Garden Checklist June 13, 2025
Terry Lewis, MG UCCE Fresno County
Remember friends, neighbors, and shut-ins with extra produce and flowers from your garden.
Consider removing groundcovers, turfgrass, or annual flowers from little-used garden areas such as parking strips, medians, or lawn “islands.”Cover bare soil with a layer of mulch. This reduces weeds and helps the soil retain moisture.Harvest vegetables and annuals regularly. Harvest apricots, berries, figs, plums, and nectarines.Wash aphids and white flies off plants with water or insecticidal soap.Deadhead annuals and perennials to encourage re-bloom. Prune lightly to avoid vigorous re-growth.Deadheading roses encourages reblooming.Avoid fertilizing herbs as too much fertilizer reduces flavor and fragrance.Midsummer in the Valley is typically not the best time for planting. New plants struggle to get established in high temperatures, low humidity, and intense sunlight.Annuals and perennials: vinca (Catharanthus), cockscomb (Celosia), morning glory (Convolvulus), tickseed (coreopsis).Bulbs, corms, tubers: dahlia, fortnight lily (Dietes).Trees, shrubs, vines: bougainvillea, escallonia.Fruits and vegetables: blueberries, carrots, corn, cucumber.Do not spray herbicides when daily temperatures exceed 100 degrees to prevent the spray from vaporizing.Protect neighboring plants with a cardboard shield when spraying herbicides.Watch for leaf drop, wilting, or folded leaves which are the first signs of heat stress.Weeds compete with landscape plants for space, water, and sunlight. Remove existing weeds by hand pulling, hoeing, or the application of appropriate herbicides following label instructions. A 2-3” layer of mulch will suppress weed seed germination in the future and help conserve soil moisture.
Source: Adapted from A Gardener’s Companion for the Central San Joaquin Valley, 3rd edition, currently available from Fresno County Master Gardeners for $30. These can be purchased at our demonstration garden – Garden of the Sun (1750 N Winery (McKinley/Winery), open Mondays, Wednesdays, and Fridays from 9 am to Noon, and via email at mgfresno@ucanr.edu. Gardening questions answered as well at mgfresno@ucanr.edu. Prepared by Terry Lewis, Master Gardener UCCE Fresno County.