By Nicole Johnsey Burke: Founder of Gardenary and Author of Kitchen Garden Revival

Here's What to Plant in June in the Garden

June has always felt like the garden's real beginning to me. Not because everything starts in June, but because June is when you really start to see what your garden is capable of. For some gardeners, June is peak season! The soil is warm, the days are long, and if you know what to plant right now, you're setting yourself up for the most productive summer yet.

Keep on reading to find out which fruits, vegetables, herbs, and leafy greens you can plant no matter where you live.

Not sure which climate you're in?

Look up the average high temperatures for your city in June. Then match yourself below.

• Cool climate — average highs below 65°F (18°C)
• Mild climate — average highs between 65°F and 84°F (18°C–29°C)
• Hot climate — average highs of 85°F (29°C) or above

What Grows Best in Hot Climates in June

Let's kick it off with those of you who will be struggling the most through the summer months—gardeners growing in hot places. I can relate. I spent many years growing in Houston, Texas, and oh my goodness, the summer was tough.

But don't worry, we've got some plants that can survive, even thrive, in temps that are regularly 85°F (29.4°C) or above.

What's really important is filling up your garden so that the soil won't be bare (bad news) in the extreme heat of July and August. Bare soil will just deplete your garden of valuable resources like water and nutrients.

My top 5 plants to start this month in a hot climate:

• Basil
• Okra
• Yard long cucumbers
• Yard long beans
• Zinnias 

Now let's dive into the best leaves, roots, fruit, and flowers you can plant in June to heat-proof your garden for the summer.

Herbs

First off, you can (and should!) cover your garden with basil, which loves the heat. You can grow all types of basil, including Thai basil and purple basil, which push through triple-digit temps a bit better than sweet basil. If you haven't already sown basil seeds, I recommend buying a healthy plant from your local nursery so that you can begin harvesting leaves immediately and maximize your enjoyment of this sun-loving herb.

Now if you're looking to grow perennial herbs (lavender, oregano, sage, thyme, mint, lemon balm, and rosemary) in your garden, I do recommend holding off on planting them until the weather cools down a bit. If you plant them in the fall, they should have time to get established before the winter.

Leafy Greens

Arugula, mizuna, and mustard greens are leafy greens that can continue producing even in the hottest months, especially if you replant them every 45 days or so. If you give these plants some shade as the weather warms up, you'll enjoy just-cut salads well into summer.

If you have room on a trellis or fence, try growing Malabar spinach, a tropical vining plant that gives you tasty leaves, plus edible flowers and berries.

Roots

If you haven't already planted potatoes (tubers), hold off until the fall when temps are a little cooler. Potatoes actually make a great fall crop in warmer climates. You could still do sweet potatoes, which are grown from slips and love the summer heat. Sweet potatoes are a wise choice if you have upcoming summer travel plans.

Fruit

You may be relieved to know you can grow cucumbers in hot weather, but they won't be the regular kind. Slicing cucumbers and burpless cucumbers will just turn nasty and bitter, and the plants will struggle in the summer heat. Instead, grow yard long cucumbers, aka Armenian cucumbers. Technically a melon, these guys thrive in the heat and taste delicious.

Another great plant to beat the heat is the yard long bean, aka asparagus bean, instead of regular pole or bush beans. These things can literally grow a yard long, which is really fun if you have kids. You can chop them up and make a whole side out of one bean. These beans and cucumbers will need a sturdy trellis or fence to climb. The Nicole Arch Trellis is my go-to — it's strong enough to hold the weight of full-grown yard-long cucumbers and looks beautiful doing it.

Next up is okra, which loves the heat. You could start with a plant or seeds this month. They'll grow fast in your nice, warm soil, and they'll still be producing pods well into September or October. Make sure to give each plant at least one full square foot in the garden to grow to maturity.

Other fruiting plants you can do this month include eggplant and hot peppers (both by plant) and melons and luffa gourds (by plant or by seed).

I don't recommend planting things like tomatoes, zucchini, or regular cucumbers until your hot season is drawing to a close.

