By Anita Gall
University of Nebraska Extension Master Gardener
June 12 – Have you been enjoying your spring blooming shrubs like lilac, forsythia, spirea, and serviceberry? Now is the ideal time to prune these plants as they bloom on old wood, or in other words, they form their buds during the summer months. Pruning out wood after flowering will allow the buds to form for next spring. Shrubs that bloom in summer and fall can be pruned in late winter.
June 13 – What is deadheading a plant, and why do it? Deadheading is removing the spent bloom from a plant and should be done when the flower starts to fade and die. Like most things in nature, plants want to reproduce, so to keep them blooming, you need to trick it into thinking that it hasn’t completed its life cycle. When the flower is removed, the plant produces more flowers because seeds are formed in the flower.
June 14 – Do you have areas in your landscape that it is hard to keep mulch on? One solution might be to start a ground cover in that area, ground covers are low-growing plants that spread quickly to form a dense mat they can act as mulch and suppress weeds, or as erosion control on a steep bank, they can also help to insulate the soil and retain moisture during hot dry periods of heat. They also can add color and interest to any area.
June 15 – Are you planning a landscape for a small area? Take into consideration some of the dwarf varieties of trees and shrubs available. Many times when you think of a dwarf plant you think 3 to 4 feet tall but when looking at the plants remember that it is dwarf to species. If the species gets 12 feet tall the dwarf of the species could easily grow to a 6 foot height.
June 16 – Why should you plant native species of trees and shrubs? By planting native trees in our area, we avoid bringing in invasive exotic trees that often become problems. Native trees will adapt when planted in similar soil types and precipitation needs, they will flourish instead of languishing during extreme weather cycles. By planting native species we are giving our landscape the best chance to develop over time.