Most gardeners plant broccoli between March and May for summer harvests, although later sowings can extend the harvest well into autumn.

Because broccoli tolerates cooler weather, it can often be planted earlier than many other vegetables once soil conditions allow.

If you’re unsure when frost risk ends in your area, our UK Last Frost Date Checker can help you plan planting more accurately.

The Simple Answer: When Should You Plant Broccoli in the UK?

The main broccoli planting window in the UK runs from March to May. Seeds are often started indoors earlier and transplanted outside once seedlings are strong enough.

• Start seeds indoors: February to April
• Plant outside: April to June
• Harvest period: July to October

Broccoli grows best when planted early enough to develop during cooler temperatures. Hot summer weather can cause plants to bolt or produce smaller heads.

Starting Broccoli Seeds Indoors

Many UK gardeners start broccoli seeds indoors because it gives plants a strong start before outdoor conditions improve.

Seeds are usually sown in small trays or pots and kept in a bright location.

• Sow seeds about 1 cm deep
• Keep compost lightly moist
• Provide good light to prevent weak seedlings

Seedlings are normally ready to move outdoors after about 4 to 6 weeks.

Planting Broccoli Outdoors

Broccoli seedlings can be transplanted outdoors once the soil begins warming in spring and plants have developed several strong leaves.

Choose a sunny location with well-prepared soil that holds moisture but drains properly.

If your garden soil remains wet after winter rain, improving soil structure can make planting much easier. See how to improve garden drainage in UK soil.

Best Soil for Growing Broccoli

Broccoli grows best in fertile soil rich in organic matter. Good soil structure allows roots to spread easily and supports steady plant growth.

If you’re unsure about your soil type, it’s worth identifying it first. This guide explains how to do that: how to tell if your garden soil is clay, loam or sand.

Improving soil before planting broccoli often leads to stronger plants and larger harvests. You can learn more about this here: how to improve garden soil in the UK.

If young broccoli plants appear healthy but grow slowly, the problem is often linked to soil conditions rather than planting time. Our guide on why vegetable plants grow slowly in UK gardens explains the soil factors that commonly hold vegetable growth back.

How Far Apart Should Broccoli Be Planted?

Broccoli plants grow fairly large and need plenty of space for their leaves and root systems.

• Plant spacing: 45–60 cm apart
• Row spacing: 60 cm between rows

Giving plants enough space improves airflow and helps heads develop fully.

Regional Guide: When to Plant Broccoli Across the UK

Although broccoli grows well in most UK gardens, planting times can vary slightly depending on your location. Temperature, soil conditions, and exposure to wind all influence how early crops can be planted.

South West England

In milder coastal areas such as Cornwall and Devon, broccoli can often be planted from early April. The warmer climate allows seedlings to establish earlier than in colder inland regions.

London and South East

Across London and the South East, broccoli is typically planted between April and May. Soil warms earlier here, making spring planting more reliable.

Checking local frost patterns can help avoid early damage to young plants. Use the UK Last Frost Date Checker to estimate frost risk in your area.

Midlands

In the Midlands, broccoli planting usually begins from mid-April once soil becomes workable after winter rain.

If soil feels dense or waterlogged after winter, it may be affected by compaction. Understanding soil compaction in UK gardens can help improve early crop growth.

Northern England

Gardeners in northern regions often plant broccoli between late April and early May. Cooler temperatures can delay planting slightly compared with southern parts of the UK.

Scotland

In Scotland, broccoli is usually planted from May onwards. Cooler spring conditions mean seedlings establish better when planted slightly later.

Types of Broccoli Commonly Grown in the UK

Several types of broccoli are grown successfully in British gardens. Each has slightly different planting and harvesting windows.

Calabrese Broccoli

This is the most common broccoli variety grown in UK vegetable gardens. It produces the familiar large central head followed by smaller side shoots.

Calabrese broccoli is typically planted in spring and harvested from summer onwards.

Sprouting Broccoli

Sprouting broccoli grows differently from calabrese. Instead of one large head, it produces many smaller shoots over a longer period.

This variety is often planted in summer and harvested during winter or early spring.

Purple Sprouting Broccoli

Purple sprouting broccoli is especially popular in the UK because it produces crops during the colder months when fewer vegetables are available.

Seeds are normally sown between April and June and harvested the following winter or early spring.

Common Broccoli Planting Mistakes

Planting Too Late in the Season

If broccoli is planted too late, plants may struggle in warmer weather and produce smaller heads, so it helps to know when it is genuinely too late to plant vegetables.

Poor Soil Fertility

Broccoli is a hungry crop that benefits from rich soil with plenty of organic matter.

Adding compost regularly helps improve fertility and soil structure. See how to improve garden soil in the UK for practical guidance.

Overcrowding Plants

Planting broccoli too closely together can lead to smaller heads and poor airflow. Giving plants enough space helps them develop larger, healthier crops.

Growing Broccoli in Raised Beds

Raised beds work particularly well for broccoli because they warm faster in spring and drain more reliably during wet weather.

However, raised beds do not completely solve drainage problems if the soil underneath remains compacted. Improving the soil itself is still important.

When Will Broccoli Be Ready to Harvest in the UK?

Broccoli usually takes around 12 to 16 weeks from planting to produce a harvestable head. The exact timing depends on planting date, variety, and growing conditions.

• Spring planting: harvest from July onwards
• Early summer planting: harvest late summer to early autumn
• Sprouting broccoli: harvest winter to early spring

The main broccoli head forms in the centre of the plant. Once this is harvested, many varieties will continue producing smaller side shoots for several weeks.

How to Harvest Broccoli Properly

Broccoli heads should be harvested while the buds are still tight and compact. If left too long, the buds begin to open into small yellow flowers.

To harvest broccoli:

• Cut the main head using a sharp knife
• Leave several centimetres of stem attached
• Allow side shoots to develop for additional harvests

Regular harvesting encourages plants to keep producing smaller shoots for a longer period.

How Planting Time Affects Broccoli Growth

Planting broccoli at the right time helps plants develop strong roots before warmer weather arrives.

Early planting

• Plants establish during cooler temperatures
• Heads develop slowly and evenly
• Lower risk of heat stress

Late planting

• Plants grow quickly in warm conditions
• Heads may be smaller
• Greater risk of bolting during hot weather

If your soil remains wet for long periods after rain, broccoli growth may slow significantly. Improving soil structure can help water move through soil more easily. This guide explains the process clearly: how to improve garden drainage in UK soil.

Quick Reference: When to Plant Broccoli in the UK

• Start seeds indoors: February to April
• Plant outside: April to June
• Main harvest period: July to October

If you’re planning a full vegetable garden, it helps to understand planting times for other crops as well. See our guides on when to plant peas in the UK, when to plant carrots in the UK, and when to plant spinach in the UK.

When to Plant Broccoli in the UK – Frequently Asked Questions

A Sensible Place to Start

If you’re unsure when to plant broccoli in your garden, begin by starting seeds indoors in early spring and transplanting young plants outdoors once the soil begins warming.

Choose fertile soil, give plants plenty of space, and keep the soil evenly moist as they grow.

With the right timing and good soil preparation, broccoli can become one of the most rewarding vegetables to grow in UK gardens.

Understanding when to plant spinach in the UK depends mainly on temperature and daylight length. In warm summer conditions spinach can bolt quickly, which is why many gardeners grow it during the cooler parts of the growing season. If you want the full step-by-step growing guide as well, read how to grow spinach in the UK.

If you want a broader overview of vegetable sowing times throughout the year, see our guide on when to plant vegetables in the UK.

The Simple Answer: When Should You Plant Spinach in the UK?

In most UK gardens spinach is planted twice a year.

• Spring planting: March to May
• Autumn planting: August to September

These cooler planting windows allow spinach to grow steadily without bolting too quickly.

If you’re unsure when frosts typically finish in your area, you can use the UK Last Frost Date Checker to help plan early sowings.

Why Spinach Grows Best in Cool Weather

Spinach is naturally suited to cool growing conditions. Unlike warm-season vegetables such as tomatoes or courgettes, spinach grows best when temperatures are moderate.

When temperatures rise too high, spinach plants may bolt. Bolting means the plant quickly produces flowers and seeds instead of leaves. If you want a fuller explanation of what causes that and how to reduce it, read why spinach bolts quickly in the UK.

• Cool spring weather encourages leafy growth
• Shorter autumn days also produce good harvests
• Extreme heat can cause plants to bolt quickly

This is why spinach is often planted earlier in the year alongside crops like peas and lettuce.

