June in the garden carries a curious sense of urgency. Your spring plantings are hitting their stride, yet with the rainy season just ahead, you start to wonder, "Is it still okay to put more in the ground?" Here's the short answer: it isn't too late. You just have to choose your crops well.
Perilla: A Crop That Thrives in the Rains
Perilla (deulkkae, the aromatic green leaf used in Korean ssam wraps) actually loves heat and humidity. Sow it any time through mid-June and you'll be picking leaves all summer long, with a harvest of perilla seeds to look forward to come fall. Best of all, once it settles in, it pretty much takes care of itself.
Yeolmu (Young Summer Radish): On the Table in a Month
Yeolmu (young summer radish, prized for its tender leaves and stems) is ready for its first thinning harvest just 30 days after sowing. It grows faster in the heat, which makes a June sowing just right. It will bolt and grow leggy if left crowded, though, so thin it in two rounds for the best flavor and form.
Miss your planting window by a week, and your harvest slips by a month. When in doubt, get the seed in the ground.
Corn: Late Planting Still Works
May is corn's prime time, but you can squeeze in a late planting through early June. Just give it plenty of water and mound soil up around the base so it won't topple in the wind.
Tomatoes: All About the Suckers
If you're starting from transplants, June is still plenty early. From now until that first fruit sets, diligently pinching off the suckers is what will make or break your yield.
Jjokpa (Korean Chives): The Unexpected One
Summer jjokpa (a slender Korean bunching onion, like a cross between scallion and chive) is uncommon, but in a shady, cool spot you can still plant it in June. It'll come in handy around kimchi-making season in the fall.
The rainy season isn't your garden's enemy; it's its partner. Get your drainage right, and the seeds you sow in June will grow into your most dependable plants of the whole summer. This year, go ahead and plant just one more row.
