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How to Grow Lentils UK | Regional Planting Calendar

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How to Grow Lentils UK | Regional Planting Calendar guide thumbnail

Lentil (Lens culinaris)

Lentil foliage with delicate tendrils — “Lens culinaris sl1” by Stefan.lefnaer is licensed under CC BY-SA 4.0. Source: Wikimedia Commons

9 sources cited · Verified

The short answer

Plant
Early March to early May
Ready in
90–90 days
Site
soil pH 5.5–7.5
Biggest risk
Powdery mildew

In the UK, lentils go in the ground early March to early May, and are ready to harvest 90–90 days after planting.

Lentils (Lens culinaris) — annual.

Timing is the decision that matters most in the UK: there are 4 separate regional sowing windows, ranging from early March in Southern England to early March in Scotland.

Core growing advice on this page is checked against named horticultural and university-extension sources — see References.

Regional Planting Calendar

A lentil plant growing in the field with flowers — “Lens culinaris sl15” by Stefan.lefnaer is licensed under CC BY-SA 4.0. Source: Wikimedia Commons
“Lens culinaris sl15” by Stefan.lefnaer is licensed under CC BY-SA 4.0. Source: Wikimedia Commons.
Region Sow
Southern England early March to early May
Midlands early March to early May
Northern England early March to early May
Scotland early March to early May
Southern England - detail & sources

Bite Sized Gardening: sow under cover in late winter or outside from mid-spring, with UK trials favouring an early April sowing; a single window is applied uniformly across all four sub-regions since the source gives no UK-region-specific gradient.

Midlands - detail & sources

Bite Sized Gardening: sow under cover in late winter or outside from mid-spring, with UK trials favouring an early April sowing; a single window is applied uniformly across all four sub-regions since the source gives no UK-region-specific gradient.

Northern England - detail & sources

Bite Sized Gardening: sow under cover in late winter or outside from mid-spring, with UK trials favouring an early April sowing; a single window is applied uniformly across all four sub-regions since the source gives no UK-region-specific gradient.

Scotland - detail & sources

Bite Sized Gardening: sow under cover in late winter or outside from mid-spring, with UK trials favouring an early April sowing; a single window is applied uniformly across all four sub-regions since the source gives no UK-region-specific gradient.

Quick Facts

Lentil foliage with delicate tendrils — “Lens culinaris sl1” by Stefan.lefnaer is licensed under CC BY-SA 4.0. Source: Wikimedia Commons
“Lens culinaris sl1” by Stefan.lefnaer is licensed under CC BY-SA 4.0. Source: Wikimedia Commons.
Factor Value
Soil pH 5.5 - 7.5
Optimal growing temp 15-29C
Time to harvest 90-90 days
Drainage Well-drained
Lifecycle annual
Edible parts seeds (pods)

At a Glance

A lentil stem with flowers and developing pods — “Lens culinaris sl50” by Stefan.lefnaer is licensed under CC BY-SA 4.0. Source: Wikimedia Commons
“Lens culinaris sl50” by Stefan.lefnaer is licensed under CC BY-SA 4.0. Source: Wikimedia Commons.
Lens culinaris Lentil Powdery mildew Downy mildew (general) Aphids Pea and bean weevil DISEASES PESTS

Soil & Growing Conditions

A lentil plant growing in the field with flowers — “Lens culinaris sl15” by Stefan.lefnaer is licensed under CC BY-SA 4.0. Source: Wikimedia Commons
“Lens culinaris sl15” by Stefan.lefnaer is licensed under CC BY-SA 4.0. Source: Wikimedia Commons.

Soil pH range

5.5 7.5

Span reflects genuine variation between the cited authorities, not a single agreed figure.

