warm-season crops finish up. However, it soon transitions from warm to hot weather, shifting the garden from production to survival.

June is typically the driest and one of the hottest months in the low desert of Arizona. The average monthly rainfall is just 0.12 inches, and the average temperature is 105°F (74°C). This can be a challenging month for your yard and garden as plants and trees adjust to the heat. What you do this month can help your plants survive the hot summer months ahead.

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What to do in the Low Desert Arizona Garden in June

Maximize your Arizona garden’s potential in June. Learn how to navigate the challenges of hot weather and ensure your plants’ survival. Keep reading to learn which tasks to do, how much to water, what pests to expect, what to plant, and a helpful “June Garden Task Checklist“.

When you’re in the garden this month, remember to work outside in the cooler morning and evening hours and stay hydrated.

Click on the title to jump to that section and learn more about what to do during June:

“Low desert” includes elevations below 3500 ft in the Southwest, such as the Phoenix and Tucson metro areas.

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Vegetable Gardening in the Low Desert Arizona Garden in June

Hot, dry temperatures affect the garden this month. Correct timing, watering, shade, and mulching are essential.

• If you haven’t already, add a thick layer (3-5 inches) of mulch to your garden beds. I use the wood chip mulch from Arizona Worm Farm.
• Harvest any remaining onions and garlic at the beginning of the month. Cure them indoors.
• Use shade cloth to provide shade for annual vegetables or plant them in areas that receive afternoon shade. I use this shade cloth.
• If your cucumbers are bitter, it might be the heat. Remove cucumber plants and plant Armenian-type cucumbers this month. They don’t get bitter.
• Warm-season bush beans finish up this month. Plant heat-loving types like asparagus beans or black-eyed peas instead.
• Once nighttime temperatures are over 75°F (24°C), tomato pollen may not be viable and new fruit may not form.¹ If fruit is slow to ripen, bring tomatoes inside once they have a flush of color to finish ripening indoors. Learn more about how to turn green tomatoes red in this blog post.
• Consider planting a cover crop in empty beds to keep soil alive over the summer. Learn more about cover crops in this article.
• Start seeds indoors for a monsoon tomato planting. Check planting lists for additional seeds to start indoors.
• Provide support for trellis-grown watermelon and cantaloupe as needed.
• Clear out squash and other warm-season plants that have stopped producing or show signs of heat stress and disease.
• Powdery mildew is common this month. Learn how to treat it in this blog post.

Possible Harvests This Month:

Vegetables:

Armenian Cucumbers, Butternut Squash, Pumpkins, Cucumbers, Summer Squash, Tomatoes, Eggplant, I’itoi onions, Okra, Swiss Chard, Onions, Peppers, Carrots, Mini Pumpkins, Leeks, Garlic, Beans, Tomatillos

Herbs:

Oregano, Sage, Basil, Dill Seeds, Parsley, Parsley Seeds, Rosemary, Thyme, Mint

Fruit:

Chichiquelite, Strawberries, Grapefruit, Figs, Apples, Peaches, Watermelon, Cantaloupe, Passionfruit, Grapes, Ground Cherries

(click on the link to read “How to Grow” articles about each crop)

Vegetable Watering Guidelines:

• June is often the hardest month for plants. Do not overwater or underwater this month. Both are harmful to plants. 
• If you haven’t already, check the irrigation system and timer. Run the system; inspect all drips and sprinklers for leaks and proper watering. 
• As temperatures heat up, annual vegetables will need more frequent watering. Water to a depth of about 8-12 inches every 2-4 days; allow the top of the soil to dry out before watering again. 
• I use the garden grids from Garden in Minutes to water my raised beds. Use code Angela10 to save $10 off $100 or GITG5 to save 5 percent on any size order.

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Twice a month, I’ll share my personal garden journal. From the first seedling to the last harvest, you can follow my gardening adventures in Arizona’s unique low desert.

Join me, and let’s make your garden thrive under the desert sun!

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Low Desert Arizona in June: Pests & Wildlife to Watch Out For This Month

Pests:

• Monitor squash and melon plants for squash bugs in all stages: adults, eggs, and nymphs. Keep a soapy bucket handy to drop them into. If numbers increase or get out of hand, consider pulling the plant.
• Three-lined potato bugs are a common nuisance on tomatillos and ground cherries. If spotted, check plants several times a day. Keep a soapy bucket handy to drop them into. If numbers increase or get out of hand, consider pulling the plant.

• Leaf miners on cantaloupe or other melons. Remove damaged leaves.
• You may still have aphids or chrysanthemum lace bugs on sunflowers, but hopefully, beneficial insects like lacewings and ladybugs took care of them for you. If not, you can remove damaged leaves and spray them off with water.
• You may see circles cut out from leaves on roses, pomegranates, and other plants. Leaf-cutter bees are responsible and use the leaves to build their nests. It’s cosmetic damage only and nothing to worry about. These solitary bees are excellent pollinators.

