What to Plant Each Month UK
A complete month-by-month gardening calendar for UK growers. Whether you have a large allotment or a small raised bed, this guide tells you exactly what to do and when.
| Month | Key Tasks | What to Plant / Sow |
|---|---|---|
| January | Plan your layout, order seeds, clean tools | Force rhubarb, sow sweet peas under cover |
| February | Chit seed potatoes, prepare beds, prune fruit trees | Sow broad beans, onions, leeks under cover |
| March | Sow seeds indoors, prepare compost, start weeding | Parsnips, carrots, lettuce, peas outdoors if mild |
| April | Harden off seedlings, start successional sowing | Potatoes, beetroot, radish, spinach, herbs |
| May | Plant out after last frost, mulch beds, stake tall plants | Runner beans, courgettes, sweetcorn, tomatoes outdoors |
| June | Water regularly, feed tomatoes weekly, pinch out side shoots | French beans, more lettuce, basil, cucumbers |
| July | Harvest early crops, keep watering, watch for pests | Spring cabbage, kale, turnips for autumn harvest |
| August | Continue harvesting, sow green manure on empty beds | Spring onions, winter lettuce, pak choi |
| September | Harvest main crops, plant garlic and spring bulbs | Garlic cloves, overwintering onion sets, green manure |
| October | Clear spent crops, add compost, collect leaves for mulch | Broad beans (overwintering), bare-root fruit trees |
| November | Dig over empty beds, protect tender plants with fleece | Plant bare-root roses, hedging, rhubarb crowns |
| December | Rest period — clean greenhouse, maintain tools, plan next year | Force chicory, order seed catalogues |
Beginner Gardening Tips
Starting a vegetable garden does not require expensive equipment or years of experience. The most important factors are sunlight, soil quality, and consistent watering. Choose a spot that gets at least six hours of direct sunlight per day. If your soil is poor or compacted, raised beds filled with a mix of topsoil and compost are an excellent solution that gives you complete control over soil quality from day one.
Raised beds offer several advantages over planting directly in the ground. They warm up faster in spring, drain better in wet weather, and are easier to weed and maintain. A standard size of 1.2 metres wide lets you reach the centre from either side without stepping on the soil. You can build frames cheaply from scaffold boards, reclaimed sleepers, or even stacked pallets. Fill with a 50-50 mix of multipurpose compost and good topsoil.
The essential tools for any gardener are a spade, fork, hand trowel, secateurs, a watering can or hose, and a wheelbarrow. Buy the best quality you can afford, as cheap tools bend, rust, and break within a season. A stainless steel border fork and spade will last decades if you clean and oil them each winter. String or canes are essential for supporting climbing beans, tomatoes, and peas. Netting protects brassicas from pigeons and butterflies.
Start small and grow what you actually eat. Lettuce, radishes, and herbs give fast results for beginners and can be grown in containers if space is limited. Potatoes are satisfying because the yield is generous and they help break up new ground. Avoid starting with anything too demanding like cauliflower or celery until you have a couple of seasons under your belt. Keep a simple notebook of what you planted, when, and how it performed — this becomes invaluable for planning future seasons.