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Originally published June 2024 • Updated June 2026 with expanded planting guides, FAQs, and seasonal garden resources.

Many beginner gardeners think the sowing season ends in spring, but June is actually one of the best months for keeping the vegetable garden productive through summer and autumn. In this June planting guide, I’ll show you which vegetables you can sow and plant now.

June offers us gardeners the perfect opportunity to maximise our growing season with strategic plantings. If you want to harvest fresh produce all year round, this month presents ideal conditions for both cool-season succession plantings and warm-season varieties that thrive in the longer, sunnier days ahead.

The key idea here is succession planting. After all, we don’t want to have an overwhelming harvest once and afterwards only empty patches. Smart planning this month sets the foundation for a productive garden that bridges the gap between spring’s early greens and summer’s abundance.

Quick List: What to Sow and Plant in June

Here’s a cheatsheet of what you can sow and plant in June:

🌱 Prefer a printable version?

Download the free June Garden Checklist & Planting Guide — a calm, practical companion for what to sow, plant, and harvest this month.

✔️ Printable sowing chart
✔️ June garden task checklist
✔️ Seasonal garden reminders
✔️ Designed for temperate gardens (Zones 6–8)

Exact sowing times depend on your climate and last frost dates. These recommendations are based on a temperate Central European climate, hardiness zones 6 – 8, similar to my garden in Bavaria.

Vegetables to Seed-Start Indoors in June

If you’re new to seed-starting, you may want to learn more in my beginner’s guide to seed starting. Also, as it’s warm enough now and I like to have my windowsills back to normal, I usually seed-start now in the greenhouse. Let’s have a look at what can be sown indoors in June

Brassica

I know it’s just the middle of the year, but we must plan our winter harvest now. Late brassicas should be sown indoors now so that they are ready to plant out when the first spring vegetables like spinach, peas, or lettuce have been harvested, and you have some space in your beds again.

Good brassicas to start in June are

• Kale
• Palm kale
• Black cabbage (also a kale variety)
• Savoy cabbage
• White and red cabbage (late varieties for making sauerkraut and storing)
• Kohlrabi
• Cauliflower
• Broccoli
• Brussels sprouts

Summer squash

It’s a good idea to seed-start a second batch of zucchini now and transplant them outside when the first batch gets slow and/or becomes infected with diseases, especially mildew. This is often the case during dry periods, and then it’s great to have some zucchinis ready to plant outside.

Lettuce

It’s good to seed-start lettuce indoors every four weeks. That way, we have a continuous supply of plants and will never run out of fresh lettuce during the growing season. Seeing that temperatures increase, however, we want to choose varieties that like warmer weather, like, for example, iceberg and oak leaf lettuce.

Sowing out lettuce every 3 – 4 weeks is not only a good method for a constant harvest but also makes sure that the beds are always covered.

Vegetables to sow directly outdoors in June

Carrots

Now we can sow carrots for storing. Make sure you choose later varieties that are robust against low temperatures. Carrot seeds dry out quickly, so keep the soil evenly moist until germination.

Parsnips

Parsnips are related to carrots, and they can also be sown directly into the patches now for a late autumn harvest and for storage.

Beans

Both bush and runner beans can still be sown in June, either as a gap filler when some other vegetables are harvested or between heavy feeders like cabbages, cucumbers or tomatoes. Beans sown in June will often begin producing within 8–10 weeks.

Spinach, Swiss chard

Both vegetables are wonderful gap fillers that grow fast and thus cover the ground. Additionally, they taste delicious and – mostly in the case of the Swiss chard – are a very pretty sight.

Kohlrabi

You can either seed-start Kohlrabi now and plant them out later. Or, if you’ve got room now, sow them directly into the bed.

Lettuce

To fill your salad bowl regularly, you must continually sow and plant out lettuce. Now, we choose summer-proof varieties that are bolt-resistant. Lettuce usually takes about 8 weeks from sowing to harvest.

Rocket salad

Sow it, watch it grow quickly, harvest the leaves and let it bloom. That way, it will spread across your garden.

Radishes

If you have radish varieties that are bolt-resistant, you can sow them out now. The early varieties, however, will not work anymore as they’ll only produce flowers and seeds now.

Radishes need only a few days to germinate and just 4 weeks to be ready to harvest. They not only show us the row but are a yummy vegetable for salads or as a ferment.

Beetroot

In spring, we’ve sown only a few beetroots for immediate consumption, but now we can throw out handfuls of beetroot seeds for a large harvest in autumn. Beetroots can easily be preserved by freezing, pickling or fermenting.

When harvest season arrives, you’ll want to know how to preserve all that abundance. My guides to fermenting, freezing, and preserving vegetables cover everything from canning to fermenting.

