Click below to listen to my 2 min. Garden Bite radio show: Vegetable garden tips for June
June is an exciting month for vegetable gardeners! We’ve got our warm season plants in the ground and we’ve already been munching on salad greens!
You can start successive plantings of beets, peas and shorter season crops. Also fans of broccoli, cauliflower, and brussel sprouts can plant them in June for a Fall harvest.
The first few weeks of a vegetable plant’s growth are the “critical period” for weed control, they’ll have the biggest effect on how well the plants grow and produce, so manage them diligently! In other words, pull them and mulch.
June’s a great time to make trellises for climbing vegetables. Crops like cucumbers, peas, and pole beans love to climb and will produce best when there is something for them to grow up onto. Some types of melons and pumpkins can be trellised, too! I love the old child’s bed spring for climbing veggies.
Trellis and cage tips from the Univ. of MN Ext.
Think about watering! Most people over-water. Generally speaking plants need just one inch of water (including rain) per week. But with our excessive heat, it’s important to keep them watered!! MULCH helps a LOT to keep moisture in. Click on this LINK to the University of MN with tips on watering. And also on NEWLY planted trees and shrubs.
The University of Minnesota Extension says, overly-watered soil can foster diseases and insect pests, and impact plant health and productivity. Decide whether you need to water by feeling the top few inches of the soil.
Once plants are established and growing rapidly, water if the top 4 inches of the soil are dry.
For newly sewn, shallow seeds like lettuce or carrots, water frequently in order to keep the surface of the soil moist and encourage seeds to germinate.
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