Vermont Home Gardener June Gardening After the cool, wet days of May we can now get seriously planting and cultivating our gardens. While there are many plants that can be seeded outdoors now don't be tempted to start working your soil if it is still too wet. If you till your garden it is very important to wait until the soil has drained and dried enough to be crumbly, not sticky. I do not till my garden soil at all because tilling is very damaging to soil structure, fertility and is unnecessary. If you have raised beds you can get started sooner because of better drainage, warmer soils & no tilling is needed. Whether you are beginning a new garden or wish to improve an established garden, raised beds will make your garden more productive, more convenient, and are less work in the long run (no tilling, ever!). Raised beds do very well in the hilly, rocky, weedy, cool, wet, northern New England conditions. Late May and early June transplanting of our subtropical plants (tomatoes, peppers, eggplant, and squash starts) is tempting but may not be help if we have cool nights. Plants make sugars (energy) in the sunlight but grow mostly in the dark night. Subtropicals can not grow on cool nights (below 50 F) and become vulnerable to diseases and pests. It's best to delay transplanting until nights are warmer or be sure to protect them with row covers (Agribon). Because the spring weeds like goutweed, garlic mustard, and dandelions have been growing so well now is also a great time to turn them your own liquid "bio-fertilizer" that will improve your garden soil for free!
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