Care guides › Brisbane › June
June in the Brisbane garden
Early winter in Brisbane. Subtropical: no frost, a dry spring, then a wet summer. Here is what needs doing this month, with the essentials first.
- What to plant 12
- What to harvest 18
- Pruning and deadheading 3
- Watering 1
- Pests and diseases to watch for 1
- Tidying up 8
What to plant in June
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Lettuce
Sow or plant every few weeks for a steady supply
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Carrot
Sow seed direct every few weeks
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Broad Bean
Sow seed direct
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Pea
Sow seed beside a trellis
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Spinach
Sow in cool weather; it bolts in heat
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Onion
Plant seedlings in winter
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Garlic
Plant cloves pointy end up
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Potato
Plant seed potatoes once the soil is warm
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Tulip
Chill bulbs 6 weeks in the fridge, then plant
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Coriander
Sow in cooler months; it bolts in heat
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Strawberry
Plant runners in autumn
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Pink Everlasting
Sow seed direct in autumn, where it is to flower
What to harvest in June
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Lettuce
Pick outer leaves or whole heads
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Spinach
Pick outer leaves
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Kale
Pick lower leaves; cool weather sweetens them
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Broccoli
Cut the head while buds are tight; side shoots follow
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Cabbage
Cut when the head feels firm
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Leek
Lift as needed through winter
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Orange Tree
Pick when sweet; taste one to check
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Lemon Tree
Pick lemons as they colour; they hold on the tree
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Passionfruit
Collect fruit as it drops; wrinkled is ripe
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Olive Tree
Pick for curing as fruit turns from green to purple
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Lime Tree
Pick limes green and firm
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Mandarin
Pick as they colour
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Cumquat
Pick when fully orange
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Silverbeet
Pick outer leaves as needed
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Finger Lime
Pick when the fruit comes away with a gentle tug
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Lemon Myrtle
Pick leaves as you need them; they dry well
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Parsley If you have time
Pick outer stems first
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Coriander If you have time
Pick leaves young; let a few go to seed
Pruning and deadheading
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Salvia
Cut back to the new shoots at the base
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Oregano If you have time
Cut back hard in winter
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Crowea If you have time
Light trim after the main flush
Watering
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Cooktown Orchid If you have time
Keep it fairly dry in winter
Pests and diseases to watch for
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Orange Tree, Mandarin and Cumquat If you have time
Citrus gall wasp: cut off swollen stems before spring
Tidying up
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Dahlia
Cut back once foliage dies; lift tubers in cold, wet ground
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Asparagus
Cut the yellowed fern to the ground
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Echinacea If you have time
Cut old stems to the ground in winter
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Mint If you have time
Cut back to the ground in late autumn; best kept in a pot
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Boston Ivy If you have time
Sweep up fallen leaves and clear the gutters
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Catmint If you have time
Cut back to the base in winter
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Day Lily If you have time
Remove dead leaves
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Rudbeckia If you have time
Cut back to the ground in winter
Not listed: Cherry Tree, Blackcurrant Bush, Gooseberry Bush, Rhubarb, Blue Leschenaultia, Boronia and Common Heath, which don't suit Brisbane's climate.