When to plant vegetables: a month-by-month guide to sowing and harvesting vegetables

Our handy monthly guide to growing vegetables

There’s nothing quite as good as eating your own home-grown vegetables, picked fresh from the garden. Growing your own vegetables gives you a much wider choice of varieties than you’ll find in the supermarkets, and they taste better too! With a little work, every month can bring you something new to harvest and enjoy.  

Author

David Domoney

Chartered Horticulturalist, Author and Broadcaster

If you’re new to growing your own food, the first question that springs to mind is ‘What vegetables can I plant now?” The good news is that although spring is the most important planting season for vegetables, it’s possible to sow or plant vegetables practically all year round provided you choose the right varieties.

Whether you’re planting in a vegetable bed, in pots on a patio or in an allotment, a vegetable sowing calendar helps you to keep track of what to sow in each month for the best harvests. Our planting calendar lets you know when to start sowing seeds indoors in spring, what to sow in summer and when to sow seeds in autumn for early crops the following spring.

When to plant vegetables

There’s no simple answer to the question of “when is the best time to plant vegetables in the UK”, so the best solution is to check the information on seed packets before you sow. Here are a few examples of how the UK planting season for various vegetables can differ:

Tomatoes, aubergines and chilli peppers need plenty of sunshine and warmth in order for their fruit to ripen, so to make the most of the changeable UK weather, they need to have reached a suitable stage of growth by the time summer arrives. This means they must be sown indoors in early spring and grown inside until the weather outside is warm enough for them to be planted out.
Quick-growing crops like cress, rocket and salad leaves can be sown throughout the year. In summer they can be grown in between other slower-growing crops, maximising the use of the planting area, as well as adding colour and aesthetic appeal. In winter they can be grown on a sunny windowsill and harvested as micro-greens, with new plants being sown every 2-3 weeks for a constant supply throughout winter.
Brassicas like cauliflower and broccoli are slow-growing and take several months between sowing and harvesting, so they are usually sown indoors or in seed beds in early spring, and transplanted to their final location when they are large enough. This allows the beds to be used for other, faster-growing crops like beetroot or radishes before the brassicas are planted out. Brassicas can also be sown indoors in winter and planted out in spring for early harvests.

Month-by-month seed sowing calendar

January

Icy winter weather and cold, wet soil outdoors means that vegetable seeds have to be sown indoors or in a heated greenhouse this month, but you can still harvest some tasty crops for hearty winter soups and stews!

Indoor sowing	Aubergine, Cauliflower, Lettuce, Onion
Outdoor sowing	Broad bean
Harvesting	Artichoke (Jerusalem), Brussels Sprout, Cabbage, Carrot, Cauliflower, Chicory, Kale, Leek, Lettuce, Parsnip, Swede

February

There’s a high risk of frosts this month, but in mild weather some early seeds can be sown outdoors, protected with fleece or under cloches. Inside your home or in a heated greenhouse, the seed sowing season is starting to get underway, ready for spring.

Indoor sowing	Artichoke (Globe), Aubergine, Broad Bean, Broccoli, Brussels Sprout, Cabbage, Cauliflower, Cucumber, Kohl Rabi, Leek, Lettuce, Onion, Pepper, Tomato
Outdoor sowing	Broad Bean, Carrot, Parsnip, Pea, Radish
Harvesting	Broccoli, Brussels Sprout, Cabbage, Carrot, Cauliflower, Chicory, Kale, Leek, Lettuce, Parsnip, Swede

March

As the days start to get longer, it’s time for the vegetable garden to step up a gear and there’s plenty to sow both indoors and outside.

Indoor sowing	Artichoke (Globe), Asparagus, Aubergine, Broad Bean, Broccoli, Brussels Sprout, Cabbage, Cauliflower, Celeriac, Celery, Courgette, Cucumber, Kale, Kohl Rabi, Leek, Lettuce, Marrow, Onion, Pepper, Shallot, Squash, Sweetcorn, Tomato
Outdoor sowing	Artichoke (Globe), Broad Bean, Beetroot, Broccoli, Brussels Sprout, Cabbage, Carrot, Kale, Kohl Rabi, Leek, Lettuce, Parsnip, Pea, Radish, Rocket, Samphire, Shallot, Spinach, Spring Onion, Turnip
Harvesting	Broccoli, Cabbage, Carrot, Cauliflower, Kale, Leek, Lettuce, Spring Onion, Swede

April

Take advantage of warmer temperatures and April showers and get your vegetable garden growing!

