Seasoned advice: June gardening tips from a professional

The gardening season is in full swing, with flowers blooming, vegetables sprouting and colorful gardens popping up on just about every corner. Now is still a great time to get some more things in the ground.

Karen Edwards is the owner of Edwards Nursery (11230 Nelson Road NE) in Moses Lake, which has been around for more than 40 years. Edwards recently offered some tips on adding to the garden in June, or just picking up the plants you already have.

The two main things Edwards said are key to keeping plants and flowers happy are pre-planning and soil conditioning.

“Some places around here have really sandy soil and some have sort of a clay-like soil,” Edwards said.

She said working in the organic compost material can help pull nutrients around the plant. Edwards said organic products tend to hold nutrients better, keeping the nutrients around the plant until it’s ready to use them.

In addition, she said it’s good to get an idea of what kind of overall picture someone has when creating their garden. She said people can find something that’s going to bring some color to the annuals and flowering shrubs.

Edwards said she’s had people come back after just purchasing a bunch of flowering shrubs and let her know she was right in telling them to find something to go with those shrubs that will be green in early winter and early spring.

Most of all, she said, find some plants or flowers that you want to plant. Right now, she said, a lot of gardeners are finishing up their first batch of salad greens, peas or other early starts. Edwards said a lot of people are still planting tomatoes, too.

She said the annual flowers can virtually all go in right about now.

“Right now, a lot of people are starting to fill in their perennial beds with maybe some color or something that will last until later in the season; maybe they’re putting in a calla lily or something like that,” Edwards said.

Snapdragons, cosmos and a variety of types of amaranth flowers are just some Edwards said work well to fill in the summer garden. She said a lot of individuals will put in some perennials to take the place of annuals once they’re gone for the year.

She said plenty of gardeners are still putting in carrots, turnips, rutabagas, parsnips and things like that, possibly even a second crop of peas or beans. Often, she said people will plant a bigger second crop of beans around this time for canning in the fall.

“The main thing is to check how long it takes and when you want to harvest it or if you want something all along,” Edwards said.

Succulents are another plant variety Edwards said people often overlook that provide a variety of different textures and composition options for gardeners, while still remaining hardy in the dry conditions of the Columbia Basin. Edwards said to think in terms of what’s going to be evergreen and what is going to lose its leaves in winter to keep some color year-round.

While it’s borderline late for some bigger melons and pumpkins, Edwards said the earlier maturing varieties should still be safe to start. She said one solution is to pick off much of the plant’s bloom and just let the energy and nutrients focus on a few rather than a bunch of smaller ones.

Edwards said a black plastic tarp under the soil can help trap more of the heat during the day that can help certain plants that might not mature fast enough otherwise. She said it’s always nice to have a variety of things planted that pair well together.

“Around the base of tomatoes, you can put radishes, spinach or chard and harvest it while the tomato plant is still getting bigger,” Edwards said.

Often, she said, people will put a variety of herbs around their garden landscape that can really boost the variety and color-scape. Herbs, such as basil, come in a variety of different flavors and strands, each one a little different.

For anyone interested in planting trees, Edwards said the best time for that is typically in spring or fall. But, she said depending on the size of the tree and conditions, a well-established tree can still do well in the summer with some extra precaution.

“Make sure you are conditioning the soil and soaking through it thoroughly and then slowly spacing your watering out,” Edwards said. “If you notice the leaves starting to droop a bit, then pick up on your watering a little bit more.”

Edwards said properly spacing out watering as plants become established can help them hold moisture and prevent water loss. In dry conditions, she said it’s a good idea to place some wood chips, straw or other absorbent materials around the plant base to save time on weeding and retain moisture in the soil.

Spacing the plants and the watering out and making the roots heartier keeps the plant more conditioned to drought conditions, Edwards said.

Edwards said, if possible, it’s always a good idea to water your plants earlier or later in the day to prevent more moisture from evaporating from the soil.