Maintenance tips for June

Maintenance

- Mow lawns regularly to keep them healthy - removing a 'little and often' is the key.

- Maintain a 3in gutter around the lawn edge. This will prevent grass from creeping into the border.

- Hoe borders regularly to keep down weeds.

- Keep tubs and hanging baskets well watered.

- Protect crops from birds by putting up nets.

- Liquid feed containerised plants every two to four weeks.

- Tie in climbing and rambling roses as near to horizontal as possible to restrict sap flow and cause more side-shoots to grow along the length of stem resulting in more flowers.

- Prune flowering shrubs such as Deutzia, Kolkwitizia, Weigela and Philadelphus after they have finished flowering. If you leave this too late the flowers may not have enough time to develop for next year.

- Continue to clip evergreen hedges such as privet and box.

- This is the best time of year to prune deciduous magnolias once the plant is in full leaf.

- If necessary, thin out new shoots on trees and shrubs pruned in the winter to prevent overcrowding.

- Prune overcrowded, dead or diseased stems from Clematis montana once it has finished flowering.

- Prune wall-trained pyracanthas, removing any shoots coming out from the wall, and shortening other new growth to about 8cm.

- Remove any reverting shoots on hardy variegated evergreens, to prevent them reverting to just one colour.

- Deadhead flowering perennials such as Lupinus and Delphinium to promote a second flush of flowers later in the season.

- Lift clumps of forget me nots as these can get out of control.

- Stake tall perennials to prevent wind damage to flower spikes.

- Cut back dead bulb foliage if not done already. It is important to wait until the foliage dies down naturally.

- Cut back clumps of spring-flowering perennials such as Helleborus, Pulmonaria to encourage fresh foliage. This will also encourage the plants to stay more compact and will flower better next year.

- Trimming back spreading and trailing plants such as the annual Lobularia (sweet alyssum) after flowering will encourage fresh growth and new flowers.

- Cut back Oriental poppies after flowering to stimulate growth of fresh new foliage.

- Help Sweet peas find their supports to encourage them to climb and give a good display.

- Pinching out the leading shoots on Chrysanthemum and Helianthus will encourage bushy plants. Alternatively, leave them if you want tall plants.

- Opening green house doors and vents on hot days will help to lower temperatures. Damp down the floor to increase humidity.

Planting

- Plant out summer bedding and seed-raised plants, if not already done so.

- Thin out direct sowings of hardy annuals.

- Any gaps in your herbaceous borders should be filled with summer bedding plants for now.

Propagation

- Take softwood cuttings of deciduous shrubs including Caryopteris, Forsythia, lavender, Fuchsia, Hydrangea macrophylla, Philadelphus and Spiraea and rosemary if not done last month.

- Now is the time to lift and divide overcrowded clumps of bulbs after they have finished flowering so that you can increase your stock for next year.

- Divide primroses after flowering and keep them planted in a nursery bed until the autumn.

- Divide hostas as they come into growth.

- Hellebore seed can be harvested once the seed heads have ripened - sow them straight away for growth next year.

Treatments

- Apply a high nitrogen summer lawn fertiliser if not done last month to - encourage a healthy-looking lawn.

- Selective weedkillers are available for lawns that will kill the weeds but not the grass. Moss killers are also available.

- Apply weedkiller to paved areas also to help stop the spread of weeds.

Landscaping

- Greenhouses may need shade paint to stop temperatures getting too high.

- Removing dirt and algae from paving and patios will stop them becoming slippery when wet.

- Check and repair wooden structures.

- Paint wooden structures with a wood preserve.

Pond care

- Thin out, cut back or divide excessive new growth on aquatic plants and tidy up the bog garden.