Best to prune bushes in June
June is a good month to shear your hedges. Prune formal hedges slightly wider at their base than at the top. This ensures that the sides of the hedge will receive equal sun exposure and helps to keep the foliage full from top to bottom.
Many hedges in the home landscape are not pruned properly and are wider at the top than the base. Pruning hedges in June will help create a denser hedge. There will probably be more growth this season, so plan on shearing again in July.
• Mowing is one way to control weeds in a large, natural prairie area that is being established in your garden. Native plants typically develop their roots (not their foliage or flowers) in their early years, which gives weeds the opportunity to gain a foothold.
Mow weedy areas at a high height in June to cut back the weeds and keep them from choking out the native plants. In small areas, weed by hand. You can also carefully spot-treat weeds with an herbicide.
• Monitor and train vines such as clematis on their supports. It is best to do this on a regular basis to direct the vines where you want them to go. Once they have been allowed to grow out for a few weeks without support, it will be difficult to train them back up.
• Installation of plant material can continue through the summer. Try to keep plants moist before planting to minimize stress on the new plant material. Containerized plants can sometimes be difficult to re-moisten if they are planted dry. Be sure they have been watered before planting.
Plants grown in containers have a lighter growing medium that will generally dry out more quickly than your garden soil. Thus, they will need more frequent watering until their roots go out into the surrounding soil.
• Newly installed balled-and-burlapped plants need about 1 inch of water each week to get them established. The amount and frequency of watering will vary depending on the soil conditions in your garden and weather conditions. Sandy, very well-drained soils will dry out more quickly than heavier, clay loam soils.
• Tim Johnson is director of horticulture at Chicago Botanic Garden, chicagobotanic.org.