Growth Stages

Close-up of a small lentil flower — “Lens culinaris sl48” by Stefan.lefnaer is licensed under CC BY-SA 4.0. Source: Wikimedia Commons
“Lens culinaris sl48” by Stefan.lefnaer is licensed under CC BY-SA 4.0. Source: Wikimedia Commons.
Stage BBCH Notes
Sowing and germination 0 Sow under cover in late winter or direct outdoors from mid-spring, seed 3-4cm deep in rows 30cm apart, about 8-10g of seed per square metre; UK trials found heavier yields from an early April sowing (Bite Sized Gardening).
Establishment and staking 1 Sprawling habit reaching 40-50cm; stake young plants with twiggy pea sticks or canes and string if space is limited, to keep growth more upright (Bite Sized Gardening).
Flowering and pod set 6 Water during dry spells as pods develop; otherwise needs little attention (Bite Sized Gardening).
Pod ripening and harvest 8 Harvest once pods have turned brown, then dry and store the small lens-shaped seeds (Bite Sized Gardening).

Harvest & Storage

A row of small green lentil pods — “Lens culinaris sl20” by Stefan.lefnaer is licensed under CC BY-SA 4.0. Source: Wikimedia Commons
“Lens culinaris sl20” by Stefan.lefnaer is licensed under CC BY-SA 4.0. Source: Wikimedia Commons.

When to pick: Gardeners' World: first pods appear "approximately three months after sowing"; harvest "when the pods turn brown"; pods contain "only two to three lentils".

Storage

Dried pods/seeds stored for long-term use

Diseases

Lentil foliage with delicate tendrils — “Lens culinaris sl1” by Stefan.lefnaer is licensed under CC BY-SA 4.0. Source: Wikimedia Commons
“Lens culinaris sl1” by Stefan.lefnaer is licensed under CC BY-SA 4.0. Source: Wikimedia Commons.
Downy mildew (general)

Pests

Lentil foliage with delicate tendrils — “Lens culinaris sl1” by Stefan.lefnaer is licensed under CC BY-SA 4.0. Source: Wikimedia Commons
“Lens culinaris sl1” by Stefan.lefnaer is licensed under CC BY-SA 4.0. Source: Wikimedia Commons.

Aphididae (various spp.)

Pea aphid (Acyrthosiphon pisum) and cowpea aphid (Aphis craccivora) are key pests of lentil, feeding on tender leaves/stems/pods.

Pea and bean weevil

Sitona lineatus

ICRISAT: Sitona spp. leaf weevils are major lentil pests, adults creating characteristic semicircular notches along leaf edges.

References

  1. country=UK

  2. Sow under cover in late winter or outside from mid-spring; Garden Organic trials found heavier yields from an early April sowing. Direct-sown seed 3-4cm deep in rows 30cm apart, about 8-10g of lentils per square metre. Sprawling habit, reaching 40-50cm; stake young plants with twiggy pea sticks or canes and string if space is limited, to keep growth more upright. Water during dry spells. Harvest when pods turn brown. Grown commercially on a small scale in the UK (organic and non-organic trials across several southern English counties in 2017).

  3. country=INTL

  4. country=INTL

  5. country=International; names Sitona spp. leaf weevils among lentil pests

  6. country=International; peer-reviewed

  7. country=UK

  8. country=UK

  9. country=UK

9 independent sources are cited for this crop. Where they disagree - soil pH is the clearest case - every figure is preserved rather than averaged into false precision.

Frequently Asked Questions

When should I sow lentils in the UK?

In Southern England, from early March. In Scotland, wait until early March. Treat these as a guide rather than a fixed date — the governing rule is to sow only once frost risk has passed and temperatures are reliably warm enough.

When do I sow lentils?

Sow early March to early May.

How long do lentils take to grow?

Typically 90–90 days, depending on cultivar and growing conditions.

What soil pH do lentils need?

A pH of about 5.5–7.5. That span reflects genuine variation between the authorities we cite rather than a single agreed figure — the References section lists each source's exact range.

What problems affect lentils?

Our data links 2 diseases and 2 pests to this crop. See the sections above for each one and how to manage it.

Plan next season before the problems start

Most of the advice on this page comes down to timing and spacing — sowing at the right moment, rotating beds, and giving plants enough airflow. The UK Garden Planner lays your plot out month by month so those decisions are already made before the season starts.

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SoilCommander Editorial Team

UK vegetable growing guides · Checked against RHS & Met Office guidance

Every SoilCommander guide is written and maintained by our editorial team for real UK growing conditions, and reviewed against Royal Horticultural Society growing advice and Met Office climate data before publication.

Vegetable Growing Guides UK

Last verified 2026-08-30

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