What to plant in June
June is ideal for direct sowing beans, cucumbers, squash, and basil in zones 5–6 (if you didn't in May). In zone 7–8, succession planting extends harvests. In zones 8–10, it's peak summer and the focus is on heat-tolerant crops. June is the last practical month to start cool-seas
June can feel like you've missed the window — but for many crops you haven't. Succession sowing keeps the harvest coming, heat-season vegetables love June conditions, and a well-timed planting can produce a fall harvest that surprises you.
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What's still worth planting in June
Beans
Bush and pole beans can be planted in June in any zone where frost is 50+ days away. Per Penn State Extension, beans "mature in 50–65 days from planting" — a June 1 planting produces harvest by late July in zone 7. A June 15 planting in zone 5 (last fall frost September 30) produces beans by mid-August.
Per NC State Extension, succession plant beans every 2–3 weeks through June for a continuous harvest rather than one large flush that exceeds what you can use.
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Summer squash and cucumbers
Both are fast producers (45–65 days from direct sowing) that do well with June plantings. Per Penn State Extension, "succession planting every 3–4 weeks extends the harvest and avoids the midsummer glut."
A June 1 sowing of zucchini in zone 7 will produce harvest by mid-July, extending the season past a May sowing that may be past peak production by late July.
Corn
Final window for corn planting in zone 5–7. Per Penn State Extension, "corn planted after June 15 in zone 6 may not mature before fall frost." Use short-season varieties (65–75 day) for June sowings.
Melons (zones 5–6 final chance)
Zone 5–6 gardeners who haven't planted melons yet: June 1 is the latest practical date for transplanting watermelon or cantaloupe starts in zones with a September 30 frost. Choose short-season varieties ('Sugar Baby' watermelon at 75 days, 'Honey Rock' cantaloupe at 70 days). Per University of Minnesota Extension, "longer-season melons are not practical in zone 4–5."
Sweet potatoes
June is the best planting month for sweet potato slips (rooted cuttings) in zones 6–8. Per NC State Extension, sweet potatoes need "90–120 frost-free days" and warm soil (above 65°F). A June 1 planting in zone 7 gives 140+ days before first frost — ample time.
Basil
If you didn't plant basil in May, June is perfectly fine. Basil grows very fast in warm conditions and a June 1 planting in zone 7 will produce a full harvest by July. Per Clemson HGIC, basil "thrives in hot weather" and actually performs better in June–August heat than in the cooler temperatures of early May.
Heat-tolerant greens
When cool-season crops have bolted, these substitutes provide salad greens through summer:
- Malabar spinach (Basella alba): Tropical vine that thrives in heat. Per NC State Extension, "Malabar spinach is a warm-season alternative to true spinach and produces prolifically in summer." Sow directly in June.
- Purslane (Portulaca oleracea): Grows as a weed in most gardens; cultivated varieties have larger, more succulent leaves. Nutritionally dense.
- Amaranth (leafy types): Grows in heat and produces edible leaves. Direct sow in June.
- New Zealand spinach (Tetragonia tetragonioides): Not a true spinach but produces spinach-like leaves. Tolerates heat and drought. Sow directly in June.