In the Vegetable Garden – June 2020

by Patty Leander
photos by Bruce Leander

The quarantine continues, and masks have become a part of our daily attire, but fortunately there are no restrictions against vegetable gardening! As the coronavirus pandemic threatens to interrupt supply chains and has unduly affected those with health issues related to chronic disease, growing vegetables remains a worthwhile hobby that encourages physical exercise and leads to a higher consumption of health-promoting vegetables and herbs.

In an effort to reintroduce the idea of healthier eating through vegetable gardening, the National Gardening Bureau is celebrating their 100th anniversary with a campaign called Victory Garden 2.0, reminding Americans that the victory gardens of the past are just as relevant today as they were during wartime, when home and community gardeners produced almost 40% of the fruit and vegetables grown in the United States.

The National Gardening Bureau was founded in 1920 by James Burdett who went on to author the Victory Garden Manual in 1943. Visit the NGB website for blog posts and resources for gardeners of all levels, from seed starting tips to vegetable variety recommendations to Pinterest inspiration and more. https://ngb.org/2020/03/23/victory-garden-2-0/

Here is the vegetable gardener’s checklist for June:

• Take precautions this summer to protect yourself from both mosquitoes and exposure to summer’s intense sun. Wear sunscreen, a hat, long sleeves, pants and sunglasses along with mosquito repellent, and drink plenty of water when working outside.
• Harvest ripe vegetables before spraying plants with any pesticide or fertilizer, whether organic or synthetic. Always read the label for instructions on mixing, dilution, how often to spray, or if there is a waiting period after spraying.
• Set aside a small block of time each week to keep up with weeds in order to keep them from taking hold in vegetable beds.
• Bush varieties of green beans generally produce a concentrated set of pods over a 2-4 week period before petering out. As plants begin to decline, pull them out and replace with heat-tolerant Southern peas, long beans, okra or sweet potatoes.
• Harvest onions when tops fall over. Cure in a warm, dry location for a few days before storing.
• Plant pumpkins in late June or early July to have mature pumpkins by Halloween. Small-fruited varieties can be grown vertically on a fence or trellis. Harvest cucumbers when they are the appropriate length; pickling cucumbers are ready at 3-4 inches, slicers are ready at 6-8 inches and oriental cucumbers may grow to 12-14 inches.
• Keep an eye on container grown plants. As the temperatures rise and rain diminishes, these plants may require daily watering.
• Start tomato seeds in pots early in the month if you want to have transplants ready for the garden in mid-July. Because the fall growing season is shorter, it’s best to stick with early-maturing, determinate varieties.
• As summer approaches, remove declining plants and mulch beds to protect and conserve soil, or plant buckwheat or cowpeas as a cover crop.
• Spider mites tend to show up as the days get hotter and drier. To check for mites, hold a white paper plate underneath a leaf and tap a few times. Dislodged mites will fall onto the plate and look like tiny specks crawling around. Though these tiny pests are hard to see without the aid of magnification, once they are present, the top surface of the leaves will have a pale, stippled appearance. Organic controls for spider mites include horticultural oils, insecticidal soap and sulfur dust. Once you have them you will need to treat regularly to keep them under control. They can also be controlled with a strong spray of water to the underside of the leaves, repeated every 3-5 days. Once their population explodes, you may see a fine webbing develop under the leaves. At that point it is too late to treat, and the affected plant should be removed from the garden.