What to plant in June in the Northeast and Midwest

Worked out for 67 cities from their own weather and frost dates, by zone.

What to sow and plant in June in the Northeast and Midwest, by zone: frost-free, highs above 82 °F (Kansas City, St. Louis and 18 more): zucchini, green beans, cucumber, watermelon, pumpkin and 15 more; frost-free, highs of 72–82 °F (New York, Chicago and 44 more): zucchini, green beans, cucumber, melon, watermelon and 17 more; frost-free, highs of 61–72 °F (Duluth): broad bean, peas, onion, cabbage, cauliflower and 24 more.

In the Northeast and Midwest, June is summer.

Frost-free, highs above 82 °F: Kansas City, St. Louis, Indianapolis, Omaha and 16 more

In June, on average, these cities have highs of 82 to 88 °F and lows of 62 to 69 °F, 2.6 to 4.8 in of rain on 8 to 12 days; the day lasts 14 h 42 min to 15 h 31 min (on the 15th).

No frost in June in 10 years of data: frost-tender crops can go in too, if it is warm enough for them.

How	What	Where
sow direct	Zucchini, green beans, watermelon, pumpkin, sweet corn, basil, bok choy, borage, chayote, corn, Florence fennel, kiwano, luffa, moringa, Napa cabbage, okra, peanut, soybean	all
start indoors, plant out in July	Cucumber, achocha	all
start indoors, plant out in July	Melon	St. Louis, Indianapolis, Cincinnati and 2 more

Compared with May: no longer sown — tomato, bell pepper, eggplant, arugula and chili pepper.

Not starting in June: tomato (March, started indoors), bell pepper (March, started indoors), lettuce (February, started indoors), peas (March, sown direct) and spinach (February, started indoors) — dates for Evansville.

Ready to harvest in June in Evansville, if sown in the right month: broad bean (March), peas (April), beet (April), parsley (April), cilantro (April), arugula (May) and chamomile (April).

Frost-free, highs of 72–82 °F: New York, Chicago, Boston, Philadelphia and 42 more

In June, on average, these cities have highs of 73 to 82 °F and lows of 54 to 65 °F, 2.7 to 6.2 in of rain on 9 to 16 days; the day lasts 14 h 56 min to 16 h 00 min (on the 15th).

No frost in June in 10 years of data: frost-tender crops can go in too, if it is warm enough for them.

How	What	Where
sow direct	Broad bean, peas, beet, cilantro, chamomile, chickpea, dill, mustard greens	Cleveland, Portland, Maine, Montpelier and 3 more
plant sets	Onion, shallot	Cleveland, Portland, Maine, Montpelier and 3 more
sow direct or start indoors, plant out in August	Cabbage	Cleveland, Buffalo, Rochester and 11 more
start indoors, plant out in July	Cauliflower	Cleveland, Portland, Maine, Montpelier and 3 more
start indoors, plant out in August	Tomato, bell pepper, eggplant, chili pepper	New York, Cleveland, Atlantic City and 1 more
sow direct or start indoors, plant out in July	Zucchini, pumpkin, luffa, peanut	all
sow direct	Green Beans, sweet corn, bok choy, borage, chayote, corn, Florence fennel, kiwano, Napa cabbage	all
start indoors, plant out in July	Cucumber	all
start indoors, plant out in July	Melon	New York, Chicago, Boston and 22 more
sow direct	Watermelon, basil, okra, soybean	New York, Chicago, Boston and 41 more
sow direct or start indoors, plant out in August	Parsley	Cleveland, Buffalo, Rochester and 9 more
start indoors, plant out in July	Achocha	New York, Chicago, Boston and 42 more
sow direct	Arugula	Chicago, Boston, Detroit and 32 more
sow direct	Moringa	New York, Chicago, Boston and 32 more
start indoors, plant out in August	Brussels Sprouts	Cleveland and Erie

Compared with May: new — soybean; no longer sown — lettuce, radish, Swiss chard, celeriac, celery and kohlrabi.

Not starting in June: lettuce (March, started indoors) and spinach (March, started indoors) — dates for Green Bay.

Ready to harvest in June in Green Bay, if sown in the right month: peas (April), spinach (April), lettuce (April), radish (May), Swiss chard (April), arugula (May), chamomile (April) and daikon (April).

Frost-free, highs of 61–72 °F: Duluth

In June, on average, Duluth has highs of 71 °F and lows of 55 °F, 3.4 in of rain on 11 days; the day lasts 15 h 50 min (on the 15th).

No frost in June in 10 years of data: frost-tender crops can go in too, if it is warm enough for them.

How	What	Where
sow direct	Broad bean, peas, cabbage, beet, green beans, sweet corn, parsley, cilantro, arugula, bok choy, borage, chamomile, chayote, chickpea, corn, dill, Florence fennel, kiwano, mustard greens, Napa cabbage	Duluth
plant sets	Onion, shallot	Duluth
start indoors, plant out in July	Cauliflower, zucchini, cucumber, pumpkin, achocha, luffa, peanut	Duluth

Compared with May: new — green beans, chayote and corn; no longer sown — lettuce, radish, Swiss chard, tomato, bell pepper, eggplant, melon, watermelon and 6 more.

Not starting in June: tomato (March, started indoors), bell pepper (March, started indoors), lettuce (March, started indoors) and spinach (March, started indoors) — dates for Duluth.

Ready to harvest in June in Duluth, if sown in the right month: radish (May), arugula (May), dill (May) and mustard greens (May).

Frost dates in Duluth

How we work it out

For each city we use its average weather in June and the months after (highs, lows and rain for 2016–2025, ERA5 reanalysis via Open-Meteo) and its average frost dates. A crop starts in June if the month's mean temperature reaches the minimum soil temperature for germination on its card (we use the mean air temperature as a stand-in for the soil's) and if, over its first months (up to three), the average highs stay within its group's range, with no frost for crops that cannot take it. Crops started indoors count from the month they are planted out.

Temperature groups from Colorado State University Extension: cool-season crops prefer 60–80 °F and lose quality in heat; hardy ones grow in days as cool as 40 °F, semi-hardy ones from 40–50 °F (we use 50 °F); warm-season crops need days above 55 °F, and the most tender (tomato, pepper, eggplant, melon, watermelon, squash) above 60 °F, up to 95 °F. Crops the guide does not name go into the stricter group by their frost hardiness. Fava (broad) beans, which the guide does not name, count as hardy: hardy varieties are sown in fall and overwinter (RHS). Garlic and bulbs: a month before the first frost, and later only while the ground is not frozen (as on each city's page).

Cornell Cooperative Extension sets the season here: hardy crops from about four weeks before the last frost, warm ones after it, heat lovers about 18 days after; the last plantings from 3 weeks (radish) to 16 weeks (melons) before the first frost — counted from each city’s own frost dates.

This is a general rule from averages: your garden can be a week or two earlier or later, and a greenhouse or a cold frame brings the season forward. Greenly works out the dates for your location.

What to plant in June in the Northeast and Midwest

Frost-free, highs above 82 °F: Kansas City, St. Louis, Indianapolis, Omaha and 16 more

Frost-free, highs of 72–82 °F: New York, Chicago, Boston, Philadelphia and 42 more

Frost-free, highs of 61–72 °F: Duluth

How we work it out

Other months in the Northeast and Midwest