A print version of this calendar is available to buy here.
My best sowing dates, illustrated with beautiful and informative photos from my garden at Homeacres.
Each month of the growing season has my favourite sowing dates for each vegetable, to increase the likelihood of successful harvests. Every date is based on decades of fine-tuning from observations and learning.
- Use these dates to help you enjoy a regular supply of fresh produce through all four seasons.
As well as sowing dates, I give a brief vegetable growing summary for every month, to help you keep on track. I also share my tips for successful sowing and there is a yearly sowing overview table, to help you plan which vegetables you are going to grow, and when.
The sowing dates are for a Zone 8b climate in southern UK. You can use this calendar in different climates, with a little adjustment to the dates. If your climate is cooler, sow later by one to four weeks in spring, then sow a week or two earlier in summer and autumn, from the solstice onwards.
My recommended dates are not always the same as you will read on the packet of seeds! For some reason, they pay little attention to flowering dates. For example, I do not recommend sowing spinach, as in true spinach not leaf beet, from late April through to late July. That way you avoid its flowering season. By sowing either very early in the year or in August, you are far more likely to enjoy a long season of harvest. For a monthly summary of which seeds are best to sow when, in a temperate climate, see my sowing timeline. There is also a version for the southern hemisphere.
Climate plus natural growth cycles
My sowing dates are based on the season, the climate, and the natural growth cycle of each vegetable. For example, your peas will succeed much better when you sow in spring rather than summer. That's because peas grow most healthily and abundantly during months when the days are getting longer. Sow at the best time of year for each different vegetable.
Dates are based secondarily on moon phases. Within the best seasonal times, the moon cycles sometimes give even better times.
Solar and lunar
I combine two aspects of moon movements for calculating top sowing dates:
One is the phases of root-flower-leaf-fruit, based on whether the moon is passing through an astrological sign with earth-air-water-fire qualities.
The other is waxing and waning. Where possible, sow on a waxing moon for faster emergence and stronger growth, especially just before full moon.Sun and moon give a framework of action, rather than a rigid rulebook. Many dates have sowing possibilities – there are few dates when all of the good aspects are present.
Your calendar is a godsend, the most perfect planting guide. I would have been overwhelmed without it.
Collins and Quinton, May 2024