Indoor sowing	Asparagus, Aubergine, Broad Bean, Broccoli, Brussel Sprout, Cabbage, Cauliflower, Celeriac, Celery, Climbing Bean, Courgette, Cucumber, Dwarf Bean, Kale, Kohl Rabi, Leek, Marrow, Onion, Pepper, Pumpkin, Runner Bean, Shallot, Squash, Sweetcorn, Tomato
Outdoor sowing	Artichoke (Globe), Broad Bean, Beetroot, Broccoli, Brussel Sprout, Cabbage, Carrot, Cauliflower, Chard, Chicory, Courgette, Kale, Kohl Rabi, Leek, Lettuce, Marrow, Parsnip, Pea, Radish, Rocket, Samphire, Shallot, Spinach, Spring Onion, Turnip
Harvesting	Broccoli, Carrot, Cauliflower, Lettuce, Radish, Spring Onion

May

It’s late spring and the vegetable garden is bursting into growth! Make the most of your space by keeping careful track of where and when you plant.

Indoor sowing	Climbing Bean, Broccoli, Cabbage, Cauliflower, Celery, Courgette, Cucumber, Dwarf Bean, Kale, Leek, Pumpkin, Runner Bean, Squash, Sweetcorn
Outdoor sowing	Beetroot, Broad Bean, Broccoli, Cabbage, Carrot, Cauliflower, Chard, Climbing Bean, Chicory, Courgette, Cucumber, Dwarf Bean, Kale, Kohl Rabi, Leek, Lettuce, Marrow, Pak Choi, Parsnip, Pea, Pumpkin, Radish, Rocket, Runner Bean, Samphire, Spinach, Spring Onion, Squash, Swede, Sweetcorn, Turnip
Harvesting	Asparagus, Cabbage, Carrot, Cauliflower, Garlic, Lettuce, Pea, Radish, Rocket, Samphire, Spinach, Spring Onion

June

Long days and warm weather make June one of the busiest months in the garden, with plenty of seeds to sow and crops to harvest.

Indoor sowing	Pumpkin
Outdoor sowing	Beetroot, Cabbage, Carrot, Cauliflower, Chard, Chinese Cabbage, Climbing Bean, Cucumber, Dwarf Bean, Kohl Rabi, Lettuce, Pak Choi, Pea, Pumpkin, Radish, Rocket, Runner Bean, Spinach, Spring Onion, Swede
Harvesting	Asparagus, Beetroot, Broccoli, Cabbage, Carrot, Cauliflower, Garlic, Lettuce, Pak Choi, Pea, Potato, Radish, Rocket, Samphire, Spinach, Spring Onion, Tomato, Turnip

July

All your hard work in the garden is starting to pay off this month, with your vegetable garden keeping your larder well stocked with tasty produce.

Outdoor sowing	Beetroot, Cabbage, Carrot, Chard, Chinese Cabbage, Climbing Bean, Dwarf Bean, Kohl Rabi, Lettuce, Pak Choi, Radish, Rocket, Runner Bean, Spinach, Spring Onion, Swede
Harvesting	Artichoke (Globe), Beetroot, Broccoli, Broad Bean, Cabbage, Carrot, Cauliflower, Chard, Climbing Bean, Courgette, Cucumber, Dwarf Bean, Garlic, Kohl Rabi, Leek, Lettuce, Marrow, Pak Choi, Pea, Pepper, Potato, Radish, Rocket, Runner Bean, Samphire, Spinach, Spring Onion, Squash, Tomato, Turnip

August

As fruit and veg start to ripen in the warm summer sun, keep harvesting regularly to make the most of your vegetable garden.

Outdoor sowing	Cabbage, Chinese Cabbage, Kale, Lettuce, Pak Choi, Radish, Rocket, Spinach, Spring Onion
Harvesting	Artichoke (Globe), Aubergine, Beetroot, Broccoli, Broad Bean, Brussels Sprout, Cabbage, Carrot, Cauliflower, Celeriac, Celery, Chard, Climbing Bean, Courgette, Cucumber, Dwarf Bean, Garlic, Kohl Rabi, Leek, Lettuce, Marrow, Onion, Pak Choi, Pea, Pepper, Potato, Pumpkin, Radish, Rocket, Runner Bean, Samphire, Shallot, Spinach, Spring Onion, Squash, Sweetcorn, Tomato, Turnip

September

September is one of the most important months for harvesting, but there’s still time to sow a last crop of radishes before winter and get your spring onion seeds in for next year.

