June might look quiet in the garden, but what you do now will set you up for stronger plants and better harvests.
There are three simple things worth focusing on this month: planting garlic, building compost and improving your soil.
As winter deepens and daylight hours drop further, outdoor growth slows right down, so hold off planting anything outdoors except garlic, strawberries and broad beans, which reliably establish through winter and grow into spring.
When planting garlic, choose the biggest cloves from seed bulbs, avoiding supermarket garlic, which is often treated to prevent sprouting.
Break the bulb into individual cloves while keeping the base plate intact. Loosen soil with a fork and mix in compost or organic matter before planting each clove pointy end up about 5cm deep and 15cm to 20cm apart.
Cover with soil and a light mulch layer, water well during establishment, then leave plants undisturbed through winter so they can develop strong root systems for larger bulbs by harvest.
Great gardens start with soil, and June is the perfect time to build it.
Compost feeds our soil by breaking down food scraps and organic matter into nutrient-rich material that improves soil structure and fertility over time.
Composting needs air, moisture, nitrogen, carbon and time to work well, and works best when materials are balanced rather than dominated by a single type, especially when food scraps are mixed with carbon materials rather than left in clumps.
For beginners, there are two simple systems that work well in our region: digging small holes or trenches and burying food scraps directly, or using a black compost bin or wooden pallet bay where materials are layered.
A basic guide is one to two parts carbon materials such as leaves, straw, woodchip or shredded cardboard to one part food waste, although a one to one mix will still work if carbon is limited.
Once buried or layered, nature does most of the work, with scraps breaking down gradually to feed future soil and plant growth.
Soil is the foundation of all growing, healthy soil leading to stronger plants and better food.
Soil is made up of mineral particles, organic matter, water, air spaces and living organisms and it functions best when all are present and balanced.
Luckily, all soils can be improved over time with organic matter and good management.
Two of the biggest challenges for home gardens in this region are compaction from foot traffic and exposure to drying conditions such as wind and sun, so keeping soil covered and only lightly disturbed is important for maintaining structure and moisture.
Improving soil does not need to be complicated, the most effective approach being regular additions of compost in a 2cm to 5cm layer once or twice per year, combined with mulch applied at a depth of 5cm to 10cm to protect the surface and reduce moisture loss, topped up whenever bare soil appears or breaks down quickly, particularly during dry summer conditions.
If there is one simple message for June, it is this: winter is not a quiet pause in the garden but a preparation stage where composting, soil building and planting garlic, strawberries and broad beans will set you up beautifully for growing food in spring.
• The Southern Lakes Kai Collective will continue sharing practical seasonal guidance each month to support local households in growing food and building resilience.
