Cell packs of peppers, squash, tomatoes and eggplant can still be planted. Make sure they get enough water and do not dry out. (Photo: Flickr, CC BY-NC 2.0 DEED214)

Tasks

• When using herbicides for weed control, spray on a calm day and protect plants by shielding them with a large piece of cardboard.
• Learn to use the ‘Season Adjust' feature on your controller to make irrigation adjustments easier.
• Apply mulch to plantings for water retention. Mulch should be 3 to 4 inches thick. Don't allow mulch to accumulate against stems or trunks of plants.

Pruning

• Shape spring-flowering shrubs after bloom.
• Take 4-inch soft wood cuttings to propagate perennials, such as chrysanthemum, azalea, marguerite, lavender, aster and geranium.

Fertilizing

• Feed vegetables and lawns, but use care with lawns, as nitrogen encourages lush growth that requires more water.
• Fertilize deciduous fruit and nut trees with one third of the annual amount of fertilizer needed.

Planting

• This is the end of the spring planting season. Many annuals and vegetables can be planted from seed or transplanted. As temperatures rise, water new plantings.
• Perennials: coneflower (Echinacea), beard tongue (Penstemon), gloriosa daisy (Rudbeckia), plant from seed.
• Bulbs, corms, tubers:  fairy lily (Zephyranthes).
• Fruits and vegetables: corn, pumpkin, squash, watermelon, plant from seed.
• Trees, shrubs, vines: bottlebrush (Callistemon), cotoneaster, solanum (potato vine).
• Annuals: globe amaranth (Gomphrena).

Enjoy now

• Annuals and perennials: dianthus, twinspur (Diascia), wallflower (Erysimum), California poppy (Eschscholzia).
• Bulbs, corms, tubers: squill (Scilla).
• Trees, shrubs, vines:  Photinia, Spirea.
• Fruits and vegetables: snap peas, turnips, onions.

Things to ponder

• To cover 100 square feet of space with mulch 3 inches deep, you will need one cubic yard of trunk space.
• Use the least toxic chemical – water, insecticidal soap, Bacillus thuringiensis (Bt) or horticultural oils – for pest control.

California poppies growing in sunny areas on the valley floor are now in full bloom. (Photo: Jeannette Warnert)

Tasks

• Pull weeds and hoe often to minimize reseeding.
• After mulching, check to make sure your irrigation runs are watering through the mulch to the correct rooting depth. If not, increase run times.
• Use a strong stream of water to rinse aphids from rose bushes.

Pruning

• Remove dead branches from shrubs.
• Deadhead roses to encourage more blooms.
• Thin the fruit of apricot, peach, nectarine and plum trees to about 6 to 8 inches apart.
• Use trimmings in compost pile or chip and use as mulch.

Fertilizing

• Feed bedding plants with all-purpose fertilizer high in phosphorus.
• Fertilize citrus. Follow directions on the container.

Planting

• Plant summer vegetables at two-week intervals to prolong harvest.
• Perennials: Million bells (Calibrachoa), Lily-of- the-Nile (Agapanthus), alstroemeria.
• Bulbs, corms, tubers: fortnight lily (Dietes).
• Fruits and vegetables: cantaloupe, chard, chayote.
• Trees, shrubs, vines: bougainvillea, violet trumpet vine (Clytostoma).
• Annuals: verbena, lisianthus (Eustoma).

Enjoy now

• Annuals and perennials: bachelor's button (Centaurea), California Poppy (Eschscholzia), godetia (Clarkia), coreopsis.
• Bulbs, corms, tubers: iris.
• Trees, shrubs, vines: oleander (Nerium), Indian hawthorn (Rhaphiolepis indica).
• Fruits and vegetables: cherries, cucumber, grapefruit, green onions.

Things to ponder

• To water hillsides, set emitters on upper side of slope.
• Continue to monitor and destroy slugs and snails.

