Landscape Tasks - June

Mow your lawn regularly keeping the length between 2 and 2.5 inches. For a healthier lawn do not allow the lawn to get taller than 3 to 3.5 inches long between mowings. The lawn should receive 1" water per week. In areas where the soil is very porous as in Lakewood the watering should be 1/2" every 3-4 days. Early morning is the optimal time to water the lawn. The same watering regime can be used for other landscaped areas of the yard.
Post flower prune early spring flowering plants that bloom on old wood like azaleas, forsythias, lilacs, mountain laurel, pieris, quince, rhododendron and spiraea. Rejuvenation can be achieved by completely removing older stems or cutting to 6" to a foot from the ground. Subshrubs and perennials like rockcress, evergreen candytuft, Moss pinks (dianthus) should also be cut back strongly after flowering.
Thin out shade trees. The best time for this is when there are leaves on the tree so you can increase a view or allow more light below them.
Mulch broad-leafed evergreens with an acidic mulch like oak-leaf compost, wood chips, pine needles etc. Do not allow mulch to build up against the base of the plants.
Deadhead rhododendrons, azaleas mountain laurels Pieris. This reroutes the energy that would have been used to make seedpods to new growth and next years flower buds.
Last call to plant containerized or ball and burlap woody trees, shrubs, groundcovers and vines before the summer weather makes establishment more difficult.