Summer is almost here, the weather is warming up, and the garden is really taking off. I don’t know about you, but in June I’m hankering to get away, to put my garden on autopilot and take a vacation. But that’s right when things start getting good! Here’s our June To-Do List for your vegetable garden:

June To-Do List

Hand Pollinate

In the early morning, get out your paint brush and hand pollinate squash to ensure plenty of fruits for the harvest. Need to learn how? Here’s a handy visual aid.

Pick Bush Beans

It’s important to harvest bush beans every other day. That promotes continued production. Need help figuring out what to do with all those beans? Check out this blog posts for ideas.

Spray Compost Tea

We’re seeing spider mites and other signs of plant weakness. Stay on top of ecological balance by applying aerated compost tea to your plants. Want to learn how to brew your own compost tea? Read up here. And learn more about how backpack sprayers work here.

Feed All Plants

If you’ve been growing in your garden year-round like we have, your garden needs a little help by now. Scratch in compost and worm castings around each plant and water it in with a little kelp extract of kelp emulsion. If your compost is low in nutrients (many are) add a sprinkling of organic vegetable fertilizer to your worm castings before applying. Want to start a worm bin? Read here for details.

Plant, Plant, Plant!

In climates where hot weather arrives soon, June 30th is our planting deadline for hot weather crops. Get everything in the ground before the end of this month to enjoy a healthy garden through the summer. What should you plant now? Beans, corn, squash, melons, cucumbers, tomatoes, eggplant, peppers, and watermelons.

Inspect for Pests

Check under the leaves every other day for critters like aphids, cabbage worms, and army worms. Inspect plants at night for tomato worms (they’re blacklight reactive). Look inside squash flowers for cucumber and squash beetles and squish them! Be on the look out for Squash vine borers. Use physical covers and bird netting for protection, and inoculate your soil with beneficial microbes that interrupt the life cycle of many soil-born critters. Grow beneficial flowers to attract ladybugs, lacewings and other good bugs to the garden.

This To-Do List should keep you busy this June, but still leave time to enjoy the harvest and maybe to even get away. Happy gardening!