Growing Spinach from Seed

Spinach is usually grown directly from seed. Seeds germinate quickly when soil temperatures are cool and moisture is consistent.

If spinach seedlings seem slow or hesitant after planting, the issue is often soil conditions rather than timing. Our guide on why vegetable plants grow slowly in UK gardens explains the underlying soil factors that affect early growth.

Sowing Spinach Seeds Outdoors

Spinach seeds are typically sown directly into garden beds once soil becomes workable in early spring.

If soil remains wet or compacted after winter rain, improving drainage and soil structure can help seedlings establish successfully. See how to improve garden drainage in UK soil.

Understanding Your Soil Before Planting Spinach

Spinach grows best in fertile, well-drained soil that contains plenty of organic matter. Poor soil structure can slow early growth and lead to weaker plants.

If you’re unsure what type of soil you have in your garden, this guide explains how to identify it: how to tell if your garden soil is clay, loam or sand.

Healthy soil structure allows spinach roots to develop properly and supports consistent leaf growth.

Regional Guide: When to Plant Spinach Across the UK

Although spinach grows well across most of the UK, the exact planting time can vary slightly depending on your location. Climate, soil temperature, and exposure to wind can influence how early seeds can be sown.

South West England

In milder coastal regions such as Cornwall and Devon, spinach can often be planted from early March. The relatively warm climate allows early spring crops to establish quickly.

London and South East

Across London and the South East, spinach is commonly planted between March and May for spring harvests, with a second sowing period in late summer.

If you want to check the typical frost timing in your area, the UK Last Frost Date Checker can help you plan early planting.

Midlands

In the Midlands, spinach is usually planted from late March onwards once soil becomes workable after winter rain.

Soil that has become compacted during winter can slow spinach growth. Understanding soil compaction in UK gardens can help improve early crop establishment.

Northern England

In northern regions, spinach planting often begins in late March or early April. Cooler temperatures may delay early sowing slightly.

Scotland

In Scotland, spinach is usually planted from April onwards once soil temperatures begin rising in spring.

How Far Apart Should Spinach Be Planted?

Proper spacing allows spinach plants to grow strong leaves and reduces competition for nutrients.

• Plant spacing: 10–15 cm between plants
• Row spacing: 25–30 cm between rows

Thinning seedlings after germination helps plants grow larger leaves and improves airflow.

Types of Spinach Commonly Grown in the UK

Several spinach varieties grow well in UK gardens and are suited to different seasons.

Summer Spinach

These varieties are usually grown during spring and early summer and are harvested before hot weather arrives.

Perpetual Spinach

Perpetual spinach is actually a type of chard but is often grown in the same way as spinach. It produces leaves for a longer period and tolerates warmer weather.

Winter Spinach

Winter spinach varieties are planted in late summer or early autumn and harvested during cooler months, making them one of the better choices in what you can sow next month.

Common Spinach Planting Mistakes

Planting Too Late in Spring

If spinach is planted too late in the season, warmer temperatures may cause plants to bolt quickly, though spinach is one of the crops you can happily sow again in autumn when it is otherwise too late to plant vegetables.

Allowing Soil to Dry Out

Spinach prefers consistent moisture. Dry soil can slow growth and produce smaller leaves.

Poor Soil Structure

Spinach grows best in soil rich in organic matter. Improving soil structure helps retain moisture and supports healthy root development. See how to improve garden soil in the UK.

Growing Spinach in Containers

Spinach grows well in containers, raised beds, and small garden spaces.

Containers should be at least 15–20 cm deep and placed in a sunny or lightly shaded location. Regular watering helps maintain steady growth.

In the next section we’ll cover harvest timing, how long spinach takes to grow, and how to keep plants producing leaves for longer.

When Will Spinach Be Ready to Harvest in the UK?

Spinach grows quickly in the cool conditions common in UK gardens. In most cases leaves can be harvested around 4 to 6 weeks after sowing.

• Early spring sowing: harvest from April onwards
• Main spring sowing: harvest during May and June
• Late summer sowing: harvest from September into autumn

Leaves can be picked individually from the outside of the plant while allowing the centre to continue producing new growth.

How Planting Time Affects Spinach Growth

The timing of planting has a big influence on how spinach grows.

Early spring planting

• Produces tender leaves
• Plants grow steadily in cool temperatures
• Lower risk of bolting

Late spring planting

• Plants grow faster as temperatures rise
• More watering may be needed
• Greater risk of bolting during hot weather

Autumn planting

• Cooler conditions slow bolting
• Leaves often remain tender
• Harvests can continue well into autumn

If soil remains wet or compacted, spinach growth may slow. Improving soil structure helps plants develop strong roots and steady leaf growth. See how to improve garden drainage in UK soil for practical steps.

How to Keep Spinach Producing Leaves

Many gardeners grow spinach throughout the growing season by sowing small batches every few weeks.

This method is known as succession planting and ensures a steady harvest.

• Sow spinach every 2–3 weeks during spring
• Harvest outer leaves regularly
• Keep soil evenly moist

Following this approach can provide fresh spinach leaves from spring through autumn.

Quick Reference: When to Plant Spinach in the UK

• Sow spinach seeds: March to May
• Second sowing window: August to September
• Harvest spinach: April to October

If you are planning a full vegetable garden, it helps to understand planting times for other crops as well. See our guides on when to plant peas in the UK, when to plant lettuce in the UK, and when to plant carrots in the UK.

When to Plant Spinach in the UK – Frequently Asked Questions

A Sensible Place to Start

If you’re unsure when to plant spinach in your garden, start with a small sowing in April once soil becomes workable.

Choose a sunny location, keep soil evenly moist, and harvest leaves regularly to encourage continued growth.

With the right timing and consistent care, spinach becomes one of the easiest leafy vegetables to grow in UK gardens.

Understanding when to plant lettuce in the UK depends on temperature, daylight, and the type of lettuce being grown. Some varieties grow best in cool spring weather, while others are suited to summer or autumn planting. If you want the full growing guide after choosing your sowing time, read how to grow lettuce in the UK.

If you want a full seasonal overview for many crops, see our guide to when to plant vegetables in the UK. Lettuce fits into several parts of the vegetable planting calendar because it grows quickly and can be sown repeatedly.

The Simple Answer: When Should You Plant Lettuce in the UK?

In most UK gardens lettuce is planted between March and August, depending on the variety and the harvest period you want.

• Early sowing: March to April
• Main sowing period: April to July
• Late sowing: July to August for autumn harvests

Because lettuce grows quickly, many gardeners sow small batches every few weeks rather than planting everything at once.

If you want to check frost timing before early sowing, you can use the UK Last Frost Date Checker. Lettuce tolerates light frost but very cold soil can slow germination.

Why Lettuce Is Perfect for Early Spring Planting

Lettuce prefers cool growing conditions and often grows best during spring and early summer.

Unlike warm-season vegetables such as tomatoes or courgettes, lettuce does not need warm soil to germinate.

• Seeds germinate well in cool soil Even so, very young lettuce seedlings can still be vulnerable once they emerge, especially to slugs, birds, or drying out at the soil surface. If that is happening in your garden, read why lettuce seedlings keep disappearing in the UK.
• Plants tolerate mild frost
• Leaves develop quickly in spring temperatures

These qualities make lettuce one of the easiest vegetables for beginners to grow.

Growing Lettuce from Seed

Lettuce is usually grown directly from seed. Seeds germinate quickly and plants develop fast compared with many other vegetables.

If lettuce seedlings sit still for long periods after planting, the cause is often soil structure or temperature rather than sowing time. You can learn more about these conditions in our guide explaining why vegetable plants grow slowly in UK gardens.

Sowing Lettuce Seeds Outdoors

Most lettuce seeds are sown directly into garden soil from March onwards once the soil becomes workable.

If soil remains compacted or waterlogged after winter rain, improving soil structure can help seedlings establish more successfully. See how to improve garden drainage in UK soil.

Starting Lettuce Indoors

Lettuce seeds can also be started indoors in seed trays during early spring.

Seedlings can be transplanted outdoors after two to three weeks once the weather improves.

Understanding Your Soil Before Planting Lettuce

Lettuce grows best in loose, well-drained soil with plenty of organic matter. Soil that remains compacted or waterlogged can slow early growth.

If you’re unsure what soil you have in your garden, see how to tell if your garden soil is clay, loam or sand.

Improving soil structure with compost and avoiding compaction helps lettuce establish quickly and produce healthy leaves.

