You can create a beautiful garden in June

By Robin Dorner
Editor in Chief

If you think planting seeds this year is out of the question, think again. According to the Farmer’s Almanac, there are several seeds you can sow in the South-Central region in June and reap the benefits of your efforts this year.

Watermelon: Be sure to plant these juicy fruits in a hill for drainage and soil warmth. If you live in warmer climates, you can sow seeds directly outdoors, but wait until the soil temperature warms to at least 70°F to avoid poor germination. Space the plants about two feet apart in a five-foot-wide hill.

Pumpkin: Whether you use your pumpkins for carving, cooking or yard decorations, pumpkins make every fall more festive. Pumpkins require a lot of food, sun and a long growing season (from 75 to 100 frost-free days). You can plant them anytime after the first frost has passed up to July 4 in order to harvest by early October.

Melon: Honeydews are the sweetest types of melon; cantaloupe (muskmelons) are the most reliable. Amend soil with aged manure or compost before planting. These fruits must also be planted in a hill for good drainage and heat retention. In warmer climes, you can direct sow seeds outdoors, but wait until the soil temperature warms to at least 65 degrees to avoid poor germination.

Peppers: These crisp, delicious beauties are a tender, warm-season crop and resist most pests. The temperature must be at least 70° F for seed germination; keep them in a warm area for best and fastest results. Start pepper seeds three to a pot; thin out the weakest seedling. Let the remaining two pepper plants spend their entire lives together as one plant.

Onion (till mid-June): Whether to start with onion sets, seeds, or plants depends somewhat on what is available to you. Onion sets are tiny onions that will become full-size onions in about 14 weeks. Onions grown from seed keep well and are less likely to go to seed.

Okra: Never a favorite of my childhood when planting (small seeds, difficult to see, easy to spill). You can start okra directly in the ground long after the spring frost date (like June!). In stable warm weather, you can plant okra in the garden when the soil has warmed to 65° to 70°F.

Sweet potato: Some may consider growing sweet potatoes a challenge since they are typically grown from slips, which are sprouts that are grown from stored sweet potatoes. You can buy slips from garden centers and nurseries. When planting, embed in soil for 90 days and kept continuously warm and moist.

Eggplant (till mid-June): Eggplants are like humans in that they love being in a place where it’s warm and moist! Plant in a very sunny spot with well-draining, fertile soil. If transplanting, set three to four-inch-tall seedlings 24 to 30 inches apart in well-prepared beds.

There are a few more crops you can plant in June which will grow nicely in our South-Central region. We’ve compiled here a few of many favorites.

Most importantly, it’s not too late to get started if you want to harvest this year.

Planting information obtained from the Farmer’s Almanac.
Copyright The Gayly 6/27/2018 @ 1:03 p.m. CST.