• Give tomato plants the elbow room they need to flourish. Even with stakes or cages to hold them up, indeterminate varieties should have 24 inches of room on each side to avoid crowding. Removing the “suckers” that emerge in leaf crotches will limit the sideways sprawl of the vine.
• Moonvines, or moonflowers, should be started from seed now for their spectacular and fragrant white trumpet blooms, which appear in late summer. The vines need sturdy support and can be used on railings, trellises and fences, in full sun or light shade. Rub seeds against a metal file or soak them overnight before planting, to speed germination.
• Sow bean seeds now for a July harvest. Bush beans are easy and productive, and additional sowings over the next six weeks will provide a summer-long supply. Pole beans need a trellis but will yield over a longer period. Scarlet runner beans should be sown in late July and August for a fall crop.
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