Seeds To Sow in June

Hello June! The start of summer and my favourite summer month. The days are long and we can sit out for hours and hours in the evening, pottering, pruning and al fresco dining. There are still many months of the growing season left. We can plant our tomatoes outside and even direct sow the most tender of vegetables. Here are a few things that you can be sowing this month.

Courgettes

June means that you can sow your courgette seeds direct into the soil which will save so much time as you won’t have to worry about pots drying out, nor will you have to spend time planting out. We have a lovely variety called Cocozelle this year which has the most beautiful patterns on the skin. Definitely worth growing if you haven’t tried this one!

Fennel

Traditionally, the best time to sow florence fennel is after the summer solstice as there is less chance of it bolting.

Beetroot

Whilst we try and succession sow all season, if you sow beetroot seeds now you should get a harvest around September

Carrots

A sowing of carrots now will give you a harvest later in the year just in time for those warming autumn roast dinners! If you are short on space why not try growing carrots in pots? It is so easy – we have even written a little blog post on it here!

Cucumber

We just love the crunch and freshness of a homegrown cucumber – the temperatures are warm and perfect for direct sowing this month. Let them ramble over the vegetable patch and they will also help you to keep the weeds down so it’s win win! We are growing our favourite ‘Marketmore’ variety which does really well outside but if you fancy something a little different then why not try our ‘Crystal Lemon‘ cucumber. Named because it looks just like a lemon! This variety can even be eaten straight off the vine!

Kale

If, like me, you can’t get enough of homemade Kale crisps then keep sowing more of these gorgeous greens! We have a delicious curly variety this year called ‘Westland Winter‘ and our favourite ‘Nero di Toscana‘ which is also known as dinosaur kale as the leaves are bumpy – the perfect little story to help get the little ones involved.

Radishes

For a peppery crunch to all of those summer salads keeps sowing your radishes throughout the season. Don’t forget to use the greens too – they are delicious sauteed!

French Beans & Runner Beans

Direct sow your bean seeds this month and they will reward you with an abundance of delicious beans that you can either eat young or allow to mature so that you can dry them for winter storage.

Spring Onions

My personal favourite are our Ishikura onions as they are perennial and I am here for anything that takes care of itself! You can also sow your maincrop onions and harvest them early to use as a spring onion.

Swede

I know it is too early to think about Autumn when summer is only just beginning but you will thank me for making a sowing of swedes this month when you are ready for a nice cosy soup or stew on those chilly autumn evenings!

Kohl Rabi

The weird spacey looking vegetable that is so delicious in a summery coleslaw or stir fry. Just make sure to keep them covered or you will be fighting with the pigeons for your share!

Basil

We’ll be sowing basil, basil and more basil this month…. Greek, Purple, Thai and the traditional Genovese. Literally, as much as we can grow. You can also take cuttings and root them in water to get even more plants. You cannot beat the freshness and flavour of homegrown basil in salads, pesto, pasta sauces, pizza…. the list goes on. A real taste of summer and uncompromisable.

Peas

Keep sowing your peas! We’ll be sowing both garden peas and mange tout varieties. You can use both types for pea shoots and in salads. I delight over the crunch of a fresh mange tout, so much so that they rarely make it to the dinner plate!

There really could not be a better time to start sowing and growing some amazing homegrown goodness. The temperatures are perfect and you will reap the rewards of your efforts in no time at all!

Happy Sowing!