Monty's summer veg patch

Discover how to make the best of early crops as Monty reveals his star plants for June and the best veg to sow now to keep your harvests coming right through the summer

- Monty Don

PART 1 BEATING THE HUNGRY GAP

Step out of May into June and summer has arrived. The days have become carelessly long, filled with a profligacy of light - if not always with warmth! It's easy to eagerly expect a harvest as the days reach their longest and the nights start to acquire that balmy warmth we expect from summer. But the period from May to mid-June is not called the 'hungry gap' for nothing. All the winter crops-purple sprouting broccoli, kale or leeks - are done and cleared to the compost heap, and other than plenty of sal leaves that do well in the cooler weather of late spring, there is little else to provide variety.

However, June can be a busy month in the veg garden and there are some harvests to be had. After the 'hungry gap', when most plants are still too young to eat and winter's bounty is used up, summer's first pickings are a cause for celebration. If you've sown early and the weather has been kind, you could be harvesting a good selection of crops in June.

Early harvests

Some veg, such as turnips, cabbages and kale, can be left in the ground to mature a little longer, but if you have French beans, broad beans or peas it's best to pick them as soon as they're ready.

It's also the start of the season for allotment staples such as beetroot and carrots. Globe artichokes and Florence fennel may y be ready by the end of the month. You need to keep an eye on artichoke flowers to catch them when the flesh is succulent, before the chokes have developed too far.