June is an important month in your growing calendar as a gardener as the last of your winter crops will be harvested and you’ll be looking to start planning for the next few months. Therefore, you’ll have plenty of options for planting in sowing this month!
This is great news for gardeners as you get to spend more time outdoors doing what you love. Plus, the weather is warmer so you don’t need to wrap up in hats and scarves to keep warm.
So, what are the options for growing in June? Let’s take a look…
Growing Options for June
The most common choice for growing vegetables and other plants in June is direct sowing. Now, you might have also come across the term “direct seeding” but both terms refer to the same process.
But, what is direct sowing?
This is a method of growing seeds directly into the ground instead of starting their growth phase indoors and transplanting them outside when they are ready. However, it’s not as simple as throwing the seeds on the ground on hoping for the best.
You need to prepare the area properly so your seeds have the right growing conditions and you can have a successful harvest. Here are some tips for direct sowing:
- Pick an area that has no weeds
- Read the sowing information carefully
- Mark the spot with a stone or something similar
- Water cautiously
- Limit moisture levels
- Thin the seedlings
- Provide enough space between seeds
- Give your seeds attention until they’re established
Once you’ve got the basics of direct sowing covered you can focus on choosing your crops and watching them come to life!
Best Seeds to Grow in June
There are several crops that you can plant in June but when it comes to popularity and versatility there are five main seeds that are worth purchasing. The five options are pak choi, spring onions, broccoli, Florence fennel, and pumpkins.
Here is a breakdown of the growing requirements for each crop so you can get planting as soon as possible.
1. Pak Choi
Pak Choi has gained a lot of popularity in recent years because of its versatility and easy-to-grow nature. You can use this leafy green in stir-fries, as a cooked vegetable, or sprinkled in a salad!
June is the perfect time to sow this seed as the temperatures will be high enough. You should sow this crop thinly for 2cm deep and 30-38cm apart. This is important as if you place the seeds too close together then you could end up with overcrowding and no one wants that…
So, pay close attention to the sowing instructions on the label. Once they’ve been placed in the ground you should begging watering the crops as regularly as possible. It’s good to check the texture of the soil as June tends to be warm you might need to water a little extra.
2. Spring Onions
Another great vegetable to grow in June is spring onions. They are easy and take up little space so you can plant as many as you’d like. As long as you have the right location and climate you can start planting them as soon as you have the seeds.
However, if you want to grow indoors then spring onions can also be planted in containers. No matter where you decide to plant them you need to pick a sunny location. If you want to grow outdoors you should clear the area of weeds and excess debris.
For sowing, you need to plant 1cm deep and 10cm apart. Only water if the soil is dry and otherwise you can water occasionally every few days. A great way to boost the nutrients of the soils is to add mulch or organic compost.
Not only will the added mulch or compost improve the health of your crop but it will also help retain the moisture which prevents root rot. After you’ve successfully planted and grown your spring onions you can harvest spring through autumn.
So, you will be eating lots of spring onions this summer!
3. Broccoli
Broccoli is one of those amazing vegetables that can go with almost every season. You can enjoy them during winter with a warm roast dinner or in summer as part of a garden salad. The options are endless for using broccoli which makes it a great vegetable for growing in June.
With young broccoli, you should sow the seeds thinly in the soil. Ideally, you want to space them 30cm apart for optimal growth. Plus, you should sow them 2cm deep.
The best soil for broccoli is well-drained, fertile soil. Normally, you will only need to water this crop every 10-14 days so it’s quite low-maintenance and is a good choice for newbie gardeners. Although if you experience a warmer summer than usual you should water more.
4. Florence Fennel
Have you ever tried Florence fennel? If not, then you’re missing out! It’s a great vegetable to have in your kitchen and can be planted easily in your garden. As long as you have an open, sunny location and warm weather you can start growing Florence fennel in June.
After you have the seeds you can sow them 15mm deep and 30cm apart. Just like the other vegetables, Florence fennel needs to be thinly spaced so make sure you think carefully before planting them.
Seed tape is a wonderful way to ensure the spacing is accurate for your crops and they get all the space and nutrients they need to grow. Now, you might be thinking, what is seed tape? And, does it really work?
What Is Seed Tape?
If you’ve ever spent time arranging seeds in the soil and had a gust of wind blow them up into the air and scatter them all over the garden then you’ve not been using seed tape. In other words, seed tape helps you plant seeds accurately and have better results.
Ultimately, seed tape is a piece of tape used to glue down your seeds and place them into the ground. That way, you can be sure that you spaced them according to the instructions and they won’t accidentally blow away during the planting phase!
Thankfully, you can buy some at your local garden store or make some yourself. It’s simple and effective. It will also save you lots of time and make your gardening more efficient.
5. Pumpkins
Even though you might not want to eat pumpkin in June you can begin planting it so you have it ready for later in the year. You will need a bright area, water, and light shelter for occasional winds.
Just remember to sow the seeds at least 3cm deep and evenly space them out in the soil. You can gently sprinkle fertiliser if you feel that your crops need some more nutrients otherwise a regular watering schedule will be fine.
As well as growing vegetables in your garden, you can also complete other gardening tasks in June to prepare for the months to follow. Gardening is all about staying ahead of the calendar so you don’t end up planting last minute and making a mistake!
Gardening Tips for June
If you want to add some colour then hanging flower baskets is a good idea so your garden has some flowers during the summer. You should pick short-term seeds and evergreens for an eye-catching display.
Some examples of June flowers to plant are Fuchsias, Pansies, and Petunias.
It’s also crucial that you water all your plants during this month as it’s most likely they will dry up over summer. So, prepare some time in your schedule for late night or early morning watering when the temperatures are at the lowest.
Then, you can move on to planting summer bedding so you can plant more lovely crops in the coming months!
You won’t be short of crops to grow in June or gardening tasks to complete during the early summer months so you will definitely be busy. Either of these vegetables is great for sowing and will give your garden a vibrant look especially if you mix in some hanging baskets.
The main things to keep in mind are to be vigilant in watering, top-up soil with compost or mulch, and follow sowing instructions carefully. You can refer back to this post whenever you need to.
Otherwise, have fun planting in June!