What to Plant This June, and How

June 20, 2019 Published by Leave your thoughts

June is just about over, but there’s still time to get in some early summer planting! By now, most of the items you’d harvest in the midsummer should have already been planted. The time is now right for you to plant other items that must only be placed in the ground after the soil has become reliably warm. These include basil, cucumber, okra, pumpkins, watermelon, squashes, muskmelon and more.

Of course, it’s important not to skip plant fertilization in Clinton County, NY! Fertilizing right when the spring growing season begins is the best way for you to help get your plants off to a healthy and strong start—a general-purpose fertilizer will do, as will simple nitrogen. The frequency with which you fertilize in the summer and later in the year primarily depends on the plants you’re working with—nutritional needs vary, so you must check on the plants you purchase to determine their individual needs.

Applying fertilizer

Fertilizer is one of the best tools you have as a gardener to get your plants growing strong and producing a bountiful harvest. After all, plants, like people, need the proper nutrients to grow big and strong.

You should avoid applying liquid fertilizer at the same time that you plant. You’re going to be dealing with broken root hairs during planting, which means the fertilizer will get into the plants immediately at the broken points and burn them out, actually causing them to die rather than giving them the extra food and encouragement they need to grow. Generally, fertilizing two to three weeks after planting is ideal, as at that point the root damage will have resolved itself.

Here are some of the methods you can use to apply fertilizer when the time is right:

  • Spading forks: Spading forks can be used to work dry, granular fertilizers into fresh garden beds with new or newly upturned soil. This allows the potassium and phosphorous to be at the level where they’ll best be absorbed by plant roots. You can then water them thoroughly after incorporating them into the fertilizer.
  • Liquid fertilizers: If you use liquid fertilizers, you can apply them with a sprayer or even just a watering can. A siphon attachment on your hose will apply a properly measured amount of the fertilizer into the hose from concentrate of the fertilizer you keep in a pail.
  • Cultivator: When using a cultivator, your first step should be to gently scrape the soil under plants with roots that are growing close to the surface. You can then apply a dry granular fertilizer and water the area thoroughly. Roots might extend past the drip line, so make sure you spread the fertilizer over a large enough area that it will reach all of the plants’ roots.

These are just a few of the issues to keep in mind as you continue your summer planting and fertilizing throughout the summer. Contact the experts at Rand Hill Lawns, Inc. today to learn more tips about plant fertilization in Clinton County, NY.

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