What to plant in June
Corn
This summer favorite grows tall, so in urban gardens it can also do double duty as a screen or a trellis for vining plants. For small plots, plant six to seven seeds in hills of mounded soil about 3 feet apart and thin to the three strongest plants in each hill.
Cucumbers
Cukes, a salad staple, are climbing plants that should be watered at ground level, not overhead, since they’re susceptible to mildew. Try some unusual varieties, said Allison. “I’m obsessed with one now called Dragon’s Egg, round white cucumbers that are super sweet.”
Melons
Here’s another rambling vine that craves heat and organic matter, so amend the soil with lots of compost and make sure there’s plenty of room for spread.
Squashes
Now’s the time to plant your jack-o’lantern and other heat-loving squashes. Remember, they need lots of room, up to 500 square feet, according to “Sunset’s Western Garden Book of Edibles.” Keep water off the leaves to avoid mildew, and mulch with clean straw to protect the leaves and fruit from rot.
Leafy greens
Instead of trying to grow traditional greens that turn bitter in hot weather, seek out heat-tolerant greens such as magenta spreen, a variety of lamb’s-quarter and calaloo amaranth, two nutritious, delicious varieties, said Loretta Allison, director of horticulture at Fig Earth Supply nursery in Mount Washington.
Malabar spinach
Spinach tends to wilt under the summer sun, but Malabar spinach is a “super gorgeous” climbing tropical plant that thrives in the heat, Allison said. With its deep red stems, purple-black berries and tasty green leaves, the plant is a natural for edible landscaping.
Beans
Whether you eat them fresh or dried, fast-growing beans are climbers that love hot temperatures. Plan successive plantings of snap beans a couple of weeks apart, to extend your harvest throughout the summer. Consider planting dry bean varieties too, for winter stews.
Sweet potatoes
These yummy, nutritious root vegetables are heatloving garden sprawlers. Allison likes to plant them around tomatoes to shade their roots, and the plant’s tender leaves are among her go-to summer greens, delicious in smoothies or to sauté. If you can’t find plants at your favorite nursery, the North Carolina Sweet Potato Commission explains how to start your own.