Growing Guide: June

Typically June is the month for transplanting your seedlings out in hardiness zones 9 and below. If you live in zones 10 - 13 you will have been able to do this as early as April (October for the southern hemisphere as the seasons are reversed). Whether you've been sowing throughout the year or haven't started yet there will be plenty for you to get your green thumbs in to.

Sowing undercover:

Alliums: Plant out leeks. It's too late in the year to sow most types, but you can still sow spring onions in succession for the remainder of the year. All varieties will grow well in the summer, save hardier varieties like white Lisbon for the colder months.

Brassicas: June is a go for many brassicas including broccoli, cabbage (Asian varieties), calabrese, cauliflower, kale, kohlrabi, sprouts and turnips. Brassicas can be prone to bolting in the dry heat so ensure the roots are well watered to avoid burning the large green leaves.

Cucurbits: June typically sees the end of the sowing window for these plants, however, there is still a whole month left to get sowing. Sow cucumbers, both salad and pickling varieties as well as melons undercover in a hoit place as they will need the heat to germinate and to fruit. Sow courgettes (zucchini), pumpkins, summer and winter squashes either undercover or direct to the ground with some protection. For another last chance in June, get your potatoes chitted and underground for autumn to winter harvests. Sun light causes potatoes to turn green and with the strong summer sun ensure your potatoe plants are well covered with soil and mulch to keep them cool.

Sow edible flowers direct such as cornflowers, daisy, marigold and sunflowers. You can do the same with leafy green herbs to ensure you get a crop for enjoying or preserving.

Grasses: There's still time to sow rice for warmer climates. See our page on growing grass varieties for ideas to regulate the growing conditions. June also brings and end to the window for sweetcorn, so use up any spare kernels.

Legumes: June is a perfectly warm month to sow bush climbing, French and runner beans for a bumper harvest from August onward. Sow chickpeas and lentils in the first two weeks of June as they can take longer to mature. If you have pea seeds left and experience hot July and August months, sow from August until September for a late season crop.

Root veg and salad leaves: Sow carrots for your final successions in June. There's plenty of time ahead to grow beets and radish as they can mature quickly. The warmer weather is the perfect window to sow or transplant out summer salad leaves like endive, little gem, lolla rosa and radicchio as well as those spicy leaves, perfect for summer dishes. Mizuna, red mustard leaves and rocket are well loved examples of these flavoursome spicy leaves. If you prefer cooked leaves or to grill them try sowing pak choi and radicchio as they can hold their shape better than others.

Sowing seeds in a propagator, greenhouse, cold frame or on a windowsill can give them a head start and it can also protect seedlings from pests. For detailed info on pests see the website. If you are sowing directly outside you can utilise cloches or netting to protect seedlings from birds, insects and slugs and snails. For cloche ideas see the blog post. Thank you for visiting and enjoy a busy moth of sowing and growing.