It just so happened that The Wine & Country Club offered you the possibility of growing your own organic garden, and you just could not resist the idea of testing out your green fingers. Thank heavens that the Club’s staff members were always readily available to assist you with the process!

You started off by cleaning up the tall grass and clearing the weeds. The next step was to build the raised beds. This was followed by driving upright stakes and placing teepees, frames and espaliers to stake and prop plants effectively. Once you were done with that, you had to create access pathways so you could reach into the raised beds easily for weeding, planting and harvesting. You then needed to fill the raised beds with loamy potting soil and add organic matter to retain moisture and nutrients. Then it was time to set up the irrigation system—which meant measuring and laying out the tubing; punching the holes; connecting drippers, sprinklers or sprayers; and attaching the timer, backflow preventer and pressure regulator. Now that you were primed with some empty and suitable space in your garden, the next question was what should you be planting in June?

Secrets To Summer Planting in June

Although spring planting comes naturally to most gardeners, as soon as the season heads into summer many of them put away their seeds and plants for good and forget that they can keep planting throughout the summer. Most people get out into their garden in early spring and plant their frost tolerant vegetables. As their garden heads into summer, some of the spring planted veggies are at the end of their lives and will most likely be coming out of the garden sometime in June—when they will be ripe to be replaced (with onions or lettuce, which can be enjoyed throughout the year). Once that space is freed up, you can plant a second vegetable that is more ideally suited for early summer planting. Some recommended vegetables that will do well and are great options for replanting in the vacated space include:

• Aubergines
• Courgettes
• Onions
• Cucumbers
• Lettuce
• Melons
• The following varieties of pepper: Gordo, Italian, Padron, Choricero, Cuernet and, of course, bell peppers
• Cherry, Mutxamel and Optima tomatoes
• Watermelons

If you are able to find some seedlings for sale this late in the season, you can also plant:

• Chard
• Chicory
• Coriander
• Turnip greens
• Beans
• Corn
• Beets
• Parsley
• Radishes
• Kale
• Carrots

These crops are easy to grow and you will be able to harvest them fresh for a few months of the year. June is also the right time to start in a seedbed away from the final growing spot, where they will be replanted once the summer is over.

Seeds To Plant In A Seedbed For After The Summer

As mentioned above, June is a good time to start seedlings off in a seedbed, i.e. small pots or module trays conveniently located and prepped to welcome seeds that will be transplanted to another part of your garden once they are bigger and better able to cope with lower light levels—think September and October. Your choice of seedlings includes:

• Celery
• Broccoli
• Squash
• Onions
• Fodder kale
• Brussels sprouts
• Endives
• Lettuce
• Tomatoes

Whether you are summer planting in June or starting seedlings off in a seedbed for autumn transplanting, remember that watering is an essential part of your garden’s success. June tends to be hot and dry, so make sure you water the crops on a regular basis for a successful harvest.  

You also need to keep an eye out for pests, particularly white fly, which tend to pop into the gardening party prompted by rising temperatures. You will do well to remain vigilant and apply the right treatment before it becomes too late. To this end, it is important that you check the underside of leaves, where aphids and other small insects tend to hide.

Now that you know the ABC of summer planting, the only thing left to do is decide what you want to grow this June, what seedlings you are going to start off in your seedbed to enjoy them when ripe in the autumn, and to follow the advice that will bring success to your organic kitchen garden.

You are now one step closer to becoming a gardening pro!