The Complete UK Sowing Calendar: Month-by-Month for 2026

The one sowing calendar you'll actually use — what to sow indoors, outdoors, and undercover every month of the UK growing year, tailored for south, central and northern gardens.

Updated: 2026-05-02 15 min readBy James Thornton

The Complete UK Sowing Calendar: Month-by-Month for 2026

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Quick Summary

The one sowing calendar you'll actually use — what to sow indoors, outdoors, and undercover every month of the UK growing year, tailored for south, central and northern gardens. The complete UK sowing calendar for 2026 — every month, every crop, whether to sow indoors, outdoors or undercover, adjusted for south, central and northern gardens. Print it, pin it, and never miss a sowing window again.

How to Use This Calendar

UK sowing dates shift by up to 4 weeks between Penzance and Perth. Every month below lists what to sow in a typical central UK garden (Midlands baseline). Southern UK gardens can sow 1–2 weeks earlier; Scottish and exposed sites 2–4 weeks later. When in doubt, check your last local frost date — most tender crops need to go out 1–2 weeks after that.

Spring: February–May

February — indoors only

Sow indoors under heat: chillies, aubergines, sweet peppers, sweet peas, early tomatoes (south UK). Outdoors: broad beans in mild areas, garlic if you didn't in autumn.

March — the main sowing month

Indoors: tomatoes, basil, courgettes, cucumbers, brassicas. Outdoors under cloches: peas, spinach, radish, parsnip, early carrots, salad. Chit seed potatoes.

April — plant out & sow direct

Indoors: sweetcorn, French beans (late April), squash. Outdoors: beetroot, kale, chard, lettuce, spring onions, leeks, calabrese. Plant early potatoes.

May — the busiest month

Outdoors direct: runner beans, French beans, courgettes (after frost), sweetcorn, cucumbers, more salad and beetroot. Plant out tomatoes, peppers, aubergines from mid-May (south).

Summer: June–August

June — sow for autumn

Outdoors: purple sprouting broccoli, spring cabbage, more French beans, salad successions every 2 weeks, spring onions, autumn carrots.

July — winter crops go in

Outdoors: swede, turnips, kohlrabi, chicory, endive, spring cabbage, oriental leaves, spinach for autumn, coriander.

August — last chance sowings

Outdoors: winter salad (mizuna, mustards), lamb's lettuce, spring cabbage plants out, winter spinach, coriander, dill, green manures on empty beds.

Autumn: September–November

September — cover crops & garlic

Outdoors: winter salad under cover, overwintering onion sets, garlic (early varieties), broad beans (Aquadulce), spring cabbage plants.

October — bulbs & broad beans

Outdoors: garlic (all varieties), broad beans, tulip and daffodil bulbs, hardy sweet peas in pots for spring, green manure to protect empty beds.

November — a few last jobs

Outdoors: garlic still fine in south, bare-root fruit trees and bushes, rhubarb crowns. Indoors: microgreens on the windowsill for winter salad.

Winter: December–January

December — plan & tidy

Almost no sowing. Force rhubarb, plant bare-root fruit trees on frost-free days, order next year's seed. Windowsill: microgreens, pea shoots.

January — heat mat only

Indoors with heat: chillies, aubergines (long season crops). Outdoors: nothing except bare-root trees and shrubs on frost-free days. Chit early seed potatoes.

Regional Adjustments

✓ South England / Channel Islands: sow 1–2 weeks earlier than dates above
✓ Midlands baseline: use dates as-is
✓ North England / Wales / lowland Scotland: sow 1–2 weeks later, plant out 2 weeks later
✓ Highland Scotland / exposed coasts: sow 3–4 weeks later, use fleece or cloches
✓ Coastal southwest (Cornwall, Devon): can start 3–4 weeks earlier for hardy crops

Free Printable Sowing Calendar

Download the one-page A4 UK sowing calendar for 2026. Print it and keep it in the shed, greenhouse or on the fridge so you never miss a sowing window again.

Download Free PDF Calendar

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"Ignore the seed packet dates — they're written for the whole UK. Learn your last local frost date and everything else falls into place. That single number is worth more than any calendar."

— James Thornton, Home Gardening Pedia

Frequently Asked Questions

When can I start sowing seeds outdoors in the UK?

Hardy crops like broad beans, peas, spinach, radish and salad can be sown outdoors from mid-March in most of the UK, or from late February in southern gardens under cloches.

What is the best month to start a UK vegetable garden?

April is the ideal starter month — soil is warming, most crops can be sown directly, and there's time for successional sowings through summer. March gives you a head start indoors.

When is the last frost date in the UK?

Roughly early May in the south, mid-May in the Midlands, late May in the north, and early June in Scotland and exposed sites. Wait for your local last frost before planting out tomatoes, courgettes, beans and squash.

Can I sow vegetables in October and November in the UK?

Yes — garlic, broad beans (Aquadulce Claudia), overwintering onion sets and winter salad all thrive from October sowings across the UK.

What's the earliest UK crop I can sow each year?

Chillies and aubergines from January indoors with a heat mat, broad beans outdoors in mild areas from February, and garlic ideally in the previous October or November.

Do I need a greenhouse to follow this UK sowing calendar?

No. A sunny windowsill and a small heated propagator (£25) cover 90% of it. A greenhouse just adds reliability and extends the season by 3–4 weeks each end.

James Thornton

Tools & Equipment Editor

James tests and reviews garden tools and power equipment. With a background in landscape design, he brings a practical, hands-on approach to every review.