Month-by-Month Lettuce Planting Guide

March

Early sowings begin once soil becomes workable and temperatures start to rise.

April

Main sowing month for many UK gardens as spring conditions improve.

May to June

Ideal months for continuous sowing to keep harvests coming through summer.

July to August

Later sowings can provide lettuce harvests during autumn, and lettuce is rarely a crop it is too late to plant vegetables.

In the next section we’ll look at regional planting differences across the UK, spacing lettuce properly, and common mistakes that reduce harvest quality.

Regional Guide: When to Plant Lettuce Across the UK

The exact planting time for lettuce can vary slightly depending on where you live in the UK. Climate, soil temperature, and exposure to wind all influence how early lettuce can be sown.

South West England

In mild coastal regions such as Cornwall and Devon, lettuce can often be sown from early March. The relatively mild climate allows early spring crops to establish quickly.

London and South East

Across London and much of the South East, lettuce is typically sown between March and July. Warmer spring temperatures often allow earlier planting compared with northern regions.

If you want to check frost timing in your area before early planting, you can use the UK Last Frost Date Checker.

Midlands

In the Midlands lettuce is usually planted from late March onwards. Waiting until soil becomes workable after winter rain improves germination.

If soil becomes compacted during winter, it may affect early growth. See soil compaction in UK gardens to understand how this affects vegetable crops.

Northern England

In northern England lettuce is often planted from late March through summer. Cooler temperatures may delay early sowings slightly.

Scotland

In Scotland lettuce is usually sown from April onwards once soil temperatures begin rising in spring.

How Far Apart Should Lettuce Be Planted?

Proper spacing allows lettuce plants to develop healthy leaves and reduces competition for nutrients.

• Leaf lettuce: 15–20 cm apart
• Heading lettuce: 25–30 cm apart
• Row spacing: 30 cm between rows

If lettuce plants are crowded too closely together, airflow is reduced and plants may become smaller.

Types of Lettuce Commonly Grown in the UK

Several types of lettuce grow well in UK gardens.

Leaf Lettuce

Leaf lettuce grows quickly and can be harvested repeatedly by picking individual leaves.

Butterhead Lettuce

Butterhead varieties produce soft round heads and are commonly grown in spring and early summer.

Cos (Romaine) Lettuce

Cos lettuce forms upright heads and grows well during cooler periods of the growing season.

Common Lettuce Planting Mistakes

Sowing Too Much at Once

Lettuce grows quickly, so planting too much at the same time often leads to excess harvest all at once. Many gardeners sow small amounts every few weeks instead.

Planting in Dry Soil

Lettuce needs steady moisture to develop tender leaves. Dry soil can slow growth and cause bitter leaves.

Ignoring Soil Quality

Lettuce grows best in soil rich in organic matter. Improving soil health can significantly improve growth. See how to improve garden soil in the UK.

Growing Lettuce in Containers

Lettuce grows very well in containers and raised beds, making it ideal for small gardens and patios.

Containers should be at least 15–20 cm deep and placed in a sunny or lightly shaded location.

In the final section we’ll cover harvest timing, how long lettuce takes to grow, and how to keep plants producing leaves throughout the season.

When Will Lettuce Be Ready to Harvest in the UK?

Lettuce grows quickly compared with many other vegetables. In most UK gardens lettuce can be harvested around 4 to 8 weeks after sowing depending on the variety and growing conditions.

• Leaf lettuce: ready in 4–6 weeks
• Heading lettuce: ready in 6–8 weeks

Leaf varieties can be harvested repeatedly by picking outer leaves while allowing the plant to continue growing.

How Planting Time Affects Lettuce Harvests

The timing of sowing influences how quickly lettuce grows and the quality of the leaves.

Early spring sowing

• Produces tender leaves
• Lower risk of plants bolting
• Ideal for early harvests

Summer sowing

• Plants grow very quickly
• Regular watering becomes more important
• Partial shade can help prevent leaves becoming bitter

Late sowing

• Provides harvests in autumn
• Cooler conditions slow growth slightly

Healthy soil structure plays an important role in lettuce growth. If soil becomes compacted, roots struggle to develop properly. See soil compaction in UK gardens to understand how this affects vegetable crops.

How to Keep Lettuce Producing All Season

Many gardeners grow lettuce continuously throughout the growing season by sowing small batches every few weeks.

This method, known as succession planting, ensures fresh leaves are available for a longer period.

• Sow small batches every 2–3 weeks
• Harvest leaves regularly
• Keep soil evenly moist

Following this approach allows a steady supply of lettuce from spring through autumn.

Quick Reference: When to Plant Lettuce in the UK

• Sow lettuce seeds: March to August
• Main sowing months: April to July
• Harvest lettuce: May to October

If you are planning a full vegetable garden, it also helps to understand planting times for other crops. See our guides on when to plant carrots in the UK, when to plant peas in the UK, and when to plant tomatoes in the UK.

When to Plant Lettuce in the UK – Frequently Asked Questions

A Sensible Place to Start

If you are unsure when to plant lettuce in your garden, begin with a small sowing in April once soil becomes workable.

Choose a sunny location, keep soil evenly moist, and sow small batches every few weeks rather than planting everything at once.

With the right timing and steady care, lettuce becomes one of the easiest and most rewarding vegetables to grow in UK gardens.

When to plant peas in the UK is earlier than most people think. The main sowing window runs from March to June for a steady summer crop, but you can start as early as February in mild areas, and hardy varieties can even go in during autumn to overwinter. Peas are one of the first things I sow every year, because they shrug off cold that would kill a bean and they crop best in the cool of spring rather than the heat of high summer. Sow too late and you fight mildew and disappointing pods in July; get them in early and they romp. If you have left it later than that, see whether it is too late to plant peas.

Peas taught me to stop waiting for the weather to feel like spring. For years I held off sowing until it was warm and pleasant, the way you would with beans, and every year my peas were mediocre because they were flowering into the first proper heat and getting hit by mildew. Once I started sowing them cold and early, in March when the soil was barely workable, everything changed. They are a cool-season crop at heart, and understanding that is most of the battle.

Why Peas Go In So Early

Peas are hardy in a way that catches beginners out. The seedlings tolerate frost, the plants actively prefer cool weather, and they set their best pods in the mild, damp conditions of a British spring. That is the opposite of tender crops like runner beans and tomatoes, which have to wait until the frosts have gone.

This is why peas belong in the first wave of the growing year, alongside broad beans and the earliest salads. Get them established while it is still cool and they build strong plants and heavy trusses of pods before summer arrives. Leave them until it warms up and they never quite catch up, because peas hate heat and dry soil, and a June-sown crop spends its life playing catch-up against mildew and drought. The wider picture of what goes in when sits in the vegetable planting calendar.

Sowing Peas Direct or Starting Them Indoors

You can sow peas straight into the ground or start them off under cover, and I do both depending on the month. From April onwards, when the soil has warmed a little, direct sowing is simplest: make a shallow flat drill a couple of centimetres deep, scatter the seeds a few centimetres apart, cover, and firm gently. They will be up in a week or two.

Early in the season, though, cold wet soil rots as many seeds as it sprouts, so for February and March sowings I start them indoors. The old allotment trick is to sow a row of peas in a length of guttering filled with compost, grow them on somewhere cool and bright, then slide the whole ribbon of plants into a prepared trench when the weather settles. It gets you weeks ahead and dodges the worst of the slugs and mice, which love a freshly sown pea. If your soil is the heavy sort that stays cold and wet, it is worth reading how to tell your soil type so you know what you are dealing with.

Get the Soil Right First

Peas are not greedy, but they do want two things: reasonable drainage and soil that is not too acidic. Cold, waterlogged ground is the number one reason early sowings fail, because the seed simply sits and rots before it can germinate. If your beds hold water through winter, either wait for them to dry out or improve the drainage first.

They also fix their own nitrogen from the air, so they do not need a rich, heavily manured bed, and too much nitrogen actually gives you lush leafy plants with few pods. What helps most is soil in decent condition with a bit of well-rotted organic matter worked in, as covered in improving garden soil. On compacted ground the roots struggle, so if yours is the kind that sets hard, soil compaction in UK gardens is worth a look before you sow.

Month by Month

February

In mild areas and the south, you can make a first sowing under cover or into a sheltered, well-drained bed with cloches over it. This is a gamble for an early crop rather than a main sowing, so do not commit all your seed to it. In the north, hold off.