Flowers

Don't forget flowers! Zinnias thrive even in the heat of summer. They attract tons of pollinators to your garden and ensure your hot season fruiting plants are as productive as possible. They also make your garden so beautiful, you'll actually want to go out to check on it even though it's blazing hot.

You can also plant marigolds, strawflowers, and cosmos at the same time.

June Planting for Mild Climates: Your Longest, Most Productive Season Starts Now

If you're in a mild climate, like mine here in Nashville, Tennessee, then you can likely expect a long warm growing season, when your average high temp will be between 65°F (18.3°C) and 84°F (29.4°C), for most, if not all, of summer. That means there are lots of things you can plant this month.

My top 5 things to plant this month in a warm climate:

• Bush beans
• Marigolds
• Melons
• Peppers
• Zucchini

Now let's dive into the best flowers and vegetables you can plant in June.

Herbs

This is a great month to plant basil and any perennial herbs (chives, oregano, sage, thyme, mint, lemon balm, rosemary, and lavender) you want to add to your vegetable garden. I recommend buying these herbs as healthy plants from your local nursery. That way, you can begin enjoying them as soon as possible. Once your herbs are established, harvest from them every week so that you can build up a supply of dried herbs for winter.

Leafy Greens

If your temps are mostly going to be around 84°F (29.4°C), you can grow Romaine lettuce and red leaf lettuce, which tend to tolerate warm weather better than other lettuce varieties. Other great summer greens include arugula, mizuna, and mustard greens.

Roots

You can still plant potatoes (tubers) this month, though I recommend sticking with early varieties so you'll get your harvest sooner. Order seed potatoes online or buy organic potatoes from your farmers' market, and chit them so they're ready to plant ASAP.

Fruit

Beans, beans, the magical fruit—you've got to add some bush or pole beans to your garden for the summer. I recommend planting lots of bush beans; every time you pull something out of your garden that's left over from spring, stick some bush bean seeds in those open spots. You'll get a nitrogen fix in the soil, and you'll soon be harvesting a ton of beans. That's protein plant power, baby!

Peppers are another great option for summer. If you didn't already start some peppers by seed, you do need to buy some pepper plant starts from your local plant shop because you should get these in the ground as soon as possible to get peppers all season long. Peppers will continue producing all the way up to your first good frost.

If you have the garden space, add some zucchini seeds. I highly recommend either growing these large plants up a trellis (you'll tie the stems up as they grow) or planting them on the very edge of the bed so you can train them over the side. These plants are so productive. You could pretty much keep your entire neighborhood in zucchini by late summer if you planted some seeds now. The key is to get them in the ground before it gets too hot.

Watermelon and cantaloupe love long days and warm weather, so right now is a great time to get those melon seeds planted. Even though these plants grow huge, I love planting them on the edge of my raised beds and letting the vines trail over the sides. If you sow seeds now, your garden will look a little wild by the middle of the summer and then you'll have melons to harvest by the end of August or early September. Plant melons now for the sweetest end of summer possible.

Flowers

Marigolds are one of the best flowers to grow over the warmer months to offer your garden some pest protection. Their lovely smell actually repels some pests, while still attracting lots of beneficial insects. Grow these flowers alongside your tomatoes, beans, peppers, and of course, melons, and you'll have pest protection plus beauty—the best two-in-one combo. 

You can also plants zinnias, cosmos, coreopsis, salvia, and more. 

Cool Climate Gardeners: June Is Your Garden's Biggest Month

For all my friends who live in colder climates, this is the time for your garden to absolutely shine. I remember my first summer in Chicago. Oh my word, I could not believe the growth in my garden. You've got super long days, tons of sunshine, and it's not too hot. This is your quintessential garden season, so you better make the most of it!

My top 5 plants to plant this month in a cooler climate:

• Arugula
• Beans
• Bell peppers
• Nasturtiums 
• Tomatoes 

Here are the best summer vegetables for you to put in your garden this month.

