What to sow and plant this month: the UK vegetable calendar
A month-by-month UK guide to what vegetables to sow and plant — indoors and out — from January to December. Jump to this month.
By Tom Rowland · Updated 20 July 2026 · Sourced to the RHS
How to use this calendar
Timing is most of the battle with growing your own — sow too early and seedlings sulk on a cold windowsill, too late and a crop never fills out before autumn. This is a month-by-month guide to what you can sow and plant across the UK, split into 'under cover' (a windowsill, propagator, greenhouse or cold frame) and 'outdoors'. Use the contents links to jump straight to this month.
Two caveats: the UK spans a wide range of climates, so gardeners in the mild south-west are often two to three weeks ahead of the cold north — treat these as a guide and watch your own conditions. And always check the seed packet, which is tailored to that variety.
January
Mostly a planning month: order your seeds and seed potatoes. Late in the month, stand seed potatoes upright in a bright, frost-free spot to 'chit' (sprout) for a bigger, earlier crop.
Under cover in mild areas you can sow broad beans in pots (stood in a cold frame), onions from seed in a heated propagator, and early salad leaves and lettuce.
February
The season stirs. From mid-month, start heat-loving crops indoors with warmth — but only if you can give them light and a propagator.
Under cover: sow tomatoes (for a greenhouse), chillies, sweet peppers and aubergines (they need a long season), plus early salads and onions. Keep chitting your seed potatoes.
March
The main indoor-sowing month, and outdoor sowing begins on lighter, warmer soils.
Under cover: sow tomatoes, peppers, chillies, aubergines, cucumbers, celery, salads and globe artichokes. Outdoors in mild areas (ideally under cloches): broad beans, carrots, parsnips, beetroot, early peas, onion sets and shallots.
April
A peak sowing month — the soil is warming and there's a lot you can start directly outside.
Outdoors: beetroot, carrots, chard, summer cauliflower, lettuce, leeks, radish, turnip, spring onions, peas and perpetual spinach. Under cover: sow marrows, courgettes, squash and sweetcorn to plant out later.
May
The frost-transition month — the last frosts pass (later in the north), so tender crops can finally go out once it's safe.
Outdoors: direct-sow French and runner beans, squash, pumpkins, outdoor cucumbers and sweetcorn (in blocks for pollination). After the last frost, plant out tomatoes, courgettes and other tender plants raised under cover.
June
Plant out the last tender crops, and keep successional sowing so salads and beans don't all come at once.
Outdoors: there's still time to sow French and runner beans, peas, squash, sweetcorn and outdoor cucumbers, plus successional salads and beetroot. Plant out any remaining tomatoes, courgettes and winter brassicas.
July
The turn towards autumn and winter cropping — what you sow now feeds you when the summer gluts are over.
Outdoors: sow spring cabbage, turnips, oriental leaves (pak choi, mizuna, tatsoi), chicory, fennel and autumn/winter salads. Carrots can still go in under fleece against carrot fly. Last chance for a few quick crops like beetroot and French beans.
August
Keep the pipeline going with fast salads, and start crops that will overwinter for an early spring harvest.
Outdoors (especially in the south): sow quick salads (lettuce, radish, rocket, chicory, fennel) and overwintering crops — spring cabbage, turnips, oriental veg and overwintering onions. Sow green manures on bare beds to protect the soil.
September
Planting month for the crops that sit through winter, plus the last autumn salads.
Outdoors: plant overwintering onion sets (net against birds) and plant out spring cabbages sown in summer. Continue sowing winter-hardy spinach, winter lettuce, rocket and salad leaves, ideally with cloche protection later on.
October
Prime autumn planting — get garlic and autumn onions in for next year, and sow hardy beans to overwinter.
Outdoors: plant garlic cloves and finish planting autumn onion sets. In mild areas, sow overwintering broad beans in situ under cloches or fleece, and overwintering peas. Clear and mulch beds as crops finish.
November
Things wind down, but hardy crops can still go in where the soil is well-drained.
Outdoors (mild areas, free-draining soil): sow overwintering broad beans under cloches, or start them in pots in an unheated greenhouse. Plant garlic in its final position, or in modules in a cold frame in cold or wet areas.
December
The quietest month — mostly planning, tidying and dreaming of spring.
Garlic can still be planted on free-draining soil in mild areas, or started in modules under cover where the ground is heavy and wet. Hardy broad beans can be sown under cover. Otherwise, order next year's seeds and rest.
Common questions
What can I sow in winter in the UK?
Winter is mostly for planning, but you can plant garlic (October to December on free-draining soil), sow overwintering broad beans and peas under cover in mild areas, and start onions from seed in a heated propagator in January. Most sowing waits for spring.
When should I start tomato seeds in the UK?
Sow tomatoes indoors with warmth from late February to mid-March for greenhouse plants, or late March to April for outdoor ones, then plant out only after the last frost — from late May in most of the UK.
What are the main vegetable-sowing months?
March to June do most of the work: March for indoor sowing and early outdoor crops on warm soil, April and May as the peak months, and June for the last tender crops and successional salads. Get these right and you've grown most of a harvest.
Can I sow vegetables in July and August?
Yes — midsummer is the time to sow autumn and winter crops: spring cabbage, oriental leaves, chicory, fennel, winter salads and overwintering onions, plus fast summer salads. It keeps food coming once the early crops are over.
Do UK sowing times vary by region?
Yes — the mild south-west is often two to three weeks ahead of the cold north. Treat any calendar as a guide, watch your own soil temperature and weather, and always check the seed packet, which is tailored to the variety.
When do I plant garlic and onions?
Plant garlic and autumn onion sets from October to December for a crop the following summer; plant spring onion sets in March to April. Garlic in particular benefits from a cold spell, so autumn planting gives the best bulbs.
Sources: RHS — Grow Your Own: month-by-month · RHS — Vegetable and herb sowing guide. PreparedBritain is independent and not affiliated with HM Government.
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