Tasks

• Sometimes gardeners need to accept a small amount of pest damage to plants.
• Instead of trying to kill insects, learn which ones are beneficial and protect them by avoiding the use of synthetic insecticides.
• Water and mow lawn. Set mower blades higher to shade out weeds and keep roots cool.

Pruning

• Pinch the tips out of chrysanthemums and rapidly growing annuals to encourage denser growth and more blooms.
• Prune azaleas, lilac, camellias, deciduous magnolia, dogwood, India hawthorn, spirea, forsythia, and flowering quince as they finish blooming.

Fertilizing

• Fertilize fall planted shrubs and ground cover, remembering that a little used more often is better than a lot at one time.
• Do not over-fertilize. Excessive fertilization leads to contamination of waterways and excessive plant growth that requires more water.

Planting

• Spring planting ends this month. Get things into the ground before hot weather sets in.
• Plant annuals and perennials for spots of seasonal color.
• Perennials: Artemisia, yarrow (Achillea), dianthus, plant from seed.
• Bulbs, corms, tubers:  gladiolus.
• Fruits and vegetables: beans, snap beans, potatoes, corn.
• Tree, shrubs, vines: Hibiscus (Rose of Sharon), Photinia, Toyon (Heteromeles).
• Annuals: floss flower (Ageratum), strawflower (Helichrysum), zinnia.

Enjoy now

• Annuals and perennials: yarrow (Achillea), alstroemeria, snapdragon (Antirrhinum), dianthus, fringe flower (Loropetalum).
• Bulbs, corms, tubers: brodiaea, amaryllis (Hippeastrum).
• Trees, shrubs, vines: violet trumpet vine (Clytostoma), Indian hawthorn (Rhaphiolepis).
• Fruits and vegetables: artichokes, beans, peas, strawberries.

Things to ponder

• Do a special container planting of red, white and blue flowers now to celebrate Independence Day on July 4.
• Thin vegetable seedlings started outside last month. Try cutting to thin rather than pulling, so you do not disturb the soil.

Clip off spent roses for continued blooming. (Photo: Jeannette Warnert)

Tasks

• Watch for powdery mildew on susceptible plants. Rotate the fungicide used since the fungus may develop resistance.
• If citrus has scale, mites, or thrips, spray with summer-weight horticultural oil or insecticide.
• Continue to monitor and destroy snails and slugs.

Pruning

• Deadhead roses to encourage repeat blooming.
• Prune avocado and citrus only if necessary.

Fertilizing

• Lightly fertilize container plants.
• Fertilize acid-loving plants with a product formulated specifically for them.

Planting

• Newer varieties of petunia or Calibrachoa called ‘Superbells” may be available at the nurseries. It has a long bloom time and comes in a variety of colors. Look for it.
• When planting a vegetable garden, choose a sunny spot.
• Annuals: petunia (Calibrachoa), marigold  (Tagetes), black-eyed Susan (Thunbergia alata).
• Bulbs, corms, tubers: gladiolus.
• Fruits and vegetables: eggplant, melons, peppers, radish, spinach, squash, plant from seed.
• Trees, shrubs, vines: honeysuckle (Lonicera japonica), razzleberri (Loropetalum), crab apple (Malus), mock orange  (Philadelphus).
• Perennials: geranium (Pelargonium), Russian sage (Perovskia), sword fern (Polystichum munitum), gloriosa daisy (Rudbeckia).

Enjoy now

• Annuals and perennials: candytuft (Iberis), sweet pea (Lathyrus), statice (Limonium), alyssum (Lobularia), lupine, stock (Matthiola), forget-me-not (Myosotis).
• Bulbs, corms, tubers: calla (Zantedeschia).
• Trees, shrubs, vines: magnolia, crab apple, flowering peach, flowering plum, cherry (Prunus), redbud (Cercis).
• Fruits and vegetables: asparagus, strawberry.

Things to ponder

• Mulch, mulch, mulch to conserve water and prevent weed germination.
• Deep water trees during warm weather. Do not allow water to stand against the trunk of a tree.