March

The month peas really get going across most of the country. Sow indoors or into warming soil under cloches. This is my main early sowing, and plants started now crop beautifully in June before the heat and mildew arrive.

April

Prime direct-sowing time everywhere. The soil is warm enough for reliable germination outdoors, and April sowings are about the most foolproof of the lot. Keep sowing a short row every couple of weeks for a succession.

May and June

You can keep sowing into May and early June, but choose quick, mildew-resistant varieties and be ready to water, because these later crops mature as the weather warms and are more prone to problems. There is more on the wider month in what to sow in May. After June, wait for an autumn sowing rather than fighting high summer.

Where You Garden Shifts the Dates

The dates above are for the middle of the country, and the UK stretches them by a good few weeks. In the South West and along the south coast, mild winters mean you can often sow from February and get away with autumn sowings for an overwintered crop. London and the South East run similarly early, helped by the warmth cities hold.

Across the Midlands the standard dates apply as written. In northern England, push the first sowings back to late March or April and skip the February gamble. In Scotland, later still, with April the sensible starting point in most areas and cold wet spring soil the main thing to work around. Local knowledge beats any calendar, and if you are unsure how late your frosts run, the last frost date checker gives a date for your postcode, though peas are hardy enough that a light frost does them no harm.

Spacing, and Why Peas Need Support

Sow seeds a few centimetres apart in the row, or in a double row about 20cm apart, which lets the plants support each other and makes the most of a support structure between them. Do not agonise over exact spacing; peas are forgiving, and a slightly crowded row still crops well.

Support is the bit people skip and regret. Most pea varieties want something to climb, and even the so-called dwarf types flop and sprawl without a bit of help, which leaves the pods on the wet ground for the slugs. Traditional pea sticks, twiggy prunings pushed into the row, are perfect and free. Otherwise netting or a few bamboo canes with string between them do the job. Get the support in at sowing time or just after, because pushing canes into an established row tears through the roots.

Peas in Raised Beds and Containers

Peas do well in raised beds, which warm and drain faster than open ground and let you sow a week or two earlier. They also grow perfectly happily in a decent-sized container, which suits a patio or a small garden, and dwarf varieties are the natural choice there.

The one thing containers demand is water, because peas hate drying out and a pot dries fast once the plants are cropping in early summer. Keep them consistently moist and give even a dwarf variety something low to scramble up. The general principles are in growing vegetables in pots.

The Mistakes That Spoil a Pea Crop

Three things account for most pea disappointment. The first is sowing into cold waterlogged soil, which rots the seed before it germinates, and it is why starting early sowings indoors pays off. The second is planting too late, so the crop matures into summer heat and mildew instead of cool spring; peas genuinely do want to be early. The third is ignoring the birds and mice, because pigeons strip young pea shoots and mice dig up the seed, so a bit of netting or twiggy cover over a new sowing saves a lot of heartache.

Fix those and peas are close to foolproof. They are among the most rewarding crops for the effort involved, and a handful eaten raw straight from the pod in June is one of the genuine pleasures of growing your own.

When Will They Be Ready?

Peas take roughly 11 to 14 weeks from sowing to picking, depending on the variety and the weather. So a March sowing usually means peas from mid June, an April sowing from July, and successional sowings keep you cropping through the summer if you kept them coming every couple of weeks. Left it late and wondering if there is still time? See whether it is too late to plant vegetables.

Pick as soon as the pods are plump but still bright green and tender, and pick often, because regular picking tells the plant to keep producing while leaving pods to fatten and go starchy tells it to stop. Peas are at their sweetest within minutes of picking, which is the whole reason to grow your own, since the sugars turn to starch fast once they leave the plant. That is one taste the supermarket simply cannot sell you.

What Goes In Alongside Peas

Peas sit with the hardy early crops, so they follow the same rules as broad beans, carrots and onions: cool-season things that can go out well before the tender crops. If you want the full growing detail beyond timing, from varieties to harvesting, that lives in how to grow peas in the UK.

Plan the garden in those two halves, hardy things that go out early and tender things that must wait, and peas slot neatly into the first wave. The broad beans that go in around the same time make natural companions, both cropping while the summer vegetables are still finding their feet.

When to Plant Peas in the UK: Frequently Asked Questions

A Sensible Place to Start

If you take one thing from this, let it be that peas want to go in early. Sow a row in March, either indoors to start with or under cloches, and get the support in at the same time. That single early sowing will teach you more than any amount of reading, and peas are forgiving enough that a first attempt almost always gives you something.

Then sow another short row a fortnight later, and another after that, and you will be picking sweet pods from June well into the summer. Start with a reliable early variety, keep the mice off, and be earlier than feels natural. Few crops reward getting the timing right quite as generously as peas do.

When to plant tomatoes in the UK splits into two jobs that people often muddle together. Sow the seed indoors between late February and early April, then plant out from mid May in a greenhouse and from late May into early June outdoors, once the frosts have finished. Sow too early and you spend April nursing pale, stretched seedlings that never recover. Plant out too early and one cold night undoes months of work. The dates below are the ones I use in Oxfordshire, with adjustments for wherever you garden.

Why Tomatoes Punish an Early Start

The urge to sow tomatoes in January is almost irresistible. The seed packets are sitting there, the catalogues have been arriving since Boxing Day, and sowing something feels like the season finally starting. I have given in to it more than once and it has never once paid off.

The problem is not germination. Tomato seed will come up happily in February on a warm windowsill. The problem is what happens next. A seedling needs strong light to build a stocky plant, and in February and early March there simply is not enough of it in a British house. The plant stretches towards the window, the stem goes thin and pale, and by the time it is warm enough to go outside in late May you are holding a leggy, exhausted thing that has been living in a pot for four months. A plant sown in late March, into brightening days, will overtake it within a fortnight of planting out and crop earlier. That is not a theory, it is the same lesson I have relearned in three separate years.

Then there is the frost. Tomatoes are killed outright by it, not merely checked, and even a cold night at three or four degrees with no frost at all will stall a young plant for a fortnight. Every date on this page exists to keep your plants away from those two problems.

Sowing Tomato Seeds Indoors

Late February to early April is the window, and where you land inside it depends on where the plants are going. If you have a heated greenhouse, sow from late February. For an unheated greenhouse, mid to late March. For outdoor tomatoes, late March into early April is plenty, and I would rather sow in the first week of April than the first week of March.

Tomato seed germinates best between about 18C and 24C, which is warmer than most rooms. A seed tray with a propagator lid holds that warmth and humidity steadily, and it is the difference between patchy germination and a full tray. An airing cupboard works too, as long as you check daily and move them to the light the moment the first shoot appears. Leave them in the dark a day too long and they stretch beyond saving.

Variety matters more than most beginners expect. Cherry types are far more forgiving of a British summer than big beefsteaks, which often run out of season before they ripen. Sweet Million tomato seeds are a good starting point, heavy cropping and reliable, and a plant or two will keep a household in cherry tomatoes from July. If you want the fuller picture on varieties and growing method, that sits in my guide to growing tomatoes in the UK, and the RHS tomato guide is a good second opinion on sowing depth.

Potting On and Keeping Plants Stocky

Once seedlings have their first pair of true leaves, move them into individual pots. Tomatoes are unusual here and it is worth knowing: you can bury the stem right up to the lowest leaves and the buried section will grow roots. That is the single best trick for rescuing a seedling that has already gone a bit leggy, and it is why tomatoes forgive that mistake when most crops do not.

After that the job is light and cool rather than warm and dim. A slightly cooler, very bright spot produces a short, thick-stemmed plant. A warm dark corner produces a tall weak one. If your only window faces north, a sheet of kitchen foil propped behind the tray bounces a surprising amount of light back and stops the plants leaning so hard. Turn the pots every couple of days as well. If yours have already gone tall and floppy, why tomato seedlings go leggy covers how to bring them back.

Greenhouse or Outdoors Changes Everything

A greenhouse buys you roughly two to three weeks at each end of the season, and in a British summer that is the difference between a decent crop and a glut. Greenhouse plants can go into their final position from mid May in most years, or early May with fleece to hand. They also stay dry, which matters enormously because blight arrives on warm wet weather and wet leaves are how it takes hold.

Outdoor tomatoes wait for the frosts to finish properly, which for most of the country means the last week of May into the first week of June. If you have left it later than that, it is worth checking whether it is too late to plant tomatoes. They want the warmest, most sheltered spot you have, ideally against a south-facing wall that holds heat overnight. Grow a blight-resistant variety outdoors if you can, because in a wet August an ordinary outdoor tomato is at the mercy of the weather. If you are unsure when your own frosts finish, the last frost date checker will give you a date for your postcode rather than a national average.

