Gardening jobs for June: 10 tasks to complete at the start of summer

As the official starting month of summer, June is a wonderful time to start working on your garden. Flowers bloom in abundance, fruit and vegetables flourish and the barbecues start making a more regular appearance. It may not be the hottest month but there is still plenty of sunshine, giving you the perfect excuse to get your garden to be the best it can be. 

After rounding up the 10 gardening tasks for May, I've now put together 10 important June gardening jobs that will be guaranteed to make your garden thrive. However, before we begin, check out our guide to maintaining and entertaining in your garden this summer. 

Flowers, plants and shrubs

1. Thin your fruit trees

Whilst trees naturally shed some of their fruit in the early summer, known as the ‘June Drop’, it’s important to thin the rest by hand to improve the quality of that remaining. Further thinning also ensures that branches aren’t overloaded and allows sunlight to reach the fruit, helping it to ripen evenly. 

2. Trim your hedges 

It’s best to trim your hedges in June as it encourages them to sprout new leaves and grow out any bare spots over winter. Keep your hedges looking neat by trimming the growth with shears or a hedge trimmer. 

3. Deadhead any roses 

June is traditionally the month when roses are at their peak, but it’s important to deadhead them so more flowers can be produced in the long run. It was originally believed that cutting a head off just above a leaf was the best technique, but it’s now recommended to snap them off just below the head instead. Check out our best gardening gloves for 2023 to protect your hands!

4. Support your tall perennials 

Strong winds at this time of year can cause quite a bit of damage to taller perennials, so it's essential to support them to help prevent damage. This will enable your plants to remain strong whilst growing upwards, instead of drooping over. Bamboo sticks are great for lightweight plants, and metal is the option to go for if they’re heavier and bigger. 

Fruit and vegetables

5. Pay special attention to your strawberries 

Strawberries and other soft fruits need a bit more attention in June as opposed to other months. Techniques such as placing a bed of straw or gardening fleece as a cushion will help them ripen at a nice rate. Remember to also start netting your strawberries to prevent the wildlife in your garden from chomping on them. It’s also recommended to pick them regularly so you can enjoy them before the birds or slugs do! 

6. Harvest any seeds

June is a great time to collect any seeds from your plants which have already flowered. Once picked, get them planted as soon as you can whilst the seeds are still fresh. You can also share them amongst friends and family so they can get the same enjoyment. 

7. Harvest!

Finally, June is the perfect time to start harvesting and enjoying all your hard work. These can include:

Brassicas: calabrese, spring cabbage, kale

Roots: radishes, carrots, onion sets, potatoes and baby beetroot

Salad: salad leaves, peas, all lettuce

Leafy greens: chard and perpetual spinach

Herbs: pretty much all herbs should be flourishing and ready to pick in June (but pick and use them as you need, as they are most flavoursome when picked young). 

Fruit: rhubarb, strawberries, cherries, redcurrants, gooseberries

Garden Maintenance

8. Get on top of your weeding 

The extra sunlight in June is great for your plants, but weeds thrive off it as well. Hoeing them is a good way to start, but pulling the whole weed out including the tap root is ideal. For the best results, choose a dry day with a light wind so seedlings dry out on the surface of the soil rather than re-rooting themselves. 

9. Keep watering

The June sun and lack of rain will dry your plants out quickly if you’re not careful, and they will need a good soak a couple of times to keep thriving. Established trees and shrubs do not generally need watering, but newly sown or newly planted areas should be high priority. Although, be careful not to make these watering mistakes!

10. Mow your lawn at least once a week 

June is the time to mow once a week, ideally letting cuttings fall back into the lawn for the best results. Not only does this increase lawn quality, it decreases weeds/disease and helps to keep up a lawn's appearance. Check out our guide to the best lawn mowers to find the perfect one.

Looking for more tips on how to garden this summer? Read these 8 eco-friendly gardening tips for a greener sustainable garden.