In The Fruit Garden This June

Here are the top fruit gardening tips for June, a key month for both caring for developing fruit and harvesting early crops: 

 🍓 1. Protect Ripening Fruit 

• Use netting to protect strawberries, raspberries, and cherries from birds. 

• Consider fruit cages for longer-term protection of soft fruit bushes. 

💧 2. Water Regularly and Deeply 

• Soft fruit (like strawberries, raspberries, and currants) and young fruit trees need plenty of water as fruits swell. 

• Water at the base to avoid promoting disease. 

🌞 3. Mulch to Retain Moisture 

• Apply organic mulch (like straw around strawberries or compost around trees) to reduce evaporation and suppress weeds. 

✂️ 4. Thin Out Fruit 

• Apples, pears, plums, and peaches often set more fruit than they can support. 

• Thin by removing smaller or misshapen fruit to prevent branches from snapping and improve the quality of remaining fruit. 

🍓 5. Harvest Early Fruit 

     Begin picking: 

• Strawberries

• Gooseberries

• Early raspberries

• Cherries (depending on variety)

• Pick regularly to encourage more fruiting and avoid waste. 

🍏 6. Check Fruit Trees for Pests 

     Watch for: 

• Codling moth on apples and pears (use pheromone traps) 

• Aphids, especially on soft growth 

• Woolly aphid on apple branches (brush off gently or use organic soap spray) 

🌳 7. Summer-Prune Trained Fruit Trees 

• Start summer pruning of espaliers, cordons, and fans (especially apples and pears) to encourage fruiting spurs and keep shape. 

🍇 8. Feed Fruit Plants 

• Feed container-grown and heavily cropping plants like blueberries and figs.

• Use a high-potash feed (like tomato food) to promote flowering and fruit development. 

🐝 9. Encourage Pollinators 

• Leave nearby herbs and wildflowers to flower. 

• Avoid spraying pesticides during daylight hours when bees are active. 

🧼 10. Maintain Good Hygiene 

• Clear fallen or damaged fruit promptly to reduce the risk of rot and pests. 

• Remove any signs of mould or brown rot on trees and bushes.