Soil Temperature, the Thing Nobody Checks

Air temperature is what everyone watches, and soil temperature is what actually decides whether a newly planted tomato gets going. You want soil at about 12C or above before planting out. Cold soil in May is why plants sit there doing nothing for three weeks after an apparently perfect planting day.

Warming the bed is easy and worth the effort. A sheet of black plastic or a couple of cloches over the planting area for a fortnight beforehand lifts the soil temperature noticeably. Wet soil is the other half of the problem, since waterlogged ground stays cold and rots roots, so if your ground sits wet it is worth improving the drainage or planting into raised beds and pots instead. Working plenty of compost into the soil the autumn before does both jobs at once.

Month by Month

February

Only sow now if you have a heated greenhouse to move plants into. Otherwise use the month to order seed and clean pots, and leave the sowing alone.

March

The main sowing month for greenhouse tomatoes, and a good time to start outdoor ones in the north where the season runs late. Sow indoors in warmth, then get the seedlings into strong light immediately.

April

The last sensible sowing window for outdoor plants, and the month for potting on. Towards the end of April, greenhouse plants can start moving into their final positions if the weather is kind. Do not be tempted to put anything outside yet.

May

The month everything happens, and the month that catches people out. Greenhouse tomatoes go in from mid May. Outdoor plants get hardened off across the last two weeks and planted out at the very end of the month at the earliest. Watch the forecast rather than the calendar, because a warm week in early May means nothing about the nights that follow it. There is more on the wider May jobs in what to plant in May.

June

The safe month for outdoor planting everywhere in the UK, and not late at all. Plants going out in the first half of June will crop perfectly well. Early June is also when you start tying in and pinching out side shoots, which is covered in June gardening jobs.

Where You Live Changes the Dates

Everything above is written for the middle of England. In the South West and along the south coast, mild winters and early springs mean you can usually plant out a week or two earlier, and outdoor tomatoes are genuinely reliable. London and the South East run similarly early, with the added help of the heat that cities hold overnight.

Across the Midlands the standard dates apply as written. In northern England, push planting out into early June and lean towards a greenhouse or a very sheltered wall. In Scotland, outdoor tomatoes are hard work outside the mildest coastal spots, so a greenhouse or polytunnel is close to essential, and planting out before the middle of June is asking for trouble. Altitude and local shelter matter as much as latitude, and a neighbour who has gardened the same street for twenty years is a better guide than any map.

Hardening Off Properly

This is the step people skip when they are impatient, and it is the one that costs them. A tomato raised indoors has soft growth and no defences against wind or direct sun, and moving it straight outside scorches the leaves and shocks the plant badly.

Give it a fortnight. Start with an hour or two outside in a sheltered spot, build up over the days, and bring the plants in every night for the first week. In the second week they can stay out overnight if there is no frost forecast. I lost most of a batch years ago by doing this over a single sunny weekend, and the plants that survived cropped weeks behind the ones I did properly the following year. The full hardening off method applies to every tender crop, not just tomatoes.

Planting Out: Depth, Spacing and Support

Choose a mild overcast day rather than a hot bright one, and water the plants an hour beforehand. Plant deep, burying the stem up to the first leaves as you did when potting on, because those buried roots make a sturdier and more drought-resistant plant.

Give them room. Cordon tomatoes want about 45cm between plants, bush types more like 60cm, and greenhouse rows want 45 to 60cm with space to walk. Crowding is a false economy: airflow drops, humidity rises, and you invite exactly the fungal problems described in tomato diseases in the UK. Put the support in on planting day rather than later, since driving a cane in beside an established plant tears through the roots. Tomato canes or plant stakes do the job for cordons, and a truss of fruit is heavier than people expect.

The Mistakes That Cost a Crop

Four things account for most tomato disappointment, and all of them are about timing rather than skill. Sowing in February and keeping plants indoors for four months. Planting out during a warm spell in early May, then losing them to a cold night ten days later. Rushing the hardening off. And planting into cold, wet soil that has not warmed through, which stalls a plant for weeks and can rot it outright.

Notice that none of those is about feeding, pruning or watering. Those matter later, but they cannot rescue a plant that started badly. If your plants are already in and misbehaving, work through common tomato problems, and if they are flowering without setting fruit, tomato plants not producing fruit covers that specifically.

Tomatoes in Pots and Raised Beds

Containers give you a genuine timing advantage because compost warms faster than open ground, and pots can be moved into shelter or dragged against a wall when a cold night threatens. On a patio you can often plant a week or so earlier than in a bed.

Go large. One plant per 30cm pot at the very least, and bigger is better. The small pots people use are the reason so many container tomatoes wilt daily and suffer blossom end rot, since erratic watering stops the plant taking up calcium. Raised beds sit neatly in between, warming earlier than open ground while holding moisture better than a pot. Whichever you choose, consistency of watering matters more than the container itself.

When Your Tomatoes Will Be Ready

Count roughly 16 to 20 weeks from sowing to the first ripe fruit. In practice, a March sowing planted out in late May gives greenhouse tomatoes from mid July and outdoor ones from late July or early August, running on until the first frosts.

Planting date shifts that whole window. Greenhouse plants in by mid May can be picking in early July. Standard late May planting brings the main crop through August and September. A late June planting still crops, but everything arrives in September when the light is going, and you will finish the season with more green fruit than red. That is not a disaster, since green tomatoes make excellent chutney, but it is worth knowing before you decide to delay.

Helping Them Ripen Before the Season Ends

By late August, stop the plants. Pinch out the growing tip two leaves above the top truss so the plant stops making new growth and puts everything into the fruit it already carries. Remove the lower leaves to let light and air at the trusses, and cut back on watering slightly, which concentrates flavour.

If frost is forecast and there is still green fruit outside, pick everything and bring it in. A banana in the bowl or the bag speeds it along, and any that refuse to turn go in the chutney pan. BBC Gardeners’ World has more on end-of-season care if you want another view.

Quick Reference

• Sow indoors: late February (heated greenhouse) to early April (outdoor plants)
• Pot on: when the first true leaves appear, burying the stem deep
• Harden off: two weeks before planting out
• Plant in a greenhouse: mid May onwards
• Plant outdoors: late May to early June, after the last frost
• Soil temperature: about 12C or warmer before planting out
• First ripe fruit: roughly 16 to 20 weeks from sowing

If you are planning the rest of the plot around these dates, the full vegetable planting calendar puts tomatoes alongside everything else going in through spring.

When to Plant Tomatoes in the UK: Frequently Asked Questions

A Sensible Place to Start

If all of this feels like a lot to hold in your head, reduce it to two decisions. Sow in late March. Plant out at the end of May. Those two dates will serve you well almost anywhere in the UK, and everything else on this page is refinement around them.

Then be later than feels right. Every gardener I know, myself very much included, has lost plants to impatience and none of us has ever lost one to waiting an extra fortnight. The plants catch up faster than you think, and a tomato that goes into warm soil and settled weather will overtake one that was rushed and checked. Grow two or three plants properly rather than eight badly, and you will get more tomatoes with less worry.

Plant too early into saturated soil and sets can rot. Plant too late and bulbs may not size up properly before summer heat arrives.

Understanding when to plant onions in the UK depends on the method you are using: sets, seeds, or overwintering varieties.

Many gardeners start with onion sets, which are easier to grow than seeds and provide more reliable results in typical UK garden conditions.

If you want the broader planting calendar first, see When to Plant Vegetables in the UK. Onions follow a predictable seasonal pattern, but soil condition matters just as much as timing.

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The Simple Answer: When Should You Plant Onions in the UK?

In most UK gardens, onions are planted between February and April.

• Onion sets: February to April
• Onion seeds (indoors): January to February
• Onion seeds (direct sow): March to April
• Overwintering varieties: September to October

Exact timing depends on soil temperature, drainage, and frost exposure. Onions tolerate cold better than many crops, but prolonged waterlogging causes more problems than frost.

Before planting outdoors, confirm your regional frost pattern using the UK Last Frost Date Checker.

Onion Sets vs Onion Seeds: Does Timing Change?

Onion Sets

Onion sets are small immature bulbs grown the previous season. They are the easiest and most reliable method for beginners.

Most gardeners plant sets between late February and early April. In southern areas, late February is often suitable if soil is workable.

In colder or heavier soil, early to mid March is usually safer.

