By June, mild-winter zone gardens are in full production mode. Most warm-season crops are in the ground and growing fast. The main jobs this month are watering consistently, mulching to hold moisture and cool the soil, and staying on top of pests before populations explode in the heat. It is still worth succession sowing heat-tolerant greens and quick-maturing crops early in the month, but as temperatures climb, the emphasis shifts from planting to tending and harvesting what is already growing. Fall planting will begin in July and August — now is the time to plan, not yet act.

Indoors (fresh harvests):

• Microgreens: peas, broccoli, sunflowers, arugula
• Sprouts: alfalfa, broccoli, radish, mung
• Herbs & greens under lights: chives, parsley, mint

Transplants to move outdoors: get anything still waiting indoors out now.

Crops that can be directly sown outdoors in June: okra, cowpeas, yard-long beans, sweet potato slips, sunflower, Armenian cucumber. Early in the month, you can still succession-sow heat-tolerant varieties of beans and squash.

Cover crops: cowpeas, sunn hemp, buckwheat, sorghum-sudangrass

Note: Standard cucumbers, melons, and squash planted now will struggle as heat peaks — focus on heat-tolerant varieties if sowing late in the month.

Tip: An Olympia, WA zone 8 is very different from a Jackson, MS zone 8. Consider checking with your state Extension Service office for more specific recommendations and guidelines.

Use your USDA zone as a guide. Microclimates matter; coastal/urban spots run warmer; high elevation runs colder.