June is the turning point in the allotment year, as we head towards the summer solstice on the 21st of June. The days are lengthening and temperatures rising and everything is growing with vigour, especially the weeds! As we taste our first delicious harvests, we create space to plant some of our more tender crops that have been waiting until the risk of frost has passed. June is one of the busiest months for gardeners, with all the planting, weeding and harvesting happening, its easy to forget successional sowing things like lettuce, carrots, spring onions and beetroots, but steady successional sowings now will ensure harvest into the autumn months. Don’t forget the second growing season, and to plan for winter, now is a good time to plant both winter and spring cabbages

Annuals 

Legumes – Broadbeans (overwintering varieties, sown back in Autumn),  peas and mangetout,

Brassicas –  Kohl rabi, calabrese, summer sprouting broccoli, cauliflowers

overwintering onions, beetroot, garlic, early potatoes, cauliflowers

Salad Crops – Lettuces, radishes, mixed salad leaves and spring onions.

Perennials

Asparagus is traditionally harvested until solstice/midsummers day, to allow the plant some time to recover and send energy back to the roots.

Globe artichokes should be ready for their first harvest in June, harvesting the main flower bud will encourage secondary buds to appear

Although the tender forced rhubarb season has passed, there still should be plenty of rhubarb to harvest. If your rhubarb crowns are new, or in their second year (or third if you have grown from seed) don’t harvest and let the plant send all its energy back to the root.