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| Potted edibles and flowers in the June garden |
June is a productive time in the garden. Cool season crops are peaking while summer vegetable 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 soil moisture is key. There are many edibles that you can start this month, too.
What’s growing in the garden right now
The lettuce and spinach I planted in March and April as well as the sprouting broccoli and lettuce that overwintered are in stages of "bolting". I started heat tolerant lettuce seeds in peat pots at the beginning of May and will resow about every 3 weeks for the summer lettuce harvesting. I'll start all the seeds 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
I also have heat loving greens going that are volunteers from last year's plants. Red Malabar spinach has a bumper crop going from last year's seeds. I will be thinning them and giving away a few. Their leaves are of harvestable size now. New Zealand spinach and Chinese Multi Colored Spinach amaranth also have a few volunteers. I will thin them by moving to new pots and giving away a few. They do great in a pot and are quite pretty together. Red Malabar has pretty purple vines and flowers that just keep on growing. New Zealand spinach is a pale green that really fills out a pot and the amaranth has pale green and purple leaves that grows upward. All thrive in our hot summers.
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 damage will not affect the quality of the head produced. If you are getting over run with worms, you can use an organic Bt spray that only affects worms and not bees or other pollinating insects. Natural, organic pest strategies and how to make your own bug sprays Broccoli and cauliflower growing tips
I have sprouting broccoli volunteers in the garden and pots. I'll leave them growing. Sprouting broccoli great for salad greens during the summer months, but cabbage worms do love them. The leaves taste just like broccoli. Sprouting broccoli- a year round fav
Arugula, sorrels, plantain greens 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 new varieties of mustard and other types of greens along with a winner from last year Hilton Chinese cabbage. A listing of what I am growing is in this blog. Edible garden plan for 2023.
Dragon's Tail or Rat's Tail radish is fun to grow and the seed pods are tasty in salads. I am growing Dragon's Tail radish again this year in a pot. It has purple stems and the pods have a mild radish flavor. I planted snow peas in pots in February and April. I used the type that the vines don't get too long. The pods, flowers and leaves are great in salads and stay sweet tasting into summer.
The sage, chives, oregano, tarragon, cilantro, Egyptian walking onions and thyme are filling out nicely. There are no flowers yet which is later than the last few years. The flowers from herbs are edible, too. They are fun to use in salads or as a garnish in cooked meals. 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 and marigolds 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.
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 and marigolds 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 have started flowering so it won't be long before we will be able to eat fresh tomatoes! We have baby tomatoes on the Black Prince and Rubee Dawn plants so far. I started peppers, eggplant, beans and squash later so they are not flowering. They come on quickly, though, this time of year with the warmer temperatures. Tomatoes 101, everything you need to know to grow great tomatoes Peppers are for every taste and garden
This year, Now is the time to treat the tomatoes, squash, beans and cucumbers with an organic fungicide. We have hot humid summers here in the Midwest and fungus loves those conditions! Keeping fungal growth down greatly improves 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.
