What to do in the vegetable garden in June?

With temperatures rising and the days getting longer, June heralds the first signs of summer. In this article, discover everything you can do in your vegetable garden, from sowing to harvesting, planting and maintenance.

Sowing in June

If you've done your homework, the majority of your seedlings have already been sown, and most of them have already been transplanted into the ground. That's not to say you can rest on your laurels though; as with every month of the year, there's always something to do... and June is no exception. You can find the full June calendar below.

Sowing in pots

In June, you can still do some seeding in terrines, using pots, cups or trays. However, you can also choose to carry them out directly in the ground since, in principle, there is no longer any risk of frost!

As for me, I still like to sow cabbages, courgettes, leeks and lettuces in pots or trays. As for aromatic herbs, I also sow basil and chives in a container. Simply place them in the sun, water them well (but not too much) and wait until they are ready to be transplanted into the ground the following month.

Outdoors sowing

When it comes to sowing in the open ground, there are quite a few. It is important to prepare the soil well before carrying them out. This means clearing your plot of weeds, root remains and stones. Use a spading fork to aerate the soil. You can also enrich your soil with a natural fertiliser. Nettle manure, for example, will prevent certain diseases at the same time.

Sowing in the open ground can be done in several ways: broadcast, in bunches or in rows. It's up to you to choose the one that suits you best, depending on the type of vegetables and the space you have available. Here are a few examples of seedlings you can plant this month. You can find the full list by clicking here.

• Beans: can be harvested around 60 days after planting;
• Radishes: you should favour varieties with long roots as they withstand heat and drought better;
• Beetroot: varieties with elongated or yellow roots are the most recommended;
• Cucumbers: with sowing in June, harvesting can take place in July;
• Zucchini: the classic forms are harvested in August;
• Carrots: make sure your soil is well moist and favour medium-length varieties;
• Gherkins: you can harvest them in August or September;
• Summer spinach: sowing it in a semi-shaded area will help it bolt faster;
• Sweet corn.

You can also resow plants that go to seed quickly in hot weather such as dill, parsley and coriander.

Repicking and planting

June is not a month to rest. In fact, you may be transplanting seedlings resulting from your previous sowings, i.e. those from previous months. These can also be seedlings bought from garden centres. For example, you can transplant vegetables such as:

• Celeriac, leaving a 30 cm gap in all directions;
• Leeks, in rows 40 and 80 cm apart and with 15 cm between two plants;
• Tomatoes, arranged in rows 80 cm apart with 60 cm between two plants;

In addition to these vegetables, you can also transplant chillies and peppers, broccoli, leeks, head cabbage and leeks. Some planting is also possible in June. This is the last chance to get your courgette seedlings into the ground. The same applies to aubergines. You can pinch them out using the same procedure as for young tomato shoots.

Vegetables requiring a lot of water such as gherkins, cucumbers, melons or squash can also be planted. You'll need to make sure you do so in very rich soil, as these plants are quite greedy. You should also maintain a distance of 60 cm between plants and 120 cm between rows. Don't forget too that certain companion plants will help to attract biodiversity to your vegetable garden and prevent some pests. I'm thinking of marigolds, for example, which can be placed next to tomatoes. What's more, they're very pretty (even if they don't smell very good...)!

Maintenance to be done in June

As long as there are plants in your vegetable garden, you'll need to carry out maintenance tasks. June is the right month to loosen the soil around your plants using a hoe. It should also be weeded and cleaned for better water and air circulation.

Give your tomatoes special care by keeping an eye out for suckers. When they do, simply pinch them off with secateurs or simply with your fingers if they are still small. This operation will produce larger tomatoes and limit the size of your plant (which is very useful for greenhouse cultivation, for example).

During this period, the heat gradually makes itself felt. Plentiful, regular watering will therefore be necessary to preserve the growth of your young shoots and plants. Mulching the soil will have the effect of reducing the amount of water needed. As well as straw, you can also use grass clippings, plant felts, damp moss, nettle leaves or ferns. This depends on the type of soil. I refer you to this article to learn more about mulching!

Harvesting to be done in June

In June, the number of harvests isn't in full swing, but rest assured, you should still be able to eat some fruit and vegetables this month. Those with a greenhouse or favourable climate will already be able to pick their first tomatoes from mid-June.

If your radishes have been planted early enough in the season, you can harvest some during the month and later. In order to recover and produce your own seeds, you can leave a few to go to seed. The first leaves of summer spinach can also be harvested if planted early enough. This is also the case with kale, peas, broad beans and chard.

This is also the time to pick aromatic herbs in the knowledge that there may be another harvest this summer. Finally, in June, the fruits of certain fruit trees or shrubs such as raspberries and strawberries are already beginning to ripen, so you can start harvesting.