How to grow salad leaves
Bags of salad leaves are quite expensive to buy and have a fairly short lifespan in the fridge. Grow your own and you can pick exactly...
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Gardening in June
June is the beginning of summer and you should now start to see the results of all the work done earlier in the year. So it’s time to really enjoy using your garden. But there are still some essential jobs that need carrying out if the summer is going to be a brilliant and colourful success. So don’t rest completely on your laurels!
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What vegetables to plant in June As the summer months arrive in June, the promise of long days and warm weather means this is one of the busiest times in your vegetable garden. But put in the hard work now and you’ll continue to see the benefits. If you haven’t already, sow the following vegetables in June: Sow indoors (windowsill, greenhouse or conservatory will all work well) Pumpkin Sow outdoors directly into well-prepared soil (containers, beds and borders will all work, whether in a garden or on a balcony). If you've already sown these indoors and they've sprouted, it'll be time to move them outside providing the weather is good. Climbing bean Dwarf bean Runner bean Beetroot Cabbage Chinese cabbage Carrot Cauliflower Chard Cucumber Lettuce Peas Radish Rocket Spring onion Swede Spinach Sweetcorn What vegetables to harvest in June If you’ve already been busy in your vegetable garden and you have plenty of crops growing, you’ll be in for a treat in June. The vegetables usually ready to harvest in June are: Asparagus Beetroot Broccoli Carrot Cauliflower Garlic Lettuce Peas Potato Radish Rocket Samphire Spinach Spring onion Tomato Turnip Vegetable plant maintenance in June Tie in sweet peas and other climbers regularly to ensure they don’t flop and break their stems. Sow fast-maturing vegetables, such as salads, every 10-14 days to ensure a continuous supply. Continue tying in runner beans. Monitor your pea supports and perform any maintenance where necessary. Finish earthing up main crop potatoes. Thinning, planting out and transplanting to final location is a key activity in your vegetable garden in June. Start with tender crops first such as lettuce. If you are thinning carrots, always firm the soil around remaining plants. This will deter carrot root flies. Make sure you remove the thinning when you’re finished as this can also attract carrot root flies. Continue pinching out tips of marrows, cucumbers, and broad beans. As we comeget towards the end of June, shallots planted in spring may begin to swell. You should scrape away the soil from the necks of the bulbs. This will make sure they are exposed to warmth and light. When the weather becomes hot and dry your vegetables will need plenty of water. Give them a fine spray every few days. Try and give them a thorough soaking rather than a light spray every few daysy. Use brassica collars when planting out cabbages. This will help prevent cabbage root fly.
What fruit to plant in June Whether bought from a shop or garden centre, or raised yourself, June is the perfect time to plant out your seedings. You can plant the following fruits directly into your garden in June: Tomatoes Cape gooseberries Melons Strawberries What fruit to harvest in June June is a great month to start picking and harvesting your strawberries. Pick and eat straight from the plant or have them with cream just in time for Wimbledon at the end of June. You can harvest unripe gooseberries in June to make tarts, jams and sauces. Just pick around half, leaving the others to ripen and to be picked in July. Fruit plant maintenance in June Pick rhubarb until the end of the month, then stop to give plants time to build up their strength for next year. Cover soft fruit with netting to protect them from bird damage. June is a great time to begin to prune plum and cherry trees. Place netting around your plants to protect developing fruits from birds and squirrels. Water potted blueberries, cranberries and lingonberries with rainwater rather than tap water – the lime in tap water will reduce the acidity of the soil over time. Be aware of shot hole on any fruit trees. If any suckers appear around the base of fruit trees, pull them off. For any fruit in containers, feed them with a high potash liquid feed to keep them healthy. Thin pears, plums, peaches and apricots earlier in June, and apples at the end of the month. Slug control is necessary now as slugs pose a threat to newly planted seedlings. Watering your tomatoes regularly should prevent blossom end rot.
hat herbs and spices to plant in June Before the weather hots up too much for reliable germination, sow seeds of herbs in June including: Coriander Basil Chervil Fennel Dill Parsley Rosemary Sage June is also the ideal time to transplant any container-grown herbs that have been either bought or propagated and raised. Herbs and spices plant maintenance in June June is the ideal time to chop back herbs to remove tired old leaves. This should stimulate the growth of fresh new ones in their place. Do this to: Mint Chives Sage Thyme It is also essential to water herbs regularly during dry periods. There may be plenty of these in June. The likes of coriander, dill, basil and wild rocket can be quick to bolt when overcrowded or in poor and dry soil. Keep your soil well fed and thin out where required.
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