Hey ho, hey ho, it's off to sow we go

JUNE can be a tricky month for the gardener.

- Mark Diacono

One year, it can be hotter than August, the next, full of rain or drying winds. However unreliable the weather may be, at some point in June, it is likely that early crops— broad beans, the first potatoes, radishes and salads, among them —will create considerable space for what’s to come. Happily, the air and soil temperatures tend to be reliably warm, making June an excellent time to sow direct, start crops in modules undercover and to plant out seedlings to fill newly available space.

My first priority is to ensure I keep up an ongoing supply of crops I want little and often. In early and late June, I sow batches of salad leaves, lettuces, beetroot, spring onions and radish, both direct and in modules. Sowing outdoors and in modules undercover on the same day provides a natural succession: those started undercover germinate and develop more quickly in the protection of the greenhouse than those sown outside and are ready to pick first. Although you might prioritise a sunny spot for the year’s first sowings of salads and lettuces, I’d suggest choosing shadier conditions now, to reduce the potential for bolting and the bitterness it brings to both the leaves and the gardener.