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| June edible garden in the flower bed |
Sunday, June 19, 2022
Some think you can only start an edible garden in the spring. You can actually start a garden at any time in spring, summer or fall. If you are deciding to start your garden in the summer, there are a few techniques to use to figure out what to plant and help your plants survive and flourish through the heat and humidity.
Step 1-I think the best way is to make a list of what you like to eat, then see which of your favorites are best to start right now in your garden! This is the time of year of the heat lovers like eggplant, cucumbers, tomatoes, peppers and many herbs. There is no time like the present to get moving on your gardening dreams. A summer edible garden Culinary herb garden for beginners
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| Summer garden veggies |
Step 2-Now that you have your list, take a look at your garden, patio, deck, porch, front yard to see how much space you have that gets 6 hours of sun a day. Even the summer lovers appreciate afternoon shade this time of year. There are so many dwarf varieties of every kind of vegetable to grow in pots or small spaces that you should not be put off thinking you don’t have enough space!
Get the most from your space-plant intensively! How to decide what to plant for small spaces?
Companion planting tips Edible shade gardens shine in summer
Step 3-Buy your gardening supplies for your garden bed or pots. Pots are easy-just buy some organic potting soil and the decorative pot. Most potting soils come with fertilizer already mixed in. You do not want to use garden soil as it is too dense for pots. Make sure you buy the right size pot for the vegetable you are growing. If planting in the garden bed, use your flower beds to tuck veggies and herbs around your flowers. Mulched beds help keep the soil temperature cooler and hold in moisture; just what plants need in summer.
Make your own all natural, complete fertilizer Re-energize your potting soil!Decorative container gardening for edibles Weed free, self fertilizing, till free garden beds
Step 4-Buy your plants. I prefer to buy plants that are raised without chemicals so I look for an organic nursery to see if they have what I want. The brand carried at many big box stores started carrying organic last year. My next stop is my local nursery or big box hardware store. Choose the plants that are green and look sturdy. If they already have blooms, be sure to remove them. You want all the energy of your plants going into good roots initially. Plants will be ready to go directly into the garden or pot.
The heat lovers like tomatoes, beans, peppers, cucumbers, zucchini, and melons will also sprout from seed easily this time of year. They sprout in just a few days. I transplant sprouts into larger pots to give them room to grow sturdy. I'll transplant them into the garden when they are around 5" tall. Or just sow the seeds in their final spot and keep the soil moist.
What to plant in the June edible garden
What to plant in the June edible garden
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| Newly started seeds |
Step 5-Plant! Water each plant well before planting. The best time to plant is before a rain or cloudy days. Gives the plants a little time to get their roots jump started. I add plant starter and fertilizer to each hole, mix with the soil and then place the plant. Water again after planting.
For potted veggie or herbs, fill the pot with organic potting soil, water to get the potting soil settled, plant the veggie, and water again. You can top with mulch to keep lengthen the time between waterings. I also plant flowers in my pots to add color and attract beneficial insects.
Decorative container gardening for ediblesIf planting in your flower bed or garden, the best thing to do is a soil test (you can buy a kit or take it to your local co-op extension office). If this just seems too much trouble, use an organic balanced fertilizer following the directions on the bag.
The next step in garden production and your nutrition-soil mineralsI like to put a handful of worm castings and char into each hole with the new plant along with a balanced organic fertilizer like Espoma. Worm castings have lots of beneficial microbes in them that helps the plants absorb nutrients from the soil. Compost is also a good option.
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| Newly planted pepper plant started from seed |
Step 6-Monitor and water. Keep an eye on your plants. They may look sad the first week if it is really hot when they first go into the ground. Consistent water is the key for success. Like a lawn or flowers, the best time to water is in the mornings. When you water your flowers, water your veggies and herbs.
One watch out on watering, many summer crops are susceptible to leaf fungus, like cucumbers, zucchini, squash, and tomatoes. Be sure to water at the base of the plant and not the leaves.
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
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, and sprouting broccoli for a little green in your pizza toppings (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.
Here is an Italian/Sicilian garden that you can grow in as little as a 6’ x 6’ space or pots:
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 for a summer garden)
8 garlic plants (planted in the fall for summer harvest)
Arugula, spinach and lettuce scatter sown
It is great fun, a time saver, and nutritious to grow your own food in your yard!
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