UC Master Gardeners of Riverside County

Desert Events & Updates

June 2023

 Tomatillos - Physalis philadelphica - are not unripe tomatoes! Usually sold with their papery husks still intact, these green fruits are an easy-to-grow garden performer—and go wonderfully in salsas and more! Learn how to plant, grow, and harvest tomatillos.  Learn More

June Gardening Tips

Maintenance

• Watering and pest control are top of the "To Do" list.
• Water after midnight and before 10am to reduce the chance of fungal infection and to conserve moisture.
• Pinch off the top pair of leaves on all chrysanthemum shoots longer than 5" to keep plants bushy and produce more flowers.
• Cut spent berry canes to the ground; tie up and fertilize new canes.
• Cut canna stems to the ground as they finish flowering; new stems will continue to appear.
• Prune fruit bushes again.
• Harvest vegetables promptly to encourage continued production.
• Dig and divide over-crowded irises and bulbs when the foliage dies off.
• Remove spent flowers of daylilies, roses, and other bloomers a they finish flowering.
• Fertilize roses.
• Cut back lavender after flowering to promote a second bloom.
• Trim faded crape myrtle flowers for more fall bloom.
• Pick up dropped fruit to prevent brown rot. Clean around trees.
• Spray off aphids with water or use insecticidal soap.
• Pull weeds when they first appear.

What to Plant in June 

• Flowers: Direct seed annuals, such as alyssum, celosia, sunflower, zinnias, and marigolds.

• Vegetables: At higher, cooler elevations, direct seed summer squash, basil, cucumber-Armenian, tomatillo, bush beans, summer savory, and kohlrabi.

• If fruit isn't setting on your melons and squash, use a soft brush to hand-pollinate the flowers and increase production. Use the brush to gather pollen from male flowers, then brush it onto the female flower. (Female flowers have a tiny embryo fruit at the base of their petals.)

Lately you may have seen some large, leggy insects bumbling around on your home, bouncing off walls and ceilings. What are these? While many people call them “mosquito eaters” or “mosquito hawks,” they are actually crane flies. Learn More

Vermicomposting: Use worm castings to enhance soil by RECYCLING nutrients.

Food scraps decompose in a compost system leaving a collection of plant nutrients that can be used again to benefit more plants and grow more food. Worms get their nutrition from decomposing organic material and the microbes such as bacteria and fungi that grow in compost. Learn More

UC Master Gardeners are available and hope to see you at these Certified Farmers Markets:

PALM SPRINGS 

Saturdays, June 10 & 24 - 8am - 1:00 pm

Palm Springs Pavilion - 401 S Pavilion Way, Palm Springs, CA, 92264

Temecula Promenade Mall - Wednesdays, June 14 & 28, from 9:00 am to 1:00 pm, at 40820 Winchester Road (J.C. Penney parking lot)

Vail Ranch HQ - Tuesdays, June 6 & 20, from 9:00 am to 1:00 pm, at 32115 Temecula Parkway (Between Ross and Kohl's)

Riverside Downtown- Saturday, June 10, from 8:00 am to 1:30 pm, Main Street between 5th & 6th

Murrieta - Sundays, June 11 & 25, from 8:30 am-1:30 pm, 2422 Village Walk Plaza (Village Walk Place Shopping Center)

Advice to Grow by…Ask Us!

Have a Gardening Question...Ask our UC Master Gardener of Riverside County Helpline!

Please include as much detail as possible along with any relevant photos that illustrate your problem/question.

This service is free of charge and is provided year-round by UC Master Gardener of Riverside County Volunteers.

Email your question(s) to:

Desert Area: anrmgindio@ucanr.edu

West County: anrmgriverside@ucanr.edu 

FREE Zoom session on "Safeguarding California from Invasive Species" June 2, 2023 at 12:00 to 1:00 pm ZOOM Link

Join us at RCRCD, Riverside-Corona Research Conservation District, Building F, at 4500 Glenwood Drive, Riverside, for a FREE workshop on Climate-Adapted Trees & Care: Selection, Water and Palm Pests on Saturday, June 3, 2023, from 10 a.m. to 12:30 p.m.

Lavender Festival - NEW HOURS IN 2023!

Escape the heat and enjoy the lavender fields at sunset! Over 100,000 lights illuminate the farm at night. Open select days.10600 Highland Springs Ave, Cherry Valley, 92223 CA May 5 - July 23, 2023 5pm - 10pm Lavender Festival