If you're feeling that you've already missed your window for getting the garden in, don't despair. It's really not too late, even if you live in a colder climate.
I'll never forget my first year homesteading in Maine. There was this old farmer friend who grew "a bit of everything" and I'd chat with him often when I went to buy his beef and pork. In May, I was concerned that I'd barely started planting my garden, but he assured me "It's not even June yet, yer doin' fine."
By early June, I confessed I was worried I'd still not finished planting. "It's not the Fourth a July, the fat lady haint sung yet." What he taught me, over the next couple of years, in his old-timey way, is that you work with the time you have, do your best, and choose varieties that can ripen in the growing season you have.
If you long for an amazing garden, but haven't yet started, here are 15 fantastic food plants you can still grow from seed to harvest, starting in June.
1. Beets
Beets are one of those wonderful vegetables that can be eaten entirely - both leaves and roots. Many people enjoy beet greens even more than spinach, and roasted beets are pure heaven. Pressure can them for a delicious taste of summer, all winter long!
Favorite varieties to try include Chioggia (55 days) and Kestrel (53 days)
2. Asian Greens
Vegetables that fall under the "Asian Greens" umbrella, are robust and flavorful greens with big meaty stems, like Chinese Cabbage, and Pac Choi. These grow quickly, and are favorites in everything from stir fry, to kimchi, to braised baby greens. They're a real workhorse crop!
We especially love Joi Choi (50 days) and Shuko (45 days)
3. Green Beans
Green beans are one of those workhorse crops that always overdelivers.
While pretty much any green bean will have plenty of time to mature if planted in June, if you're looking for a quick crop, it's a good idea to look for bush bean varieties, rather than pole beans, which take longer to mature.
Some of our favorite bush beans are Jade (56 days), Provider (50 days), and Gold Rush (54 days).
4. Carrots
I keep hearing from people who swear that carrots are hard to grow well, but in my experience carrots are one of the easiest crops you can put in the ground. (These helpful tips will have you growing gorgeous carrots every year!)
They're also one of those vegetables that it seems almost impossible to grow too many of, as anyone with carrot-loving kids is sure to attest!
Some of my favorite fast-growing carrots include Coral (55 days), Mokum (48 days), and Yaya (58 days).
5. Cucumbers
Cucumbers love the heat, so you can't start them first thing in the spring, like you can with carrots or lettuce. June is just fine with these sun-loving cucurbits!
To get that harvest started quickly, reach for some fast maturing varieties like Socrates (52 days), Ronda (50 days), or Lagos (45 days).
6. Chard
Chard is another workhorse vegetable, that doesn't take long to really get going. June isn't too late to directly sow chard, and since it doesn't mind a bit of chill in the fall, you'll still get a good long season to enjoy the harvest.
We especially love Bright Lights (56 days), and Fordhook Giant (50 days).
7. Lettuce
While lettuce really likes cooler weather, it's one of those vegetables that you want to keep going all summer long.
Getting lettuce in the ground in June will ensure you have fresh lettuce that hasn't already gone to seed, by the time August comes around.
There are so many wonderful varieties to choose from, but a few fast-growing favorites are: Optima (52 days), Lollo Rosa (58 days), and Jadeite (50 days).
8. Nasturtiums
Don't forget to start some edible flowers when you're getting all those vegetables in the ground! Nasturtiums grow quickly, and they're a real favorite in salads!
Wondering which variety to grow? For a look like the photo above, "Cream Troika" is what you want. It's also hard to go wrong with Jewel or Alaska. (Grab the recipe for that gorgeous Panna Cotta in the photo, here!)
9. Peas
Peas really love the cool weather, rather than hot sun, but the good news is that they grow so quickly you can get in a second crop after the first one!
Aim for the end of June to direct sow some late peas, and they'll be ripening just as the weather is starting to cool off again in late summer. Whether you prefer snap peas (like those on the left in the photo) or snow peas (on the right), all pea varieties mature quickly enough that you really can't go wrong with whatever variety you choose!
10. Radishes
Radishes are one of those vegetables that grow so quickly you can keep seeing them all summer long. Most varieties will mature in less than 60 days, so whatever you grow will have plenty of time to be harvested before the weather gets cool again.
11. Spinach
Spinach grows best in the cool shoulder seasons of spring and fall, which makes it a great second crop, and late June isn't too early to get that second crop started.
New to succession planting? Try planting spinach in a bed where you've just finished growing snap peas, beets, or radishes!
12. Summer Squash & Zucchini
Zucchini is one of those amazing plants that grows quickly, and offers an almost unbelievable harvest. Many varieties mature in less than 60 days, so June is not too late to get started.
For summer squash we love Saffron (42 days) and Sunburst (52 days), and for zucchini it's hard to beat Black zucchini (50 days), or Green machine (45 days).
13. Sunflowers
Here's another fast growing flower you can eat, and it's one of the most edible plants you could ask for. Just about every part of a sunflower can be eaten--from the dried seeds, to the tender sprouts, to those beautiful, sunshiny blossoms.
Keep your flower heads small and useable by really crowding your planting. This is the easiest way to ensure petite, beautiful blossoms that are desirable for culinary use. 4" spacing in every direction isn't too close for single-blossom varieties.
Add the petals to a fresh green salad, or try lightly steaming the entire blossom, then tossing with melted butter and garlic.
14. Corn
While the old adage goes that you want your corn to be "knee high by the Fourth of July", you can still make it if you get your seeds planted during that first week of June.
To ensure plenty of time for a good harvest, reach for varieties that don't need an extra-long growing season. We like Bodacious (77 days), Nirvana (75 days), and Sparkler (78 days.)
15. Turnips
Like beets, turnips are prized not just for their roots, but also for their leafy green tops. Both parts are delicious, and the fact that you can eat (and store!) both parts of a turnip, makes them a wonderfully efficient addition to any small garden.
Some of our favorite fast-growing types include Gold Ball (45 days), and Purple Top White Globe (50 days).
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Anna Chesley
Anna Chesley is a freelance writer living a homestead lifestyle, with a special love for family travel, old books, vintage skills, and seaside living. In addition to founding Salt In My Coffee, she runs the website, New England Family Life, as well as The 1800's Housewife, a website devoted to re-creating authentic 1800's recipes.
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