Onion Seeds

Growing from seed gives more variety choice and can produce larger bulbs, but requires more time.

• Start indoors in January or February.
• Transplant outside in March or April.
• Or direct sow outdoors from March onwards.

Seeds need steady warmth for germination and even moisture once transplanted.

Why Drainage Matters More Than Frost for Onions

Onions tolerate cool conditions surprisingly well. What they dislike most is sitting in cold, wet soil.

If the base of the bulb remains constantly damp:

• Rot becomes more likely.
• Growth slows significantly.
• Roots struggle to establish properly.

If your beds stay wet after rain, address soil structure first rather than rushing to plant. See How to Improve Garden Drainage in UK Soil for long-term solutions.

Month-by-Month Onion Planting in the UK

January

Start onion seeds indoors in modules or trays. Provide bright light and avoid overwatering.

February

In mild southern regions, onion sets can be planted late in the month if soil is not frozen or saturated.

March

Main planting month for onion sets across most of the UK. Soil should be workable and beginning to warm.

If unsure about your soil type and how it drains, review How to Tell If Your Garden Soil Is Clay, Loam or Sand before planting.

April

Still suitable for sets and direct sowing in northern regions. Later planting may slightly reduce bulb size but can still produce good crops.

Overwintering Onions

Overwintering varieties are planted in early autumn (September to October), which is one of several jobs covered in what to sow in September. They establish before winter, pause growth during cold weather, and resume in spring for an early summer harvest.

Good drainage is especially important for overwintering onions, as prolonged winter saturation increases rot risk.

Garlic follows a very similar planting schedule to onions. If you’re planning autumn crops, see our guides on when to plant garlic in the UK and how to grow garlic in the UK.

Regional Guide: When to Plant Onions Across the UK

Although February to April is the general planting window, regional climate differences can shift safe planting dates by several weeks.

Soil temperature, drainage, elevation, and exposure all influence when beds are ready for onions.

South West England

In Cornwall, Devon, and sheltered coastal areas, onion sets can often be planted from late February if the soil is workable and not saturated.

However, heavy winter rainfall can leave beds waterlogged. If soil remains sticky beneath the surface, review How to Improve Garden Drainage in UK Soil before planting.

London and South East

Urban areas often warm slightly earlier in spring. In many South East gardens:

• Onion sets: late February to March
• Seedlings transplanted outdoors: March
• Direct sowing: March to early April

Although onions tolerate cold, exposed gardens may still experience late frosts. Check local timing using the UK Last Frost Date Checker.

Midlands

Midlands gardens often have heavier clay soils that warm more slowly. In many areas:

• Onion sets: early to mid March
• Direct sowing: late March

If the soil feels dense or compacted below the surface, drainage may be restricting root development. See Soil Compaction in UK Gardens for practical signs and solutions.

Northern England

In northern regions, patience usually improves results.

• Onion sets: mid to late March
• Direct sowing: late March to April

Planting into cold, wet soil rarely improves growth speed. Waiting for workable conditions typically leads to larger, healthier bulbs.

Scotland

In central and southern Scotland:

• Onion sets: mid to late March
• Direct sowing: April

In exposed or Highland areas, early April is often safer than March.

How Deep Should You Plant Onion Sets?

For planting, a simple tool such as a hand trowel can make it easier to create consistent holes and space sets evenly.

Correct planting depth supports steady growth and reduces rot risk.

• Plant onion sets so the tip just shows at the surface.
• Space around 10–15 cm apart.
• Leave 25–30 cm between rows.

Planting too deeply can slow growth and increase moisture retention around the bulb.

If you are unsure about how your soil behaves, confirm your base soil type first in How to Tell If Your Garden Soil Is Clay, Loam or Sand.

Does Planting Time Affect Bulb Size?

Yes, but soil condition plays an equally important role.

Onions planted early into cold soil may sit inactive for weeks. Growth only accelerates once soil temperatures rise and drainage improves.

Steady establishment in workable soil usually produces larger bulbs than rushing to plant early.

Building soil structure over time improves root spread and nutrient uptake. For long-term improvement, see How to Improve Garden Soil in the UK.

Common Onion Planting Mistakes in UK Gardens

Planting into saturated soil

Onion sets rot easily in waterlogged ground. If beds remain wet long after rain, structure rather than timing is usually the issue.

Over-firming the soil

Onions prefer firm but not compacted soil. Excessive trampling or digging when wet can reduce drainage and root growth.

Planting too deeply

The tip of the set should remain visible. Fully burying sets can slow emergence and increase disease risk.

Ignoring crop rotation

Avoid planting onions in the same spot year after year. Rotating crops helps reduce disease build-up and maintains soil balance.

In some gardens, young onion shoots can also be disturbed by birds, particularly after planting. Light protection such as garden netting can help prevent damage while still allowing light, air and rain to reach the plants.

Onions in Raised Beds or Containers

Raised beds often warm earlier in spring and improve drainage in heavy soil areas.

Containers can also work well, provided they have good drainage holes and consistent watering.

If your soil struggles with persistent winter wetness, combining raised beds with gradual soil improvement is often more effective than repeated deep digging.

When Will Onions Be Ready to Harvest in the UK?

Harvest timing depends on whether you grew onions from sets, seeds, or overwintering varieties, but in most UK gardens onions are lifted between July and September.

• Onions from sets planted in March: usually ready July to August
• Onions from seed started indoors: often ready August to September
• Overwintering onions: often ready June to July

Weather and soil conditions influence this. In cool, wet summers, onions may take longer to mature. In warm dry summers, bulbs often size up faster but can bolt if stressed.

How to Know When Onions Are Ready to Lift

Onions are usually ready when:

• Most tops have yellowed and flopped over naturally
• Bulbs feel firm and well-formed
• The neck (where leaves meet bulb) begins to dry

Avoid forcing the tops down early. The plant uses green leaves to feed the bulb. If you push them over too soon, bulbs often store poorly.

How Planting Time Affects Storage Quality

Planting time influences storage in two main ways: bulb maturity and stress during growth.

Earlier planting

• Often produces larger bulbs if soil conditions are suitable
• May increase risk of rot if planted into wet ground
• Can be more likely to bolt if plants experience stress after early growth

Mid-season planting (March)

• Most reliable balance for the UK
• Good bulb size without excessive early-season risk
• Strong storage potential if cured properly

Later planting (April)

• Still produces a good crop, especially in cooler regions
• May result in slightly smaller bulbs
• Can still store well if fully matured and cured

Whatever your planting month, the biggest storage factor is curing and keeping bulbs dry. Soil structure also matters because onions grown in poorly draining soil are more prone to rot and poor neck drying.

If your soil stays wet for long periods, improving structure steadily makes a noticeable difference to onion health. See How to Improve Garden Drainage in UK Soil for long-term fixes.

Curing Onions Properly for Storage

After lifting onions, curing dries the outer skins and neck so the bulb can store safely.

For most UK gardens:

• Lift onions on a dry day if possible.
• Brush off loose soil (do not wash).
• Leave them in a warm, airy place for 1 to 2 weeks.
• Ensure good airflow and keep rain off.

Once cured, trim the roots and either trim the tops or braid them if you prefer.

Store onions somewhere cool, dark, dry and well ventilated.

Bolting: Why It Happens and How Planting Time Influences It

Bolting is when onions produce a flower stalk instead of forming a proper bulb. It is usually triggered by stress, often a combination of cold periods followed by warming.

To reduce bolting risk:

• Do not plant sets too early into cold, saturated soil.
• Choose bolt-resistant varieties where possible.
• Keep growth steady with consistent moisture and spacing.

If you suspect soil is causing repeated problems, confirm what you are working with using How to Tell If Your Garden Soil Is Clay, Loam or Sand.

Quick Reference: When to Plant Onions in the UK

• Onion sets: February to April (March is most reliable)
• Onion seeds indoors: January to February
• Direct sow outdoors: March to April
• Overwintering varieties: September to October

Onions tolerate cold better than many crops, but they hate sitting wet. Always prioritise workable soil conditions over a specific date.

When to Plant Onions in the UK – Frequently Asked Questions

Related planting guides: For other early-season crops, see when to plant carrots in the UK and when to plant potatoes in the UK and when to plant peas in the UK

A Sensible Place to Start

If you are unsure when to plant onions in your garden, start with onion sets in March.

Wait until the soil is workable and not saturated, plant sets so the tips just show, and avoid over-firming the bed. If your garden struggles with drainage in winter and spring, focus on soil structure improvements rather than forcing planting dates.

