Dig In: Your Garden Checklist for early June

What to do in your garden this weekend in the greater Sacramento area.

Before the weather starts turning crazy hot (again), take care of some early June chores around the garden. Your plants will thank you.

Recent heat toasted roses in Sacramento. Time to deadhead!
Expect new blooms in six to eight weeks.

* Deadhead (remove) spent roses and other blooms, then enjoy more flowers this summer. Most rose bushes will have new flowers in six to eight weeks.
* Tie up vines and stake tall plants such as gladiolus and lilies. That gives their heavy flowers some support.
* Dig and divide crowded bulbs after the tops have died down.
* Feed summer flowers with a slow-release fertilizer.
* Thin grapes on the vine for bigger, better clusters later this summer.
* Cut back fruit-bearing canes on berries.
* Feed camellias, azaleas and other acid-loving plants. Mulch to conserve moisture and reduce heat stress.
* Deep water trees and large shrubs. If you can’t poke a screwdriver more than 2 or 3 inches into the soil, it’s time to irrigate.
* Mulch, mulch, mulch! This “blanket” keeps moisture in the soil longer and helps your plants cope during hot weather. Preferably, use organic materials such as wood chips, bark or shredded leaves.
-- Debbie Arrington