June is the month when we start seeing temperatures in the 90’s in the Ohio Valley.  That means that we must start watching our trees more closely.

1. Water – During the hot spells, especially with summer winds, our trees can quickly dry out.  It may be that the trees will need water more than once a day, depending on the temperature and the placement of the tree. For those plants which were transplanted this past spring, a once daily watering may be more than sufficient, depending on their foliage mass. These trees may enjoy a gentle spraying of the foliage during the hottest part of the day, to not only cool the leaves but also the pot.
2. Insects – As the temperature goes up, so does the insect population, especially the aphids, scale and spider mites.  A daily inspection is necessary, and rapid treatment is indicated at the first signs of an infestation.
3. Fertilization – During June and July, application of heavy amounts of liquid fertilizers can do more harm than good.  You might want to consider switching to a slow release version, or cutting the concentration of the liquid fertilizer and adding it more often.
4. Ohio Valley Storms – We all know that wild summer storms are possible during June/July.  You need to be prepared to set your trees down on the ground if one of these high wind storms pops up.
5. Continue to shorten candles on pines and to pluck needles on spruce and junipers.  On deciduous trees, continue to remove new growth to develop ramification.