planting seeds

Ten Tips for the June Gardener

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1. Lightly cultivate soil after a heavy rain to avoid compaction. A layer of mulch reduces the soil crusting and compaction caused by raindrops.

2. Check container plants daily during hot weather, they will need water often.

3. Check for small holes that signal flea beetle damage on tomatoes, eggplants and peppers.

4. There is still time to sow seeds of beans, beets, carrots, cucumbers, and summer squash.

5. Overgrown, multi-stemmed shrubs, like spirea, lilac, and forsythia, can be renovated by removing 1/3 of 
stems down to ground level each year for 3 years, allowing some new young growth to replace these 
older stems.

6. When deadheading rhododendrons, avoid breaking off leaf buds which are just below flowers.

7. Keep mower blades sharp and set your mower height at 2-3 inches.

8. Cut back early-flowering perennials to tidy up and encourage more blooms.

9. Mosquitoes breed in standing water. To discourage them, change the water in pet dishes and bird baths 
every few days.

10. For the sweetest pea harvest, pick regularly before pods become over-mature and peas become starchy.

For more information visit the UConn Home and Garden Center.

New School Garden

Heather Pease from UCONN Hartford County Extension Expanded Food Nutrition Education Program and Food Corps member Deanna Lampo installed concrete block raised beds in the courtyard of Vance Village Elementary School in New Britain. Deanna teaches an after school garden and nutrition education class.

The  garden beds were built with concrete blocks that were purchased with funds  given by the Hartford County Extension Council. Now that the garden is in place after school students will plant the seeds of early spring vegetables such as peas, broccoli, and lettuces. Once the plants grow the students will eat they food they grew! The garden is an important link to nutrition education.  Most of these plants will be ready to eat in about 45 days. If they grow it, they it they will eat it!

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