Indoor sowing	Lettuce
Outdoor sowing	Radish, Spring Onion
Harvesting	Artichoke (Globe), Aubergine, Beetroot, Broad Bean, Broccoli, Brussels Sprout, Cabbage, Carrot, Cauliflower, Celeriac, Celery, Chard, Chinese Cabbage, Climbing Bean, Courgette, Cucumber, Dwarf Bean, Garlic, Kale, Kohl Rabi, Leek, Lettuce, Marrow, Onion, Pak Choi, Pea, Pepper, Potato, Pumpkin, Radish, Rocket, Runner Bean, Samphire, Shallot, Spinach, Spring Onion, Squash, Sweetcorn, Tomato, Turnip

October

There’s still plenty to harvest in October, and it’s time to start sowing seeds for early harvests next spring.

Indoor sowing	Lettuce
Outdoor sowing	Broad Bean, Pea
Harvesting	Artichoke (Globe), Artichoke (Jerusalem), Aubergine, Beetroot, Broccoli, Brussels Sprout, Cabbage, Carrot, Cauliflower, Celeriac, Celery, Chard, Chicory, Chinese Cabbage, Climbing Bean, Courgette, Cucumber, Dwarf Bean, Kale, Kohl Rabi, Leek, Lettuce, Marrow, Pak Choi, Parsnip, Pepper, Potato, Pumpkin, Radish, Rocket, Runner Bean, Samphire, Shallot, Spinach, Spring Onion, Squash, Swede, Tomato, Turnip

November

The growing season draws to a close in November as the last of the harvest is gathered in.

Indoor sowing	Lettuce, Onion
Outdoor sowing	Broad Bean, Pea
Harvesting	Artichoke (Jerusalem), Broccoli, Brussels Sprout, Cabbage, Carrot, Cauliflower, Celeriac, Celery, Chard, Chicory, Chinese Cabbage, Kale, Leek, Lettuce, Parsnip, Potato, Pumpkin, Samphire, Swede

December

While it’s cold and bleak outside, start planning for next spring by sowing seeds indoors and preparing your greenhouse for another year of vegetable growing!

Indoor sowing	Lettuce, Onion
Outdoor sowing	Broad Beans
Harvesting	Artichoke (Jerusalem), Brussels Sprout, Cabbage, Carrot, Cauliflower, Celeriac, Chicory, Kale, Leek, Lettuce, Parsnip, Potato, Swede

When to plant potatoes

Close-up of sprouting seed potato in the ground

When to plant potatoes depends on whether you are planting first earlies, second earlies or maincrop potatoes. First and second early potatoes are the delicious waxy ‘new potatoes’ that start appearing on supermarket shelves from early summer. These are planted in late March and harvested in June and July. Second early potatoes are planted in early to mid-April and harvested in July and August. Maincrop potatoes, which are larger and take longer to mature, are planted in mid to late April and harvested from late August to October.

When to plant tomatoes

Tomatoes need a long period of warm weather in summer for the fruit to develop and ripen, so they need to be started off early in spring. However, it’s best not to start them off too soon, as the seedlings will grow leggy and spindly if the light levels are too low. If the plants are to be grown in greenhouses, sow tomato seeds indoors in a heated propagator or on a sunny windowsill in late February. Tomato plants that are to be grown outside can be sown indoors from late March to early April.

When to plant carrots

Carrot seeds, a gardening trowel and some ripe carrots.

Carrots have long tap roots and don’t like to be disturbed, so they are best grown from seed sown directly into the beds that they will grow in. Early sowing carrots can be sown outdoors from February onward under cloches or fleece to protect them from frost, and maincrop carrots can be sown from April to July. Carrots are ready to harvest between 3-4 months after sowing. If you want continuous harvests throughout the summer, sow a new batch of carrot seed every 3-4 weeks.

When to plant onions

Onions are usually grown from sets (these are essentially just small onions), and these sets can be planted out either in autumn or in spring, depending on the variety you choose. They’re usually ready to harvest from mid-summer to early autumn, with autumn-sown varieties ripening earlier than spring-sown.

How to sow vegetables

Close-up of a hand planting a row of pumpkin seeds in the ground.

If you’re new to vegetable growing, you might feel overwhelmed by all the strange new terminology on seed packets, so here’s a guide to some of the most common terms and what they mean.

Direct sowing

Sowing seeds directly means sowing them into the beds they are to grow in, rather than in pots for planting out later.

Sowing indoors

Seeds are usually sown indoors to protect the seedlings from cold winter weather or from pests such as mice, slugs or snails. The seeds can be sown in modules, seed trays or individual pots filled with either multi-purpose compost or seed compost and placed in in a greenhouse or any other frost-free environment to germinate.