• If rollie-pollies are eating seedlings (they especially love beans) before they sprout, an effective solution is to sprinkle a small amount of this slug and snail bait when you plant. It is iron phosphate with an attractant for slugs. It’s non-toxic to worms and safe to use.
• Monitor tomato, pepper, and eggplants for tomato hornworms. If you see insect frass (droppings) or eaten leaves, look closely for hornworms. Handpick and feed to chickens.

• Spider mites are common on beans, especially in hot, dry conditions. Spray the area often with water to discourage them. If you need to treat, a combination of Safer Insect Killing Soap and Monterey Horticultural Oil can be effective. Use at sundown and then rinse the leaves well afterward to prevent burning. Follow package instructions and use sparingly– only on affected areas to prevent harming beneficial insects.

• Grapeleaf skeletonizers may be present on grape vines. If spotted early, you can handpick affected leaves and dispose of eggs and caterpillars. Once a large area is affected, you may need to treat it with Bt-Bacillus thuringiensis. Use only as directed and only on affected areas.

• Monitor pomegranate trees for all stages of leaf-footed bugs. If spotted, daily vigilance and dropping them into a bucket of soapy water are effective solutions to this difficult pest.

Wildlife and Beneficial Insects:

• Lovebirds and lesser goldfinch are commonly seen on sunflowers this time of year. They love the seeds, and the lesser goldfinch also enjoy eating the leaves. I love watching them in the garden.
• Bees, hoverflies, wasps, lacewings, praying mantids, syrphid flies, parasitic wasps, assassin bugs, and other beneficial insects are active now.
• Gulf fritillary butterflies in all stages, swallowtail butterflies, hummingbirds

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Low Desert Arizona in June: Container Gardening Tips

• If possible, put small containers away until the fall. The soil from the containers can be used as mulch or added to compost.
• Move containers to areas of your yard that receive afternoon shade naturally.
• Group containers and grow bags close together for an insulating effect.

Container Watering Guidelines:

• As temperatures heat up, monitoring containers closely and watering often is crucial. You may have to water every day. If you’re not sure, use a moisture meter to check soil moisture levels.
• If containers dry out too much, the soil may become hydrophobic. When watering, check the soil to ensure water is absorbed and not repelled by hydrophobic soil.
• Add ollas to containers to help with watering during the summer. I use ollas from Growoya. For a discount, use code GROWING.

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Flower Gardening in the Low Desert Arizona Garden in June

• Plant sunflowers. Pops of yellow flowers brighten up a summer yard and attract birds. I love this branching variety.
• To extend bloom, deadhead annual warm-season flowers such as zinnias, salvia, coreopsis, gaillardia, marigold, and cosmos. Read this post to learn about flowers that love hot summers. 
• Roses continue to bloom this month. Keep spent blooms deadheaded and enjoy the blooms.
• Enjoy hollyhock blooms. Save seeds to spread around your yard and share with friends. If the plants finish up, don’t pull them out. Cut stalks back to about 6 inches above the ground. 
• Apply a thick layer of mulch around the base of flowers.
• If you aren’t leaving them in the soil, pull spent bulbs or corms from beds after the foliage completely dies. Store indoors and plant again in the fall.
• Pinch back zinnia plants to encourage branching.

Which Flowers Might Be Blooming This Month:

Lisianthus, Scabiosa, Feverfew, Sunflowers, Passionflowers, Strawflowers, Dianthus, Statice, Hollyhocks, Vanity Verbena, Rudbeckia, Salvia, Roses, Everlasting Sweet Peas, Floss-Flower, Shasta Daisy, Echinacea, Yarrow, Gazania, Gomphrena, Gaillardia, Zinnia, Skyflower, Lobelia, Dahlia, Vinca, Coleus, Dara, Aster, Carnation, Angelonia, Cosmos, Black-Eyed Susan Vine, Alyssum, Larkspur, Campanula

(click on the link to read “How to Grow” articles about each crop)

Flower Watering Guidelines:

As temperatures heat up, annual flowers will need more frequent watering. Water to a depth of about 8-12 inches every 2-4 days; allow the top of the soil to dry out before watering again.

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Fruit & Fruit Trees in the Low Desert Arizona Garden in June

• If you haven’t already, mulch your trees well. Adding worm castings, compost, and mulch three times a year will prepare and help your trees from high summer temperatures. Learn more in this blog post.
• Peach and fig harvests continue this month. Keep fruit picked up to discourage insects and pests. Read this article for more information about how to grow peach trees.
• Pomegranates may drop some fruit this month. Read this article for more information about how to grow pomegranates.
• Anna’s apple harvests begin this month. Fruit left too long on the plant may cook! Harvest and bring indoors. Here are our favorite recipes to use Anna apples.
• Monitor grapes for harvest readiness.
• Passionfruit flowers and fruits this month.
• Shade newly-planted fruit trees to help them survive their first summer. Monitor watering closely.

Citrus:

• There will be some citrus fruit drop this month – “June Drop” – as the tree self-thins to what it can support through the summer. Adequate watering this month is important. June is typically the driest month of the year. 
• Once citrus softens, it is time to remove the remaining fruit from the tree.
• Paint or wrap any trunks exposed to sunlight to protect them from damage. Any water-based paint works to paint citrus. I prefer using tree wraps over paint. It’s like wearing sunscreen versus a swim shirt. The wrap offers better protection.

