June is not too late to plant vegetables, though maybe skip the peas and spinach

I was shopping for plumbing parts this weekend (the problem persists), and to get into the store, I had to pass rows of tomato, pepper, lettuce, squash and other vegetable plants.

My first thought was, “I already have all this in.” My second thought was, “Maybe that guy examining tomato labels doesn’t.”

If you put off planting a garden this year, your vegetables have been growing (better than some of mine, I’m guessing) in a greenhouse somewhere. Because our three warmest months are July, August and September, there is still plenty of time for all your favorites to mature before the fall rains begin in October (or November). 

And there are some advantages to having waited — be it strategically or lazily — before you put some things into the ground. The soil has warmed up considerably over the last month and a half. Soil temperature is as important, if not more important, than air temperature for plant growth. 

The slug and snail population has dropped from overwhelming to annoying. And because your plants will grow faster in the warmer weather, they can often outpace the slugs now, whereas a month ago their, ahem, sluggish growth likely just matched consumption by the gastropods. 

And many of the spring weeds have sprouted and matured — although summer weeds are waiting in the wings.

You have missed some opportunities: Spinach and snap peas need shorter days (or the spinach will bolt) and cooler weather to thrive. But pretty much everything else will be fine if planted now. Lettuce plants might be a good choice over seeds, as the seeds prefer cooler soil for germination.

Take some extra precautions when putting in plants during the longest days of the year.  Just as you would in April, water any transplants well to help resettle the soil around the roots — but be even more generous now.

Fertilizer should be faster-acting; fish emulsion would be my choice. And mulch around the transplants with leaves, straw or newspaper (weighted down with soil so it won’t blow away) to help keep moisture in the soil.

The long days of June allow you to have a little fun in the garden before or after work, while in March and April lack of light and chilly temperatures made working outdoors difficult. June could be the perfect month for your vegetable plot to go in — and you may even find some deals on the plants as July starts to creep up on us.