Some seeds germinate better in a warm environment such as a heated propagator, but if you don’t have access to a propagator, a simple alternative is to sow the seeds in individual pots, water them and cover each pot with a clear plastic bag and place the pots on a sunny windowsill. Remove the plastic bags once the seeds have germinated. The seedlings can be planted out once they are big enough to handle and after the last frosts are over.

Levington^® Peat Free Seed & Cutting Compost

Pricking out and potting on

Seedlings sown in seed trays rather than modules need to be ‘pricked out’ before they can be potted on. This can be done using any suitable thin stick, for example a dibber or a pencil. Hold the seedling by a leaf, not by the stem, to avoid damaging it, and use the dibber to gently ease its roots out of the compost. The seedling can then be potted on (i.e. replanted) into an individual pot filled with compost, where it can continue to grow until it is ready to be planted out into a bed.

Hardening off

Seedlings grown in a protected environment indoors, such as a greenhouse or a windowsill, need time to adjust to outdoor conditions before they can be planted out. This process is called ‘hardening off’. To harden off seedlings, place them outdoors in their pots during the day and bring them back indoors at night. Repeat this for at least two weeks. After this, the seedlings can be planted out.

Using crop rotation

Crop rotation is a tried and trusted way to get the best out of your soil. Essentially, it means not growing the same crop in the same soil two years running. This means that pests and diseases like allium leaf miner or club root that attack specific crops don’t have a chance to build up in the soil, as the crops they affect simply aren’t there the following year.

Crop rotation also helps keep the nutrient balance in the soil correct. Different plants take different amounts of nutrients from the soil as they grow – for example, potatoes need a lot of nitrogen for healthy growth, whereas root vegetables like carrots need a soil low in nitrogen to stop them forking. Growing carrots in soil that was used for potatoes the previous year gives both crops the soil conditions they need. Most crop rotation plans work on a three- or four-year cycle. Here’s an example of a typical four-year crop rotation plan:

Plot	Year 1	Year 2	Year 3	Year 4
Plot 1	Potatoes	Onions and root vegetables	Legumes	Brassicas, followed by manure
Plot 2	Onions and root vegetables	Legumes	Brassicas, followed by manure	Potatoes
Plot 3	Legumes	Brassicas, followed by manure	Potatoes	Onions and root vegetables
Plot 4	Brassicas, followed by manure	Potatoes	Onions and root vegetables	Legumes

Companion planting

Raised bed planted with vegetables and marigolds as companion planting

In the fight against pests and diseases, many plants can help each other. Companion planting involves planting specific plants together so that one or both plants benefit. Often, the scent of one plant can deter pests from attacking another - for example, spring onions can help protect carrots from carrot fly by masking their scent, and French marigolds are often planted together with tomatoes because the scent of the marigolds deters whitefly. Basil also does a good job of repelling aphids from greenhouse tomatoes, and it’s also said to improve the flavour of the tomatoes!

Companion plants can also be used to attract pests away from a crop. Nasturtiums can be used as a sacrificial crop to attract cabbage white butterflies away from brassicas – the butterflies lay their eggs on the nasturtiums instead, while the cabbages stay healthy and caterpillar-free. Marigolds attract slugs, which can then be removed and disposed of.

Pollinator-friendly flowers like yarrow, achillea and calendulas are ideal companion plants for a vegetable garden. As well as adding colour, they attract bees to pollinate your crops and hoverflies and ladybirds which help to keep down aphids. Try your own experiments with companion planting and see what works for your garden!

FAQs

What vegetables can I plant in winter?

Although it’s too cold outside in winter to plant most vegetables, there are several that can be sown indoors, in a greenhouse or on a sunny windowsill for planting out in late spring. Some hardy vegetables can even be sown outside under cloches in late winter.

Vegetables to sow indoors in winter

Vegetables to sow outdoors in late winter

What’s the best time to grow veg in the UK?

In the UK, spring is the best time to plant or sow most vegetables so that they have plenty of sunshine during summer to grow and ripen. Fast-growing crops like salad leaves, rocket and cress can be grown all year round, sowing outdoors in summer and indoors in winter.

What’s the best month to start a vegetable garden?

Spring is the best time to start a vegetable garden, so in the UK, most vegetable seeds are sown between March and May. This gives the seedlings time to grow and develop into strong plants so that they can take full advantage of warm summer weather.

Can you grow vegetables all year round in the UK?

Most vegetables in the UK are grown between spring and autumn but many of the hardier vegetables like kale, brussels sprouts and parsnips can be harvested through winter. Some cold-tolerant seeds such as Broad Bean ‘Aquadulce’ can be sown in autumn for early harvests the following spring, and vegetables with a long growing season like cauliflower, aubergine and tomatoes can be sown in a greenhouse in late winter.