Gardening is an ongoing process, and, while timing is important,
don't be overwhelmed by a sense of being too late to plant by some
arbitrary date. All too often, I hear gardeners use a day of a
particular month as though it was written in stone--for example, Northwesterners
think sweet peas must be sown by Valentine's Day and
New Englanders consider Memorial Day the "do or die"
critical garden planting day. In truth, each season is different and
garden planting dates have been even harder to peg
down than the traditional wisdom would lead one to believe! I
want to emphasize that it's not too late to plant a great
garden, even in June and July.
What to plant:
While it is true that fruiting plants like tomatoes, peppers, and
eggplants need to be set out now, many, if not most,
summer producers will grow even more quickly from seed planted in
early summer when the soil is well warmed up and teeming with
life. You'll be surprised how fast seeds will come up and explode
with growth. Don't
hesitate to plant seeds for
cucumbers,
beans,edamame,
summer
and winter squashes,
pumpkins,
melons, beets,
carrots,
chard
and scallions. Start a crop of "cut and come
again"
salad mix,
braising mix,
mild
mustards,
stirfry mix or any of our
mesclun
blends in a spot with bright light but
out of the full, hot sun. Plant heat- and sun-loving herbs like
basil,marjoram,
chives, oregano, thyme and
sage with abandon, keeping the seed beds well moistened. Don't neglect to
plant some fragrant
scented basils
in containers to heighten summer afternoon gardening pleasure.
Second crops:
Even if you already have beans, squash, chard, carrots and basil in the ground, and your plants are growing well, June is a fine time
to start a second crop to have ready for another bounteous late
summer harvest when the first crops of these staples have finished
up. I usually start seeds every month, finishing sowing
summer-producing vegetables in late June. In July and August, I
start seeds for fall crops like all kinds of
lettuces
and mesclun blends,
spinach,
radishes,
kale,
leeks,
peas,
Broccoli Raab,
braising mix,
carrots,
and asian delicacies like
mild mustards,
stirfry mix
and
pak choi.
You
can still plant flowers, too!
Planting later crops in June also applies to flowers! Plant more
marigolds,sunflowers,
cosmos,
zinnias,
four o'clocks,
nasturtiums, etc. --all of the annuals that usually burn out by late summer. This way, you'll
have a marvelous second flush of bloom and can cut armfuls for Labor Day!
June
and July are also good times to start seeds for perennials and biennials to
bloom next spring. I sow seeds in a protected seed bed and then transplant
seedlings in fall to overwinter, then bloom, ensuring me a wonderful spring
greeting in the garden next year.
For a seasonal chart of "When to Plant Renee's Garden Seeds",
click here
Second crops:
You
can still plant flowers, too!