June - this is what you can sow and cultivate

To give what you're growing a good start, it's important to weed, loosen the soil, and fertilize. Alternatively, you can try mulch gardening, an environmentally friendly cultivation method that requires less weeding and reduces the need for watering and fertilizing.

During the summer, there is often empty space in the garden bed or planter as you harvest. Plant fast-growing seeds in these gaps, such as arugula, dill, or sugar peas. This way, you make use of the space and simultaneously make it harder for weeds to take root.

Once the risk of frost nights is over, you can start planting out the plants you've pre-grown indoors. Just be extra careful with those that are particularly sensitive to cold, such as dahlias, cucumbers, and beans – wait with these until it's really warm and comfortable outside.

Remember to acclimatize the pre-grown plants to the outdoor weather by hardening them off before planting them out. This reduces the chance of them wilting. To harden them off, place the plants outside during the day but bring them back inside at night. Do this for about a week so they get used to the weather and wind, and then plant them in their final spot.

Pre-grown plants have an advantage and are also more resistant to pests and snails than plants grown from seeds outside. Examples of plants that particularly benefit from being pre-grown indoors include iceberg lettuce, cucumbers, certain types of beans, squash, fennel, and basil.

No worries, you still have plenty of time to grow new young plants in pots and plug trays indoors or in a greenhouse. By doing it in several rounds throughout the summer, you'll always have something new to plant out when gaps appear in your plant boxes or garden beds.

Flowers are not only beautiful but also essential for attracting pollinators like bees, butterflies, and flower flies to your garden. Even if your main focus is growing vegetables, it's a good idea to plant flowers as well. With pollinators in action, you'll boost pollination and, consequently, your harvest – plus, you're helping the insects, which unfortunately are becoming fewer and fewer.

Summer flowers can be sown directly outdoors in June. One flower that attracts a particularly large number of insects is the marigold – it can be planted between the rows in your vegetable garden or anywhere there's space.

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