Vegetables to Plant Outdoors in June

No matter if you’ve seed-started vegetables in your living room or in the greenhouse, the seedlings must be hardened off before they can be transplanted outdoors. Start by putting your plants outside for 2 – 3 hours at first and gradually increase that time over a week. That way, you make sure that your veggies are healthy and sturdy enough for outdoor conditions.

Brassica

All the cabbage plants we seed-started earlier that year are now ready to get outside. All brassica seedlings we have started indoors in April, like kohlrabi, Savoy cabbage, broccoli, Brussels sprouts and cauliflower, as well as white and red cabbage, can be planted outdoors in June. Leave plenty of space between the seedlings so that you can plant celery in between later. Cabbage and celery are great companions in the patch and repel each other’s pests.

Celery/celeriac

Now is the last chance to plant celery and/or celeriac. As I said before, it makes a great companion for all cabbages. Here you can find more great vegetable pals that love to be planted near each other.

Lettuce

As in the weeks before, our monthly batch of lettuce wants to be planted outside.

Leek

Winter leek can be planted outside in June. A great place would be next to the carrots you can now sow directly into the patch. Leek and carrot are a great combination as they keep each other’s pests away. Alternate leek and carrot rows to get the best protection.

Fruit vegetables

If you still have pumpkin seedlings, transplant them out now. Also, if you have seed-started a second batch of cucumbers, peppers/chillies, zucchini and eggplants, transplant them now in June to fill the gap if any of the plants you’ve already got in the garden get weak or infected by diseases.

When you prune tomatoes now, don’t throw away the side shoots, but put them in a glass with water. They’ll build new roots, and you get additional tomato plants that you can transplant now!

What Not to Sow in June

Some cool-season vegetables struggle in June heat and tend to bolt quickly, especially in warmer climates. Avoid sowing:

• early spinach varieties
• spring radishes
• peas
• lamb’s lettuce

Instead, wait until late summer or early autumn.

Frequently Asked Questions

What vegetables can I sow in June?

Carrots, beetroot, beans, lettuce, Swiss chard, radishes, kale, cucumbers, and many more vegetables can still be sown successfully in June.

Is June too late to plant vegetables?

Not at all. June is ideal for succession sowing, warm-season crops, and fast-growing vegetables that can still produce harvests later in summer and autumn.

Can I still plant tomatoes in June?

Yes — especially if you already have seedlings. In cooler climates, planting should happen as early in June as possible to ensure fruits ripen before autumn.

What is succession planting?

Succession planting means sowing small batches of vegetables regularly instead of all at once. This creates continuous harvests throughout the growing season.

Should I seed-start indoors in June?

Yes. Many brassicas and lettuces benefit from indoor seed-starting in June, especially for autumn and winter harvests.

🌿 Keeping track of all the June garden jobs?

You can download my free printable June Garden Checklist to keep beside you in the garden or greenhouse.

General garden tasks in June

Here are some of the most important garden tasks now. For a full list, read my comprehensive guide on garden tasks in June.

Mulch all plants larger than 10 cm / 4 inches. Mulching means you cover the soil with organic material like grass clippings, leaves, straw or wood chips. By mulching, you make sure that less water evaporates. Additionally, mulch suppresses weeds and thus your “weeding time” will be reduced considerably 🙂

Harvest whatever is ready in your garden. June is also the perfect time to harvest and dry herbs for later use. By the way, drying is not the only way to preserve herbs as you can see in this article about six ways to preserve herbs.

Fertilise heavy feeders like cabbage plants, tomatoes, pumpkins and zucchini that were planted in May. Ideally, you have given them basic fertilisation when you planted them. Now it’s time for maintenance fertilisation. A great homemade fertiliser with plenty of nitrogen for hungry veggies is nettle manure. It’s free and easy to make. You’ll find a detailed description on how to make nettle manure here.

June Planting Summary

June reminds us that the garden is never static. There is always something to sow, harvest, observe, or simply enjoy. If you’d like to explore the slower and more reflective side of this season, you may also enjoy my June reflections.

June is one of the most generous months in the vegetable garden. Every harvested lettuce creates room for new seedlings, and every empty patch becomes another opportunity to extend the season. A little planning now means baskets full of fresh vegetables far into autumn.

🌞 Want seasonal guidance like this every month?

Download the free June Garden Checklist & join the Seasonal Garden Newsletter for monthly planting guides, seasonal reflections, and gentle reminders aligned with nature’s rhythm.

Still not enough garden talk? Then these posts may interest you:

Beginner’s guide on how to make a vegetable patch

The beginner’s guide to composting

How to plant, grow and harvest tomatoes in 14 steps

For all things garden, browse my library of gardening posts.