Fruit Watering Guidelines: ², ³

Monitor your fruit trees for signs of water stress. Leaf curling is usually the first noticeable sign. Wet the soil from the tree trunk to just past the tree’s drip line.

• Established citrus trees should be watered once every 7-14 days to a 2-3 feet depth.
• Water annual fruit and high water use vines every 2-5 days to a depth of 8-12″.
• Water established fruit trees every 7-10 days to a depth of 18-24″.
• Grape vines need deep watering every 5 days. 
• Water annual fruit and high water use vines every 2-5 days to a depth of 8-12″.

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Herb Gardening in the Low Desert Arizona Garden in June

• Keep basil cut back above two sets of leaves to encourage branching and a full plant.
• Allow bolting/flowering dill, cilantro, fennel, and parsley to remain in the garden. This is one of the best ways to attract beneficial insects to your garden; learn more in this blog post.
• Harvest perennial herbs like sage, rosemary & thyme lightly throughout the summer. Delay heavy pruning until fall.
• Harvest oregano this month. It will flower soon. Enjoy and preserve the harvest by dehydrating or freeze-drying.

Herb Watering Guidelines:

• As temperatures heat up, annual herbs will need more frequent watering. Water to a depth of about 8-12 inches every 2-4 days; allow the top of the soil to dry out before watering again.
• Water desert-adapted landscape perennial herbs (like rosemary) every 7-21 days (water to a depth of 18-24″).
• Many Mediterranean herbs, such as sage, rosemary, lavender, oregano, and thyme, are more likely to die from overwatering and root rot in the summer than from underwatering. Take care not to overwater them.

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Landscape Plants in the Low Desert Arizona Garden in June

• June is not the month to prune or fertilize landscape plants, trees, and shrubs. Pruning and fertilizing encourage new growth and expose new areas to damaging sunlight, which is stressful for plants when temperatures are above 100°F (38°C).
• This month, do not add plants, trees, or shrubs to your landscape.
• Palms are an exception to planting. They grow and get established best in warm soils, and June is an excellent month to plant them. Keep the roots and area around the roots hydrated to encourage growth into the surrounding soil. Support the plants until they become established to avoid disturbing the growing roots.
• Provide shade for new plantings (less than 1 year old) if they show signs of stress, and monitor the root ball to ensure it does not dry out. This blog post discusses different ways to provide shade.
• If you have any stinknet in your yard, pull it and dispose of it so the seeds do not spread or remain in your yard. Remove it carefully if the flowers are dried and the plant is dead—it will shed thousands of seeds. Bag it up in a sealed bag and throw it in the trash.

Landscape Watering Guidelines: ²

• Give landscape plants a long, deep soak at the beginning of the month to prepare them for June’s hot, dry weather. Water should penetrate below the recommended 2-3 foot normal depths to leach the salts that build up in root zones and recharge the dry soil.
• Desert-adapted trees, shrubs & vines every 7-21 days (water to a depth of 24-36″ trees / 18-24″ shrubs / 8-12″ vines).
• High water use trees every 7-10 days (water to a depth of 18-24″).
• High water use shrubs every 5-7 days (water to a depth of 8-12″).
• High water use vines every 2-5 days (water to a depth of 8-12″).

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Arizona Garden in June Checklist:

Download your printable copy of the June Garden Checklist:

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Which Vegetables, Herbs & Fruit to Plant in the Low Desert in June

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(Click the link to read “How to Grow” articles on my website.)

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Low Desert Arizona in June: Vegetable, herb & fruit seeds to start indoors

(Click the link for seed sources.)

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Seed Box Labels with planting dates for vegetables and flowers

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Which Flowers to Plant in the Low Desert of Arizona in June

(Click the link to read “How to Grow” articles on my website.)

• Angelonia (T)
• Celosia* thru the 15th (T)
• Coleus* thru the 15th (T)
• Cosmos (S)
• Cosmos (sulfur) (S)
• Four O’Clock (S)
• Gomphrena (T)
• Portulaca / Moss Rose (ST)
• Purslane (ST)
• Rain Lily (bulb)
• Sunflower (S)
• Vinca (T)
• Zinnia (ST)

SEED, TRANSPLANT, OR BOTH? S = Seed / T= Transplant

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Low Desert Arizona in June: Flower seeds to start indoors

Verbena

(Click the link for seed source.)

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If this post about low desert Arizona gardening in June was helpful, please share it:

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Sources:

1 – For further reading, please refer to the original article: “University of Delaware Cooperative Extension. (2023). Key Strategies for Soybean Management.” https://sites.udel.edu/weeklycropupdate/?p=4489.

2 – For additional information on watering practices, visit: “Association of Municipal Water Users Authority. (2023). Landscaping with Style in the Arizona Desert.” https://www.amwua.org/landscaping-with-style.

3 – https://extension.arizona.edu/sites/extension.arizona.edu/files/pubs/az1151-2021%20%282%29.pdf