Whether you’re a first-time gardener or have been gardening for years, check out our guide to sowing seeds all year round! From annual flowers to vegetables, we’ll show you what to plant each month of the year!
Introduction
The most cost-effective and rewarding method for obtaining a supply of vegetables and flowers for many months of the year is to sow seeds. Seeds can be sown indoors or outdoors at different times of the year. If you give your seeds the right amount of light, heat, and moisture, they will grow. However, there are some important rules to keep in mind, such as using fresh seed and compost, maintaining good soil preparation, and practising good hygiene. Do you plan to plant tender plants, encourage cuttings to root, or wish to start seeds early? A heated propagator or heat mat will help them thrive in the best possible conditions.
Read our guides ‘a complete beginner’s guide to sowing seeds’, ‘sowing seeds: outdoors‘, and ‘sowing seeds: indoors‘. Join in and start to grow your own today.
A month-by-month guide to sowing seeds
January
January is the best time to start ordering your seeds for the year ahead. You can begin sowing tender crops like chillies, which require a lengthy growing season if you are eager to begin. To get started this early in the year, use a cold frame, polytunnel, greenhouse or heated propagator. You can also start sowing garlic outside and sweet peas. Microgreens such as basil, beetroot, and rocket can also be sown on a windowsill.
Veg that can be sown this month: Microgreens, chillies and peppers. Plus tomatoes under cover and garlic outside.
Flowers that can be sown this month: Sweet peas can be sown under cover.
February
Sowing tender crops like tomatoes, peppers, aubergines, and chillies, as well as some hardy crops and hardy annuals like sweet peas, can begin or continue. You could also plant peas under cover in guttering to get a head start. You could attempt to sow perennials if you have a lot of enthusiasm. If you have one, a heated propagator is ideal, but any warm, bright windowsill will do. Garlic can also be sown.
Veg that can be sown this month: Spinach, peas, broad beans, chillies, tomatoes, cucumbers and aubergines undercover. Plus garlic outside.
Flowers that can be sown this month: Sweet peas and perennials.
March
You can begin sowing hardy annual flowers and crops outside as the days get longer and warmer. Protect seedlings with cloches or horticultural fleece and warm the soil with polythene prior to sowing if the weather is still cold. Under glass, you can also begin sowing half-hardy annuals while continuing to sow tomatoes, peppers, and aubergines. The first early seed potatoes can be planted toward the end of the month.
Veg that can be sown this month: Chillies and tomatoes (under cover), broad beans, peas, beetroot, radish, kale, spinach, spring onions, first early potatoes (outdoors), plus shallot and onion sets and salad leaves (protect under fleece or a cloche)
Flowers that can be sown this month: Cosmos, Cornflowers, Marigold and more
April
Because many crops can be sown outside and the days are longer and warmer, seed sowing begins in earnest in April. Learn how to sow seeds outside. Sown under glass, either in a greenhouse or on a sunny windowsill, is still required for more delicate crops like courgettes and runner beans. Second early potatoes, maincrop seed potatoes, onion and shallot sets, and garlic can also be planted in early to mid-April.
Veg that can be sown this month: Chillies and tomatoes, plus courgettes, pumpkins and leeks undercover. Second early and maincrop seed potatoes, beetroot, carrot, celeriac, peas, radish, lettuce, spinach, broad beans, and spring onions
Flowers that can be sown this month: Nicotiana, Cosmos, Morning glory and many more
May
The majority of seeds, including more tender crops like courgettes and runner beans toward the end of the month, can now be directly sown outside now that the risk of frost has passed. You can also start sowing biennials for next year’s blooms and half-hardy annuals like sunflowers.
Veg that can be sown this month: Beetroot, spinach, lettuce, peas, radish, carrots, and spring onions can be sown outside. Sweetcorn, cucumber, runner beans and courgettes can be sown under cover at the beginning of the month and moved outside towards the end.
Flowers that can be sown this month: Cornflowers, Sunflowers, Foxgloves and Wallflowers can be sown this month (check seed pack requirements to see about sowing under cover or outside).
June
For crops in a few weeks, keep sowing quick-growing crops like lettuce, radishes, and beetroot in succession every week or so. Carrots can also be sown, but insect-proof mesh should be used to keep carrot flies out. Try sowing half-hardy annuals directly outside in addition to continuing to sow biennials. For later crops, you can also sow courgettes and French beans directly outside.
Veg that can be sown this month: Lettuce and radish can be sown every week or so. Beetroot, peas, spring onions and carrots can be sown this month.
Flowers that can be sown this month: Foxgloves, Wallflowers, Cosmos and more
July
Your last chance to sow biennials is now. It is also time to begin planting winter vegetables. To avoid carrot flies, it’s a good time to sow carrots and continue planting radishes, beetroot, lettuce, and so on. For a late crop, you can also sow French beans or runner beans. Now is the time to plant potatoes if you want to grow them for Christmas.
Veg that can be sown this month: Runner beans, winter cabbage, spinach, spring onions, potatoes for Christmas, radishes, beetroot, lettuce
Flowers that can be sown this month: Foxgloves, Wallflowers, Sweet rocket
August
You can still sow a lot of crops for harvests into autumn and beyond, even though August is a crucial month for sowing them for the winter. Find winter vegetable crops to sow in August. In between slower-growing crops, keep sowing fast-growing crops like radish.
Veg that can be sown this month: Lettuce (keep out of direct sunlight), rocket, spring onion, radish, plus winter salads
September
Start sowing hardy annuals now for flowers in early summer next year. Some, like Ammi majus, thrive best when sown in the fall. You can sow leafy vegetables like spinach, winter salads, and crops that grow quickly like radish.
Veg that can be sown this month: spinach, winter salad and radish
Flowers that can be sown this month: Hardy annuals
October
Garlic and peas can be sown outside to guard against mice. Additionally, this is an excellent time to begin sowing sweet peas for early summer flowers. There is still time to sow winter salads like corn salad, mustard, Japanese and Chinese salad leaves, and more.
Veg that can be sown this month: Winter salad, peas and garlic
Flowers that can be sown this month: Sweet peas
November
Broad beans can be sown now for an early harvest next year. At this time of year, garlic, onions, and shallots can also be sown. Sweet peas can also be sown for early summer blooms next year.
Veg that can be sown this month: Garlic and onions
Flowers that can be sown this month: Sweet peas
December
Even though garlic is usually planted on the shortest day of the year, you probably won’t think about sowing seeds at this time of year. For an intense flavour burst, microgreens can be grown year-round. Sweet peas can also be sowed.
Veg that can be sown this month: Garlic and microgreens
Flowers that can be sown this month: Sweet peas
