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| Potted edibles and flowers |
Saturday, May 30, 2020
June is a productive time in the garden. Cool season crops are peaking while summer crops are just starting to produce with herbs in full swing. Everything is a lush green at the beginning of the month. As your fruit producing veggies flower, they will need a boost of fertilizer. As the rain slows down, consistent ground moisture is key.
What’s growing in the garden right now
Most of the lettuce and spinach I planted in March as well as the chard that overwintered is bolting. The lettuce seeds started in April grew large enough to move. I started more seeds a couple of weeks ago. As they grow large enough, I will transplant into larger pots. I will resow heat tolerant lettuce seeds about every 3 weeks for the summer lettuce harvesting. I'll put them in pots so I can keep them in a cool spot or with a shade cover as lettuce doesn't like it hot! Growing fabulous lettuce and greens
Don't worry about insect damage to the leaves on the cabbage and broccoli as long as the heads are forming nicely. A little insect damper will not affect the quality of the head produced. Broccoli and cauliflower growing tips I planted a small cabbage variety and had overwintered sprouting broccoli in the garden. The sprouting broccoli has bolted and seed pods are close to being able to use to resow. I will keep it under shade cloth when they sprout to keep the moths from laying eggs on them. They are great for salad greens during the summer months. Sprouting broccoli- a year round fav
When I get an infestation of caterpillars, I like to use diatomaceous earth (de). It is made of tiny aquatic fossils from fresh water. Their hard edges cause scratches on caterpillars and insects resulting in dehydration. So no chemicals involved. I use them only on plants that don't flower as de will kill pollinators, too. Natural, organic pest strategies and how to make your own bug sprays
Arugula, sorrels, chard and cultivated dandelions are all harvestable. As it gets hotter, these greens become stronger. Since they are perennials, they are the first up in the spring for fresh salads. Harvest the new leaves in summer for the mildest taste. You can cut them back, too, to get fresh new leaves. It doesn't hurt them at all.
This year I am also growing kale, broccoli raab, Chinese cabbage, Giant Red mustard and purple orach to have a variety of greens for salads. Dragon's tail radish is fun to grow and the seed pods are tasty in salads. I have it growing in a pot. I planted snow peas in pots in February. I used the type that the vines don't get too long. The flowers and leaves are great in salads and stay sweet tasting into summer. The Chinese cabbage is one that has long leaves. I am going to try it as a wrap substitute.
The cilantro, rosemary, sage, chives, savory, oregano, basil, lavender, tarragon, parsley and thyme are filling out nicely and flowering. The common chives have bloomed with their beautiful lavender flowers. The flowers are edible, too. They are fun to use in salads or as a substitute for onions in cooking. Very pretty to add in baked potatoes and grill. We slice our potatoes, add some diced onion or chive flowers, butter, seasoning, wrap in foil and throw on the grill. Yum.
Start a kitchen herb garden!
Another great thing about herbs is they are a good deterrent to deer. Deer do not like strong smells so avoid fragrant herbs. I plant them all around the garden to keep the pesky critters away. We now live out in the country and deer will even bed down in the yard. What has worked to keep them out of the garden is a combination of herbs throughout the garden, a pod deer deterrent, WD40 on socks, and marigolds around the perimeter of the garden bed.
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| Flowering chives |
Tomatoes and eggplant have started flowering so it won't be long before we will be able to eat fresh tomatoes! I started the peppers later so they are not flowering. They come on quickly, though, this time of year. This year, I am treating the tomatoes, squash and cucumbers with an organic fungicide. We have hot humid summers here in the Midwest and fungus loves those conditions! Keeping fungal growth down should greatly improve the plants' health and harvest. I'll alternate a Copper fungicide with Serenade fungicide after each rain. I always try to spray when it is cool so they plant does not get stressed. Tomatoes 101, everything you need to know to grow great tomatoes Peppers are for every taste and garden
I planted a few Purple Podded pole green beans. They are actually purple, but will turn green when cooked. They are flat Romano style beans. I just love the meaty taste of this kind of bean. I prefer pole beans because you get so much from one plant and they produce over the entire summer. I grow them on a trellis so they are easy to harvest. The advantage of bush beans is that the harvest duration is short so you don't have to worry about picking fresh beans all summer. Growing beans
The first cucumber seeds I planted did not sprout so I replanted more this week. They should be up in 7 days. For cucumbers, keep an eye out for cucumber beetles and caterpillars. Just pluck them off and throw into a can of soapy water. How to grow cucumbers-in pots or in the garden
I have several kinds of squash I grew indoors from seed. They are all transplanted. Both summer squashes are flowering, Zucchini Bush and Early Prolific Straightneck. Don't be afraid of not being able to use all your zucchini, there are great ways to preserve them. I am still using the zucchini spaghetti noodles out of the freezer from last year. What to do with all that zucchini?!
The winter squashes, Acorn Bush and Spaghetti, was just recently transplanted so no flowers on them yet. I am growing the Spaghetti squash up a trellis to save space in the garden bed. Everything you need to know to grow squash Quick tip-Grow Up!
Overwintered carrots, onions, garlic, and leeks are all flowering, including the Egyptian walking onions Egyptian walking onions. I am harvesting the walking onion any time I need onions for cooking. The green stalk is great as a fresh chive, too, for salads or potatoes.
