Ready to keep your garden pumping out produce all summer? June is prime time for sneaky succession sowings that fill gaps and beat the heat. We’re talking fast growers, heat-lovers, and space-savers that turn one harvest into many. Grab a trowel—these picks keep your beds busy and your plate full.
1. Double-Down Greens: Cut-And-Come-Again All Summer
Think leafy greens die with spring? Not if you play it smart. Sow heat-tolerant varieties now and harvest tender leaves on repeat while everyone else whines about bolting.
What To Sow In June
- Leaf lettuce: ‘Jericho’, ‘Muir’, ‘Tropicana’ (heat-tolerant romaine and leaf types)
- Swiss chard: ‘Bright Lights’, ‘Fordhook Giant’
- New Zealand spinach and Malabar spinach (true heat champions)
Direct sow every 2–3 weeks for steady harvests. Give afternoon shade or use 30–40% shade cloth when temps spike. Harvest outer leaves and let the centers keep pumping—like a leafy ATM.
Quick Tips
- Spacing: Lettuce 6–8 inches; chard 10–12 inches; Malabar on a trellis
- Water: Keep evenly moist to avoid bitterness
- Soil: Add compost and a slow-release organic fertilizer
Perfect for salad addicts and small gardens. You get beautiful color, minimal fuss, and endless bowls of crunch. IMO, this is the easiest way to feel like a gardening genius.
2. Heat-Loving Legumes: Beans For Days (And Nitrogen, Too)
June is bean season, full stop. These quick win crops give you tender pods fast and feed the soil while they’re at it. Sow them now, and again in 3–4 weeks, and you’ll be set till frost.
What To Sow In June
- Bush beans: ‘Provider’, ‘Jade’, ‘Contender’ for fast, compact harvests
- Pole beans: ‘Fortex’, ‘Blue Lake’, ‘Rattlesnake’ for vertical abundance
- Yardlong beans (asparagus beans) for heat extremes
Direct sow in warm soil (above 60–65°F). Inoculate seeds with rhizobia for extra nitrogen-fixing power. Stagger plantings every 3 weeks to keep pods coming instead of one giant glut.
Trellising & Care
- Pole beans need a sturdy trellis or teepee—don’t skimp
- Mulch to keep roots cool and moisture steady
- Harvest young for peak flavor and continued production
Beans save space, play nice with sweet corn and squash, and turn boring beds into green bean factories. Plus, fewer fertilizer worries—thanks, nitrogen.
3. Fast Fruit Fix: Cucumbers, Summer Squash, And Zucchini 2.0
Missed spring sowing? No drama—June is a sweet spot for a second wave of cukes and squash. Plant now and you’ll dodge early pest peaks and ride a late-summer bumper crop.
What To Sow In June
- Cucumbers: ‘Diva’, ‘Marketmore 76’, ‘Sumter’, or pickling types like ‘Boston Pickling’
- Summer squash/zucchini: ‘Raven’, ‘Dunja’, ‘Costata Romanesco’ (tasty and productive)
- Pattypan and yellow crookneck for variety and quick maturity
Direct sow in mounds or rows once soil hits 70°F+. Use row cover at planting to block cucumber beetles and squash vine borers; remove when flowers open for pollination. For tiny spaces, trellis cucumbers and train them up—instant shade for lettuce underneath. Multitasking, baby.
Pro Moves
- Succession: Sow a fresh hill every 3–4 weeks through mid-summer
- Spacing: Squash 3–4 feet; cucumbers 12 inches on trellis, 24 inches sprawled
- Feeding: Side-dress with compost or fish emulsion at first bloom
You’ll crush the pickle game and never buy a sad store zucchini again. These plants deliver fast, big, and often—seriously, share with neighbors.
4. Quick-Flip Roots And Pods: Radishes, Beets, Carrots, And Peas (Yes, Peas!)
June doesn’t mean the end of crisp snacks from the soil. Pick the right varieties, plant tight, and you can crank out colorful roots and even sneak in one last pea crop in cooler zones.
What To Sow In June
- Radishes: ‘French Breakfast’, ‘Easter Egg’—harvest in 25–30 days
- Beets: ‘Chioggia’, ‘Detroit Dark Red’, ‘Golden’—greens plus roots
- Carrots: ‘Nantes’, ‘Bolero’, ‘Scarlet Nantes’ for summer sowing
- Snow/snap peas: Try a late sowing in cool-summer climates or partial shade
Keep seedbeds consistently moist for even germination. Thin early to avoid stunting—yes, it hurts, but do it. Tuck these crops between slower giants like tomatoes and peppers to use every inch.
Spacing & Timing
- Radishes: 1–2 inches apart; sow weekly for crunchy continuity
- Beets: 3 inches apart; use thinnings as microgreens
- Carrots: 2 inches apart; cover with a board or burlap until sprout, FYI this hack works
- Peas: Afternoon shade + mulch buys you time in June
Great for quick wins, tight beds, and colorful plates. You get rapid turnover and a morale boost every time you pull a perfect root. Gardening dopamine, unlocked.
5. Salsa Squad And Heat Kings: Basil, Cilantro 2.0, Peppers, And Sweet Corn
June wants flavor and fireworks. Load up on herbs for constant snipping, pop in a late round of peppers, and sow a final block of sweet corn for backyard-cookout glory.
What To Sow Or Transplant In June
- Basil: Genovese, Thai, Lemon—succession sow every 2–3 weeks
- Cilantro: Choose slow-bolt types like ‘Calypso’, ‘Santo’, or grow for coriander seed on purpose
- Peppers: Transplant starts now; ‘Shishito’, ‘Jimmy Nardello’, jalapeños handle heat like champs
- Sweet corn: Quick-maturing types (65–75 days); plant in blocks for pollination
Basil loves heat and constant harvesting—pinch flowers and it turns into a pesto machine. For cilantro, sow small patches weekly and give afternoon shade to slow bolting. Peppers appreciate warm nights; mulch and steady moisture keep them cranking.
Planting Smarts
- Corn: Minimum 4×4 block, 10–12 inches apart; succession every 2 weeks for staggered ears
- Basil: 8–12 inches apart; bottom-water or morning water to avoid disease
- Peppers: Stake early; feed lightly with calcium-rich ferts to reduce blossom end rot
- Cilantro: Sow thick, harvest baby leaves, let a patch bolt for coriander—two crops, one bed
This crew brings flavor, fragrance, and serious summer vibes. You’ll nail taco night, caprese everything, and sweet corn so good it doesn’t need butter. Trust me.
Ready to keep the garden momentum rolling? Succession planting in June turns empty space into a harvest conveyor belt. Start small, sow often, and enjoy fresh picks long after your neighbors tap out—your future self will high-five you at dinner.