With steady growth and proper curing, onions become one of the easiest UK crops to grow and store successfully.

When to plant potatoes in the UK depends on the type, but the short version is this: first earlies go in from mid March, second earlies from early April, and maincrop from mid April into early May. The one rule that overrides all of it is frost. Potato shoots are killed by it, so wherever you are, the soil needs to be warming and the worst of the frosts behind you before the tubers go in. Get the timing right and potatoes are about the most rewarding crop a beginner can grow. Plant into cold wet ground and they just sit there and sulk.

Potatoes were the first thing I ever grew that made me feel like a proper gardener. They are forgiving, they crop heavily, and there is nothing quite like tipping out the first bucket of earlies and finding it heavier than you expected. But they taught me the timing lesson the hard way, because the one year I rushed them into cold March ground on the back of a mild week, half the row got frosted as it emerged and the other half rotted before it started. So this guide is built around the two things that actually matter: the type you are growing, and the state of the soil you are putting it into.

The Short Answer, by Potato Type

Potatoes are sold in three groups, and the group decides the planting window far more than the calendar does. First earlies are the new potatoes you plant from mid to late March and lift in June and July, small, waxy and worth growing for flavour alone. Because they come out of the ground early, they usually dodge the late blight that arrives later in summer. If you are buying seed, look for first early seed potatoes like Rocket or Swift.

Second earlies follow on, planted from early to mid April for a mid-summer harvest, which makes second early seed potatoes such as Charlotte a good middle option. Maincrop are the big storing potatoes, planted mid April through early May and left in the ground the longest, giving the heavy crop you dig in autumn to see you through winter. Maincrop varieties need the most space and the most patience, but they also give the most food. If you want the wider growing detail rather than just the timing, that lives in how to grow potatoes in the UK.

Soil Temperature Beats the Calendar

Every planting date on this page is a guide, and the soil overrules all of them. Potatoes want soil that has warmed to around 7 to 10C before they will do anything useful, and a thermometer pushed into the ground tells you more than any date printed on a seed packet. That is the mistake I made: I trusted the mild air in March and never checked the soil, which was still cold and wet a few inches down.

The feel of the soil is a decent guide if you have no thermometer. If it is cold and sticky and clings to your boots, it is too early. If it has dried enough to crumble in your hand, it is close. On my heavy Oxfordshire clay that point always comes later than the books suggest, sometimes two or three weeks later than lighter soils down the road, which is worth remembering if you garden on clay. Covering the bed with black plastic or cloches for a fortnight beforehand genuinely helps, and if your ground stays wet it is worth improving the drainage before you do anything else.

Should You Chit Potatoes First?

Chitting means letting seed potatoes sprout before planting, and it is one of those jobs that sounds fussier than it is. Stand them in an old egg box on a cool, bright windowsill a few weeks before planting, eyes pointing up, and let them grow short green shoots. It gives them a head start and is genuinely worth doing for first earlies, where every week earlier means an earlier crop.

For maincrop it matters far less, and plenty of good growers skip it entirely. The one thing to avoid is chitting somewhere warm and dark, which gives you long, pale, brittle shoots that snap off when you plant. Cool and light is the whole trick. If you are ordering online, some gardeners stick to reliable seed potatoes suited to UK conditions rather than gambling on supermarket ones, which are often treated to stop them sprouting.

Month by Month

March

First earlies go in from mid to late March in most of the country, once the soil is workable and the shoots have somewhere warm enough to emerge into. In the north, hold off until the end of the month or into April. This is also the month to finish chitting and to get beds prepared.

April

The busiest potato month. Second earlies go in early to mid April, maincrop from mid April onwards, and any first earlies you did not get in during March. Keep an eye on the frost forecast, because early shoots can appear within a few weeks and they are vulnerable the moment they break the surface.

May

Your last chance for maincrop, ideally in the first half of the month, and the main job now shifts to earthing up the earlier plantings as they grow. May-planted potatoes still crop well, they just run later into autumn, so lift them before the first frosts. There is more on the wider month in my guide to what to plant in May.

Frost Is the Real Enemy

The tubers underground are safe enough, but the moment shoots break the surface they are at the mercy of a cold night. A single sharp frost blackens the new growth, and while the plant usually recovers by pushing out fresh shoots, it loses time and yield doing it. This is the single biggest reason not to plant too early.

Two things protect them. The first is earthing up: drawing soil over emerging shoots buries and insulates them, which is why the job does double duty. The second is fleece on frosty nights, and garden fleece thrown over the row when a frost is forecast is cheap insurance. If you would rather not lose plants at all, I have gone through the options in detail in protecting potato shoots from frost, and if a frost has already caught you out, frost damage on plants covers the recovery. Check your own dates with the last frost date checker before you commit.

Where You Live Shifts the Dates

The dates above are for the middle of the country, and the UK spreads them out by a month from end to end. In the South West and along the south coast, mild winters mean first earlies can go in from late February in a good year, and the whole season runs early. London and the South East are similar, helped by the warmth cities hold. Across the Midlands the standard dates apply as written.

In northern England, push everything back a couple of weeks and start earlies in early April rather than March. In Scotland, later still, with earlies going in mid to late April and the whole season shifted right, though Scotland grows superb seed potatoes precisely because its cool climate keeps them healthy. Local knowledge beats any of this, and the wider picture for everything else going in at the same time sits in the vegetable planting calendar.

How Deep, and How Far Apart

Plant tubers about 12cm deep with the shoots pointing up. Spacing depends on type: first and second earlies want roughly 30cm between tubers with 45 to 60cm between rows, while maincrop need more room, around 40cm apart with 75cm between rows, because they build bigger plants and bigger crops. Crowding maincrop is a false economy, since the plants shade each other and the tubers stay small.

The depth matters because potatoes form on the stem above the seed tuber, not below it, which is the whole reason earthing up works. There is a full guide to how to care for potato plants once they are in. Too shallow and the developing potatoes push up into the light and turn green, and green potatoes are mildly toxic and best not eaten. A bit deep does no harm; too shallow does.

Earthing Up as They Grow

Once the plants reach 15 to 20cm tall, draw soil up around the stems to form a ridge, leaving just the top few centimetres of leaf showing. Repeat it every couple of weeks as they grow. It sounds like a chore and it is the job that does the most for your crop, protecting shoots from late frost, stopping tubers greening, and giving the plant more buried stem to set potatoes along.

A draw hoe makes short work of it, and a garden hoe is the one tool I would not want to be without at potato time. On a small bed you can do it by hand, but your back will notice.

Potatoes in Bags and Containers

If you have no bed, or heavy soil you would rather not fight, potatoes grow brilliantly in bags and large containers, and first earlies are the best type for it. A big tub or a purpose-made potato bag, a couple of seed potatoes, and you are away. The compost warms faster than open ground too, so you can often plant a little earlier.

Start with about 15cm of compost, sit the tubers on it, and cover. As the shoots grow, keep adding compost to bury the lower stems, exactly like earthing up, until the container is full. The one thing bags punish is drought, because they dry out fast and a potato that runs short of water gives you a poor, knobbly crop, so keep them well watered once the plants are growing strongly.

When Will They Be Ready?

Roughly speaking, first earlies are ready about 10 to 12 weeks after planting, second earlies 13 to 15 weeks, and maincrop 18 to 20 weeks. So a mid-March first early is often ready to lift in June, while a late-April maincrop keeps you digging into September and October.

Earlies tell you they are ready when the flowers open, and the best test is simply to dig up one plant and see. Maincrop are left until the foliage yellows and dies back, then given another couple of weeks in the ground so the skins set firm for storage. If your plants are not growing as they should along the way, potato plants not growing works through the usual causes, and common potato problems covers the rest.

Planting Mistakes Worth Avoiding

Four things cause most potato disappointment, and they are all about timing and soil rather than skill. Planting into cold waterlogged ground, which rots the seed before it starts. Going too early on a mild spell and losing the shoots to frost. Overworking wet soil into a compacted mess, which potatoes hate. And planting too shallow, so the crop greens in the light.

Every one of those is avoidable by waiting for the soil rather than the date, and by keeping fleece to hand for the first few weeks after the shoots appear. Blight is the other big one, but that is a summer problem rather than a planting one, and choosing first earlies that crop before it arrives is half the answer.

