June Veggie Garden

Our garden has really benefited from all the rain this spring and is really responding to the recent sunshine and higher temperatures. Overall, it looks like it will be a great veggie garden season.

Our kitchen garden is rockin' with radish, onions, lettuce, collards (seeded in early April) and kohlrabi, baby pak choi, scarlet runner beans (transplanted from indoors in early May).  The transplants we started indoors needed to go in after the last frost and I find that big healthy transplants resist or avoid pest attacks that seeds sown directly into the garden are susceptible to.  We planted some garlic, marigolds and lovage along the front of the garden to help deter pests.  We are already eating the lettuce, radish and onions and have started on the pak choi.  One row of lettuce we consumed has been replaced with some curly kale seeds that should be poking their heads up soon.

Kitchen Garden June 9, 2013

Our back garden is also doing well with garlic (bulbs planted in the fall), peas, onions, lettuce, kale, rapini, kohlrabi, radish, beets, leeks, carrots, parsnips (seeded early April), broccoli, beans (transplanted from indoors early May), squashes, zucchini, cucumbers (transplanted from indoors mid-May).  Marigolds, parsley, lovage and basil planted along the front of the garden to repel pests.

We tried square foot planting in a couple of rows in the center of the garden that seem to be working well. We used this method for crops we don't use a lot of.  Another benefit is that it reduces pest infestation by avoiding one crop in an area.

The only pest issue so far has been with something eating the leaves of the carrots down to the stem.  It required reseeding of most of the crop.

Back Garden June 9, 2013

Tip #1 Here's a trick to maximize production in a row.  I seeded the spinach in early April then planted bean seedlings beside them in early May.  By the time the beans are bushing out the spinach will be harvested and we will have had two crops from the one row by July (just in time to plant some more spinach or lettuce for a third crop).

Tip #1

Tip #2 You can avoid cut worms from felling your tomato seedlings by wrapping some newspaper around the stem when planting.

Tip #2

Tip #3 Hoeing the garden regularly helps disrupt the life cycle of a number of pests.

It's not too late to plant transplants or seeds if you have not started yet.  Happy gardening!

Misha