June Desert Gardening List

June is a pivotal month, the season goes from very warm to scorching in just a couple of weeks, which puts stress on your plants and even the animals that live near them. Here is your June checklist:

Rabbits will eat just about anything in your garden if they are deprived of water.

Plant:
- Sweet potato. They thrive in the heat and do best in raised beds which allow room to hang the vines.
- Peppers and basil can fill in your garden where the springs crops left off. They'll do well in the heat.
- Rain lily can still be planted in Zones 9-10. Barely cover the bulbs when planting.
- Cannas should be quite large by now, make sure they do not get too much sun. They will burn and fall over from the sun/winds. If they are starting to look a little beat up, give them some make shift humidity by spraying them down early in the a.m.
- Plant your saguaros now. Remember even the largest of saguaros rarely have a root base deeper than 3 or 4 feet, so if the saguaro is tall make sure there is a staked support system in place for at least the first 6 months. Do not use carpet around the saguaro, it will collect moisture and rot the cactus.

Care:
- Rain lily blooms this month in Zones 9-10. If your bulbs look a bit flimsy make sure it's getting enough water and the soil is well-draining.
- Spent flower stalks can be removed from bulbs, hesperaloe, yuccas and agaves.
- Take a look at your cactus, aloes, agaves and yuccas. Many of these need a little protection from the end of the day intense summer sun. Consider moving heat-stressed plants to a shadier spot or provide a shade cloth for the late afternoon sun.
- Rabbits can be your biggest problem when monsoon arrives later in the summer. The critters get desperate for water and they will eat even the most protected cactus and agaves. Chicken wire can be helpful around your plants but it's not the best looking. Pepper around plants helps detract rabbits, so does kitty litter and even dog/cat urine.

Watering:
- Watering is crucial this time of year, do not let bulbs dry out during the hot summer days. For lilies, do not water from overhead or they will rot.
- Water cactus, desert spoon, ocotillos and yuccas once or twice this month. Remember, deep watering is very important!

Fertilize:
- Do not fertilize bulbs anymore this summer.
- Potted agaves and cactus could use a bit of low-nitrogen fertilizer this month.