Quick Reference

• First earlies: plant mid to late March, harvest June to July
• Second earlies: plant early to mid April, harvest July to August
• Maincrop: plant mid April to early May, harvest September to October
• Soil temperature: aim for 7 to 10C before planting
• Depth: about 12cm, shoots pointing up
• North and Scotland: push all dates back two to three weeks

When to Plant Potatoes in the UK: Frequently Asked Questions

A Sensible Place to Start

If it all feels like a lot, boil it down to this. Buy first earlies, chit them on a windowsill, and plant from mid March once the soil is no longer cold and sticky. That single row will teach you more about potatoes than any guide, and earlies are quick, forgiving, and almost impossible to get badly wrong.

Above all, watch the soil rather than the date, and keep a bit of fleece by the back door for the first few frosty weeks after the shoots come up. Do that and your biggest problem will be finding somewhere to store the crop. It is the vegetable I would tell any nervous beginner to grow first, because few things give so much back for so little.

When to plant carrots in the UK depends less on the calendar and more on the soil. The main sowing window runs from March to July, but the thing that actually decides success is soil temperature: carrots need it at around 7 to 10C to germinate, and sown into cold, wet ground they simply rot or sit and do nothing. Sow your first batch from late March in milder areas, keep sowing a short row every few weeks through to July, and you will have sweet, fresh carrots from early summer well into autumn. The secret is little and often, not one big sowing.

Carrots have a reputation for being fiddly, and on my heavy Oxfordshire clay I understand why people say it. For years I sowed them too early into cold, sticky soil and got patchy rows and forked, stumpy roots, then blamed the carrots. The truth is that carrots are easy once you understand two things: they hate cold soil, and they hate being disturbed. Get the timing right and leave them alone, and they are about the most rewarding root you can grow.

Soil Temperature Beats the Calendar

This is the single most important thing to understand about carrots, and it is why frost dates matter less for them than for most crops. Carrots are hardy enough that a light frost does the seedlings no harm, so the risk is not cold air but cold soil. Sow into ground that is still cold and wet and the seed germinates slowly and unevenly, if at all, and much of it rots before it comes up.

You do not need a thermometer, though one helps. The feel of the soil tells you plenty: if it is cold and sticky and clings to your boots, it is too early. If it has dried enough to crumble and rake to a fine tilth, carrots will germinate happily. On light, sandy soil that warms quickly you can sow from March, while on my clay I am often a fortnight or more behind that. Warming the bed with fleece or a cloche for a couple of weeks beforehand genuinely helps, and horticultural fleece is worth having to hand for exactly this.

Month by Month

March

The first sowings can go in from late March on light, free-draining soil, ideally under a cloche or fleece to warm the ground and speed germination. On heavy or cold soil, hold off. There is no advantage to sowing into ground that is not ready, and an early sowing that sulks is usually overtaken by a later one into warm soil.

April

The reliable main sowing month for most of the country. By April the soil has usually warmed enough for good germination, and this is when I make my first proper sowing on clay. Start your succession here, sowing a short row now and another in a few weeks.

May

Prime carrot-sowing time everywhere, with warm soil giving fast, even germination. Keep the succession going. There is more on the wider month in what to sow in May.

June and July

Later sowings made now crop into autumn, and a sowing in late June or early July is a good one for storing carrots to pull through the colder months. These later sowings also tend to dodge the first generation of carrot fly, which is a useful bonus. After July it is generally too late for a worthwhile crop before winter, though plenty of other vegetables can still go in, as covered in whether it is too late to plant vegetables.

Succession Sowing Is the Whole Trick

If you take one thing from this page, make it this. Rather than sowing all your carrots at once and getting a single glut you cannot use, sow a short row every three or four weeks from spring to midsummer. Each sowing matures a few weeks after the last, so you pull fresh, tender carrots steadily over months instead of all at once.

It is the simplest habit to adopt and the one that transforms your carrot growing. A short row is all most households need at a time, and it means you are never overwhelmed in July and bare by September. Choosing varieties to match the season helps too: quick early types for the first sowings, and maincrop or storage varieties for the later ones destined to see you through winter. Most gardeners start with reliable carrot seed varieties like Nantes or Autumn King before branching out.

Soil: the Other Half of a Good Carrot

Carrots want light, loose, stone-free soil, and how you prepare it decides whether you get long straight roots or the forked, stubby carrots that made me swear off them in my early years. The forking happens when the growing root hits a stone, a lump of fresh manure, or a hard compacted layer and splits to get around it. So the goal is open, even ground with nothing in the way.

Do not add fresh manure before carrots, which causes both forking and lush leaf over decent roots. On heavy or stony ground, either grow shorter, stumpier varieties that cope better, or grow in deep containers or raised beds filled with a fine, loose mix, which is what I do on the worst of my clay (there is more in growing vegetables in pots). If your soil sets hard, soil compaction in UK gardens is worth reading, and how to tell your soil type will tell you what you are working with. The broader job is covered in improving garden soil, and if your beds hold water, sorting the drainage matters just as much for carrots as for anything.

Getting the Seed to Come Up

Carrot seed is small and slow, taking two to three weeks to germinate, and it needs consistent moisture through that time or it fails. Sow thinly into a shallow drill about a centimetre deep, cover lightly, and keep the surface damp but not saturated until the seedlings are up. Watering gently is important, since a heavy splash washes the fine seed about, so a watering can with a fine rose earns its place here.

Sow as thinly as you can manage, because thinning later disturbs the remaining roots and, worse, the crushed foliage releases the scent that draws in carrot fly. If you must thin, do it on a still evening and firm the soil back afterwards. There is more on getting the watering right in how often to water.

Carrot Fly, and How Timing Helps

Carrot fly is the one pest that genuinely troubles carrots, its larvae tunnelling into the roots and ruining them. Timing is part of the defence: the first generation is active in late spring, so a sowing delayed to early June, or an early one lifted before the second generation arrives, avoids the worst of it.

Beyond timing, the low-flying females are stopped by a barrier of fleece or fine mesh, or a low fence around the bed, and by sowing thinly to avoid the tell-tale scent of thinnings. Get those right and carrot fly stops being the problem it is made out to be.

Where You Garden Shifts the Dates

The dates here suit the middle of the country, and soil type shifts them as much as latitude does. In the South West and the warmer south, and on light sandy soils anywhere, you can sow from March and run late into the season. Across the Midlands the standard dates apply. In northern England and Scotland, and on any heavy cold soil, start a couple of weeks later and lean on fleece to warm the ground.

Because carrots care about soil warmth rather than frost, your soil type genuinely matters more than your postcode here. A gardener on light soil in the north may sow earlier than one on heavy clay in the south, whatever your local frost dates suggest. The vegetable planting calendar puts carrots alongside everything else, and they sit naturally with the other roots like beetroot and onions.

When They Will Be Ready

Early carrots are ready roughly 12 weeks after sowing, maincrop nearer 16, so a April sowing gives you first pullings from around July, and a June sowing gives storing carrots in autumn. There is no need to lift them all at once. Pull them as you need them, taking the biggest first, and they hold in the ground perfectly well.

Maincrop carrots can even stay in the ground over winter in milder areas, lifted as wanted, though a thick mulch of straw helps in a hard frost and lifting to store is safer where carrot fly or slugs are bad. Pull one to check the size before committing, since carrots often size up faster than you expect once the weather warms. The full growing detail beyond timing lives in how to grow carrots in the UK.

The Mistakes That Spoil a Carrot Crop

Four things account for most carrot disappointment, and all are avoidable. Sowing too early into cold wet soil, which rots the seed. Sowing all at once instead of in succession, which gives a glut then nothing. Adding fresh manure or sowing into stony, compacted ground, which forks the roots. And letting the seedbed dry out during the slow germination, which leaves gappy rows.

Fix those and carrots are genuinely easy. Wait for warm soil, sow little and often into loose stone-free ground, keep it moist while it germinates, and leave the plants alone. Do that and you will wonder why you ever thought carrots were difficult, because a freshly pulled carrot, sweet and crisp, is one of the real pleasures of growing your own.

When to Plant Carrots in the UK: Frequently Asked Questions

A Sensible Place to Start

If you take one thing from this, let it be that carrots want warm soil, not an early date. Wait until the ground has dried enough to rake to a fine crumb, usually April on most soils, and sow a short row then. That single sowing into ready soil will teach you more than any amount of rushing in March.

Then get into the habit of sowing a little and often, a fresh row every few weeks, and keep the seedbed moist while it germinates. Do that on loose, stone-free ground and leave the plants alone, and carrots turn out to be one of the easiest and most rewarding things in the garden, whatever their fiddly reputation.