June: month of gardening glory; of happy, heavenly growing. We are a week now into official summer with – hopefully – all threat of frost gone until towards the end of September. Gardeners know this is also the watershed time: a last chance to sow summer beetroot, autumn carrots and chicories. Even winter brassicas.
The good news is that everything can go into ground, including more delicate warm-weather crops, such as sweet corn, squash, courgettes, tomatoes, beans, aubergines, peppers, outdoor cucumbers.
All have a greedy need for feed, so dose at least once a week. Also, note corn is wind-pollinated so is best planted in blocks not single rows.
It’s your last chance, too, to sow softer herbs – basil, chervil, dill, parsley, coriander – before heat makes germination unreliable. Legend says the same about lettuce. An older gardener I knew swore it’s best sown in the cooler evening. Cut-and-come-again salad leaves are good to go, though high-summer rocket is prone to bolt – the wild variety is better for now.
Remember to prune back mint so it’s ready for when you lift any early potatoes. Keep earthing up maincrops. There should soon be new potatoes and peas. Plug opening gaps with oriental leaves and radishes and replenish regularly.
I’ve been scattering nasturtiums, calendula and tagetes in ever-greater amounts. I fear it’s a need for cheer. I’m unsure how many self-sown sunflowers I’ll leave as I’m a little daunted by their rapid growth. The same with our crimson carpet of red orache.
It’s a leap year and the summer solstice is earlier, 20 June, so soak in the early mornings and longer evenings. Remember the mantra: sow, weed, water, feed. Simple rules work.
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