UK growing guide · Summer
What can I plant in June?
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June is when a UK plot starts to pay you back. Vegetables to plant in June in the UK are the ones that will feed you in autumn and winter: leeks, Brussels sprouts, kale and winter cabbage, plus another sowing of beans and salads.
Frost is rarely the worry now, except on high ground right at the start of the month. Watering and planting out on time matter more.
What to sow in June
Vegetables to plant in June in the UK, split between sowing under cover and sowing outside.
Indoors or under cover
Indoor sowing is nearly done. A greenhouse is for cucumbers, tomatoes and peppers that are already growing, not for new trays of everything.
Cucumbers — a late sowing can still crop
Basil — warm, and don't let it sit wet
Outdoors
Sow little and often. June heat makes lettuce bolt, so sow salads in a bit of shade or where a taller crop throws some cover.
- French beans — a successional row
Beetroot
Carrots
Lettuce
Radishes- Swede — early in the month if you have not sown it
Kale — for winter
Broccoli — purple sprouting, for next spring
What to plant out in June
Get winter brassicas and leeks into their final places this month. They need the summer to grow a proper plant before the cold.
- Leeks — into deep holes, water them in, don't firm
Brussels sprouts — firm soil, and a stake on windy sites- Broccoli — sprouting types for next year
- Kale
- Cabbage — winter varieties
Tomatoes — last chance outdoors, in a warm spot
Courgettes
Sweetcorn — in a block
What to harvest in June
The first proper harvests: broad beans, peas, strawberries and, in milder gardens, the earliest potatoes.
Strawberries- Broad beans — pinch the tips out after the first pods, to discourage blackfly
Peas
Early potatoes — a cautious dig, once plants flower- Lettuce
- Radishes
- Rhubarb — last pulls, then let the leaves feed the crown
- Gooseberries — thin them if you want larger fruit later
June jobs on the plot
Water at the base, in the morning or evening, and mulch after a good soak so the moisture stays.
Pinch side shoots on cordon tomatoes
Keep a single stem. Bush tomatoes can be left to branch.
Water fruiting crops steadily
Tomatoes, courgettes and beans sulk if they swing from dry to flooded. Irregular water splits tomatoes and gives you bitter cucumbers.
Net brassicas
Pigeons and cabbage white butterflies are both busy. A proper net, pegged down, is less work than picking caterpillars.
Stop cutting asparagus
By mid-June, let the fern grow. Next year's crop depends on it.
Frost and where you garden
North and south in June
Frost is uncommon in June in most of England and Wales. High ground and parts of Scotland can still catch a late one in the first few days. After that, the risk for vegetables is drought and scorch, not cold.
Further north, and high ground
In the north, tomatoes still under cover at the start of June are sensible, not late. Plant them out once nights stay mild. Get leeks and winter brassicas in the ground this month so they have time to size up.
The south and sheltered coasts
Southern plots can be dry already. Mulch after rain or a thorough watering. Salad sowings do better with a little shade than in the full blast against a fence.
Easy mistakes in June
June growth hides problems until they are big. A weekly walk with a bucket is worth more than a rescue mission in July.
Waiting to plant leeks and sprouts
They need summer growing time. July is getting late for a decent winter plant.
Watering little and often on the surface
A daily sprinkle encourages shallow roots. A proper soak, less often, is better.
Letting broad bean tips stay
Once the first pods have set, pinching out the soft tips removes the bit blackfly like best.
Keep June on the dashboard
Sproutly is a web garden diary for UK fruit and veg growers. Add the plants and the jobs, then see what's due on your dashboard.
Record your sowings
Note what you sowed in June, and which bed it went in.
Plan the month's jobs
Add planting, covering and picking as tasks with a due date.
See what's due
Your dashboard shows what's due and what's overdue. Sproutly does not email you or send a push to your phone.
Sketch the beds
Use the garden planner to try a layout before you plant it for real.
Ready to plan your June garden?
Add this month's plants and jobs to your diary. Basic is free for up to 3 plants and 3 tasks. Pro is £5 a month if you want more, including recurring tasks.
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Gardening advice is provided as a general guide based on typical UK conditions. Weather soil and local climate can vary so always use your judgement and adjust timing as needed for your own garden.