June Texas Garden Tips - The most exciting time for your Kitchen Garden!
An indeterminate tomato variety ready to be enjoyed
It's that time, y’all. June in Austin, Texas is a month to really enjoy what you have created over the last couple months of work. This is when you get to experience your consistent harvests and marvel in the lush greenery and beautiful blooms from your plants.
Here are some ways you can enjoy your Texas garden in the month of June:
Cajun Bell Peppers ready for harvest
What to plant in June as seed:
Pumpkin, Southern Peas, Sweet Potato (slips), Watermelon, Winter Squash
What to plant in June as transplants:
Basil, Cantaloupe, Cucumber, Eggplant, Malabar Spinach, Mint, Okra, Oregano, Peppers, Rosemary, Sage, Strawberries, Summer Squash, Thyme, Watermelon, Winter Squash
How to care for your Austin Texas vegetable garden in June:
Be sure to remove and discard any yellowing leaves from your tomatoes and any squash killed by SVB. At this point in the year, you should see fewer SVB. We recommend a 60%+ rubbing alcohol to clean your tools as you move from pruning one plant to the next. If you have wide open spaces of soil in your garden, add some shade by planting a few zinnia seedling babies in those spots to shade, add some beautiful color, and feed your pollinator neighbors.
We love adding borage to our gardens. They are great for attracting pollinators and both the leaves and flowers can be harvested!
What you can harvest from your raised bed kitchen garden during the month of June:
If you have zucchini in your garden, by now you should have harvested some and could be sharing with neighbors. Harvest your okras and cucumbers sooner than later; too soon is always better than not soon enough. Smaller ones taste better and removing those first fruits will encourage more growth and fruit production overall. This last part is true for all your fruiting crops. On the herb realm; ensure you prune off the flowers when they sprout; they will rob your plants of energy and taste. Basil flowers can be used in tea. Harvesting the tops of taller herbs will make them grow bushy. If you'd like to dry them, take whole branches. Do not be shy. Herbs are meant to be harvested. Enjoy your beautiful June garden!