Herbs

Plant basil for tons of production over your summer months. You can also plant any perennial herbs (chives, oregano, sage, thyme, mint, lemon balm, rosemary, and lavender) you want to add to your vegetable garden. I recommend buying these herbs as healthy plants from your local nursery so you can begin harvesting ASAP. Once they're established, take double harvests: half to enjoy now and half to dry for winter.

Leafy Greens

It's getting a little too warm for spinach and lettuce, but you can still do arugula. Arugula is the perfect green to grow under all the other veggies I recommend. If you have kale and Swiss chard in your garden from spring, they should be super productive this month, so harvest leaves each week.

Roots

Plant seed potatoes (tubers) now, if you haven't already. I recommend planting potatoes outside of your raised beds, either in the ground or in a large container or grow bag.

Fruit

Bell peppers are a great option for your summer garden. It's probably too late to start these from seed, so buy some starts from your local nursery. Stick them in the garden. You'll have peppers all the way through the fall.

Pole beans and bush beans can be started from seed in your garden this month. These are a great option if you're wanting to save money on plants; two seed packs will set you back $5 to $6. Bush beans can be planted in any little empty spot in your garden, and pole beans will climb a sturdy structure like a trellis or fence. Just plant one or two rows of bean seeds every week, and you're going to have beans growing out your ears!

If you want to grow tomatoes, these need to be planted pronto because they need about 60 to 100 days to harvest depending on the variety. Buy a well-grown start from the nursery (I recommend a vining variety that produces small tomatoes, like sungolds and Juliets). Plant it next to a sturdy trellis, and you'll have tomatoes from the end of July all the way up to your first frost.

You can also plant cucumbers, squash, and zucchini (all by seed) this month.

Flowers

Don't forget flowers for beauty and pest protection. Nasturtiums provide both in abundance, along with edible leaves, flowers, and seeds (which are great to pickle). Nasturtiums are wonderful trap crops that attract pests that would otherwise eat your tomatoes, cucumbers, beans, and peppers. But don't worry—you can still harvest and eat these plants, even after a pest attack.

You can also plant things like zinnias, marigolds, strawflowers, and cosmos.

What are the best flowers to plant in June?

You can plant zinnias, calendula, chamomile, strawflowers, nasturtiums, and marigolds over the summer.

If you're in a hotter climate, cosmos, petunias, and begonias planted now will continue to thrive through your hot season.

Find Resources for Your June Garden

No matter what you plant, give your seeds and seedlings a really good watering in and keep them moist in the first 7 to 10 days after sowing to prevent them from drying out.

Here are some of our many wonderful resources to help you grow a productive and beautiful garden this summer:

• Grab 10 packets of free seeds.
• Grab our garden planners to help you make the most of every season in the garden.
• Get started setting up your garden with a free raised bed e-book.

Whatever you grow in your garden, don't grow alone! We're here to help you have confidence and find success in the garden every step of the way, rain or shine.

Here's to the start of a wonderful summer in the garden!

Frequently Asked Questions

Is it too late to plant tomatoes in June? In cool climates, June is actually the right time — tomatoes need roughly 60 to 100 days to harvest, and your long summer days give them everything they need. In hot climates, wait until your heat season winds down and plant tomatoes in late summer or fall instead.

What herbs can I plant in June? Basil is the standout herb for June in every climate — it loves warmth and produces all summer. In mild and cool climates, you can also add perennial herbs like oregano, thyme, sage, rosemary, mint, and chives. In hot climates, hold off on perennials until fall.

What flowers should I plant in June? Zinnias, marigolds, nasturtiums, cosmos, and strawflowers are all excellent choices in June. Marigolds and nasturtiums do double duty as companion plants that attract beneficial insects and deter pests from your vegetables.

What should I not plant in June in a hot climate? Avoid planting tomatoes, zucchini, and regular slicing cucumbers in June if you're in a hot climate — they'll struggle in the intense summer heat. Wait until temperatures cool in late summer or fall to plant these crops.

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