I am still getting some strawberries on the later blooming plants. Strawberries seem to be pest free in our garden. You just have to get to the strawberries before the birds do! I am growing a couple different kinds of Alpine strawberries from seed, Regina and Mignonette. I love Alpine strawberries because they produce small, sweet berries all summer long.
Back yard strawberries
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| Ripe Alpine strawberries |
This year I also bought a bare root Chicago fig tree and a thornless raspberry bush. I transplanted them into pots and they are doing great. I won't get fruit from the fig tree this year, but should next. I am not sure about the raspberry. Time will tell. Both can be kept in pots or transplanted into the ground. Growing “exotic” figs There are other varieties you can grow if you are space constrained. I am growing a kumquat, lemon, goji berry, and aronia all in pots.
Fruit for small spaces and pots
Now is the time to provide shade for your lettuce and sow bolt resistant varieties like Summer Crisp Magenta, Green Towers and Jericho Romaine, Simpson Elite leaf. The Red Sails are doing quite well in the heat. You can move your lettuces if in pots to a shadier part of your patio or porch. Shade cloths can be used for those in the garden. You can also plant taller veggies on the south and west side of your lettuces so as they grow, they provide shade to the lettuces. I move most of my greens around to the northeast, shady side of the house this time of the year to keep them sweet as long as possible. This year I bought shade cloths to use over the frame of my mini greenhouses. They do seem to be helping extend the harvest.
Bolt-free, sweet summer lettuces
For a spinach substitute, you can grow New Zealand spinach, Malabar spinach or Strawberry spinach. I am growing the first two. Malabar was a prolific vine in our garden last year. All have spinach taste and love the heat. New Zealand spinach leaves don't have the shine of spinach. Malabar spinach has the shine and are slightly more succulent leaves than spinach.
Growing summer salads
I always have to have lots of flowers interspersed in the garden for color, fragrance and to attract beneficial insects. In addition to the perennial jasmine, daylilies, hollyhocks and lilies, I always have marigolds, Cardinal basil, zinnias, petunias, and sunflowers.
Best time to harvest
The best time to harvest almost any vegetable is mornings or right after a rain; this is when they are the crunchiest, fullest and sweetest. Harvest greens in the morning before you go to work and store in the frig for the day. Just don’t store tomatoes in the frig; this ruins the flavor.
The best time to harvest aromatic herbs like rosemary, thyme and oregano is in the afternoon when the oils are most concentrated. Harvest herbs like parsley, cilantro and dill in the cooler part of the day.
For more tips on preserving the extra, see Preservation garden
Watering & fertilizing tips
With the heat coming, it is time to start watering. Keep consistent moisture to your lettuces to keep taste sweet and your lettuce from bolting as long as possible. When your lettuce does bolt, let it go to flower and seed. The bees and beneficial insects enjoy the flowers and the seeds can easily be saved for fall and next spring planting.
Fertilize all your fruit bearing veggies when the first flowers appear (right now we have flowers and small fruits on our peppers, eggplant and tomatoes). Provide only compost tea or kelp the rest of the season. Too much nitrogen will cause your plants to grow lush foliage with no fruits. Nitrogen stimulates green growth so is great for greens but should be used in moderation for fruiting plants. I like to add Azomite to each plant once a year. It has a variety of trace minerals that can really boost a plant's health and harvest.
For more on summer garden care, Summer garden tips
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| Summer greens and herbs |
Can I still plant a garden in June-Yes!
There are many vegetables and herbs that you can still plant right now. Any of the summer vegetables love these temperatures and sun. As a matter of fact, this is the best time to plant cucumbers and zucchini to avoid the vine borer. Even if you have planted zucchini and tomatoes already, late June is a good time to plant a second crop. If your seeds don't come up within a week, it is likely that they were either bad or they rotted. Seeds can rot when the ground is really wet and chilly. It is still a great time to start seeds.
A list of all veggies that can be planted in June:
Arugula
Broccoli raab
Mediterranean herbs (basil, thyme, sage, oregano, rosemary, chives)
Parsnips
Salsify
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| Savory, thyme, lettuce, onions with day lilies in the background |
Here are a couple of garden ideas
If you have a picky eater, try the kid’s pizza/spaghetti garden. If they grow it, they want to eat it!
Tomatoes-any you can’t eat, you can easily freeze for winter pizzas, salsa, or sauce
Basil, oregano, chives, garlic for seasoning
Onions-you can grow Egyptian walking onions in a pot or ground and they are perennials to boot
Kale, arugula, broccoli and peas for spring and fall pizza toppings (also easy to freeze for later)
Green peppers, eggplant, zucchini for summer pizzas (maybe some hot peppers for the adults)
For those that are real adventuresome, you can get mushroom kits to grow mushrooms.
Or if you want a culinary garden, here is an Italian/Sicilian garden that you can grow in as little as a 6’ x 6’ space:
Herbs (1 each)-thyme, rosemary, sage, oregano, and flat leaf parsley
3 basil plants (for pesto and seasoning)
2 tomatoes-1 Roma type for sauces and 1 slicer type for salads
2 sweet pepper plants
1 zucchini
1 eggplant
8 red onions (you can substitute Egyptian walking onions)
8 garlic plants
Arugula, spinach and lettuce scatter sown