I am staying with the best performing pole snap bean this year along with a pole Lima bean Christmas Speckles. I planted purple Blauhilde instead of Purple Podded beans because it is more disease resistant. I am growing an early winged bean again this year. It was super productive and had really pretty flowers. 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
I am growing a bush cucumber Bush Champion this year since I still don't have my garden bed in place and will be growing it in a pot. I started it indoors and transplanted outside last week end. You can also direct seed this time of year. Seeds 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
For squash, I am growing 3 kinds, Trombetta, potato squash and a Warsaw spaghetti squash. Trombetta can be used as a summer squash or left on the vine to ripen as a winter squash. It was impervious to pest and disease in my garden. Warsaw is supposed to be a more pest and disease resistant variety of spaghetti squash. Potato squash is supposed to taste like potatoes when roasted so that one is just for fun. I started them indoors and transplanted them outside last week end. They are very long growing vines. 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 and Spaghetti squash "noodles". I never need to buy pasta. Veggie noodles are low in carbs and high in nutrition. What to do with all that zucchini?! Everything you need to know to grow squash
For squash, I am growing 3 kinds, Trombetta, potato squash and a Warsaw spaghetti squash. Trombetta can be used as a summer squash or left on the vine to ripen as a winter squash. It was impervious to pest and disease in my garden. Warsaw is supposed to be a more pest and disease resistant variety of spaghetti squash. Potato squash is supposed to taste like potatoes when roasted so that one is just for fun. I started them indoors and transplanted them outside last week end. They are very long growing vines. 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 and Spaghetti squash "noodles". I never need to buy pasta. Veggie noodles are low in carbs and high in nutrition. What to do with all that zucchini?! Everything you need to know to grow squash
Overwintered carrots are flowering. Egyptian walking onions Egyptian walking onions. are filling out well. 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 had some volunteer garlic come up. I transplanted them over to a permanent bed. They will be too small to harvest this year. I'll leave them in the ground until next year.
I am getting strawberries and raspberries. Both seem to be pest free in our garden. You just have to get to the strawberries before the birds do! Back yard strawberries
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| Ripe Alpine strawberries |
The wild blackberries are already loaded with berries. Won't be long before there will be ripe berries.
I am growing a kumquat, lemon, goji berry, raspberries 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, Butter King and Jericho Romaine, Simpson Elite leaf. The Butter King and Red Sails stay sweet even after it has bolted. 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. Be sure to keep them moist as this helps prolong the harvest.
Now is the time to provide shade for your lettuce and sow bolt resistant varieties like Summer Crisp Magenta, Green Towers, Butter King and Jericho Romaine, Simpson Elite leaf. The Butter King and Red Sails stay sweet even after it has bolted. 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. Be sure to keep them moist as this helps prolong the harvest.
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, gardenia, gladiolus, mums, irises, and lilies, I am growing Cardinal basil, petunias, sunflowers, morning glory, Pride of Madeira and wildflowers.
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 with the stems in water for the day.
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
For more tips on preserving the extra, see Preservation garden
Watering & fertilizing tips
With the heat coming, it is time to start watering. In general, garden plants like about 1" of water each week. Pots require more. 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 or allowed to self sow.
Fertilize all your fruit bearing veggies when the first flowers appear (right now we have flowers and small fruits on our peppers and tomatoes). Provide only compost tea 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 or kelp to each plant once a year. Both have a variety of trace minerals that can really boost a plant's health and harvest. Kelp has hormones which stimulate growth. I learned last year to not use kelp on my tropicals I have in pots because the kelp caused them to shoot up in height.
For more on summer garden care, Summer garden tips
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 squash 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. You can also buy transplants to get a jump on the harvest.
A list of all veggies that can be planted in June:
Arugula
Broccoli How to grow broccoli and cauliflower
Broccoli raab
Brussels sprouts Growing Brussel sprouts
Cauliflower How to grow broccoli and cauliflower
Collards Grow a southern favorite-collards
Corn Growing corn
Bulbing fennel Growing fennel
Lettuce (heat tolerant varieties) Everything you need to know about growing lettuce
Mediterranean herbs (basil, thyme, sage, oregano, rosemary, chives) Start a kitchen herb garden!
Parsnips
Salsify
Summer squash Everything you need to know to grow squash
Sweet potatoes Growing sweet potatoes
Turnips All about turnips
Watermelons Growing melons and cantaloupe
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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
How to decide what to plant for small spaces?
Decorative container gardening for edibles
Get the most from your space-plant intensively!
You can garden year round in small space
Start a kitchen herb garden!
Decorative container gardening for edibles
Get the most from your space-plant intensively!
You can garden year round in small space
Start a kitchen herb garden!
It is great fun, a time saver, nutritious and cost effective to grow your own food in your yard or patio!
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