June 21 – marks the first day of summer and it’s also the time to give up on dead things. As all gardeners are filled with hope and mercy, we keep wishing life into dead things. But no matter how much water and fertilizer we give that dead rose, or struggling tomato, it isn’t going to magically come back to life.
Right about now the greenhouses are usually having full on greenhouse clear outs and this is a good time to rush out and get a deal. Say a prayer, shed a tear as you look at pictures from last year, and think about what might have been. Then yank it out and throw it into the compost. Yeah, Shopping!
In the vegetable garden, many of the cold crops are done and need to be pulled up as the light level will cause them to start bolting and going into seed. Usually, at this time you can start seeding another crop, example beets or another variety of lettuce, etc. (Balzer 2012, No Nonsense Vegetable Gardening)
-Kevin Napora, Landscape Designer & Master Gardener, Salisbury Landscaping, Edmonton & Area