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How to Grow Lovages UK | Regional Planting Calendar

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Lovage (Levisticum officinale)

A tall flowering lovage plant in a walled garden — “Lovage Levisticum officinale Easton Lodge Gardens walled garden” by Acabashi is licensed under CC BY-SA 4.0. Source: Wikimedia Commons

7 sources cited · Verified

The short answer

Plant
Early March to early April
Site
soil pH 6–7
Biggest risk
Celery leaf spot

In the UK, lovages go in the ground early March to early April.

Lovages (Levisticum officinale) — perennial.

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 tall flowering lovage plant in a walled garden — “Lovage Levisticum officinale Easton Lodge Gardens walled garden” by Acabashi is licensed under CC BY-SA 4.0. Source: Wikimedia Commons
“Lovage Levisticum officinale Easton Lodge Gardens walled garden” by Acabashi is licensed under CC BY-SA 4.0. Source: Wikimedia Commons.
Region Sow
Southern England early March to early April
Midlands early March to early April
Northern England early March to early April
Scotland early March to early April
Southern England - detail & sources

RHS recommends propagation by seed or division in spring; a single spring window is applied uniformly across all four sub-regions since RHS gives no UK-region-specific gradient.

Midlands - detail & sources

RHS recommends propagation by seed or division in spring; a single spring window is applied uniformly across all four sub-regions since RHS gives no UK-region-specific gradient.

Northern England - detail & sources

RHS recommends propagation by seed or division in spring; a single spring window is applied uniformly across all four sub-regions since RHS gives no UK-region-specific gradient.

Scotland - detail & sources

RHS recommends propagation by seed or division in spring; a single spring window is applied uniformly across all four sub-regions since RHS gives no UK-region-specific gradient.

Quick Facts

Detail of lovage's yellow-green flower umbels — “Levisticum officinale by Danny S. - 001” by Danny Steven S. is licensed under CC BY-SA 3.0. Source: Wikimedia Commons
“Levisticum officinale by Danny S. - 001” by Danny Steven S. is licensed under CC BY-SA 3.0. Source: Wikimedia Commons.
Factor Value
Soil pH 6 - 7
Optimal growing temp 12-18C
Minimum survivable temp -10C
Drainage Moist but well-drained
Lifecycle perennial
Edible parts leaves, seeds

At a Glance

A tall flowering lovage plant in a walled garden — “Lovage Levisticum officinale Easton Lodge Gardens walled garden” by Acabashi is licensed under CC BY-SA 4.0. Source: Wikimedia Commons
“Lovage Levisticum officinale Easton Lodge Gardens walled garden” by Acabashi is licensed under CC BY-SA 4.0. Source: Wikimedia Commons.
Levisticum officinale Lovage Celery leaf spot Slugs Snails Celery leaf miner (cele… DISEASES PESTS

Soil & Growing Conditions

Lovage flower buds emerging among the foliage — “The flower on a loveage plant that threatens to take over the herb garden. (27665618296)” by terri_bateman is licensed under CC0. Source: Wikimedia Commons
“The flower on a loveage plant that threatens to take over the herb garden. (27665618296)” by terri_bateman is licensed under CC0. Source: Wikimedia Commons.

Soil pH range

6 7

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

Growth Stages

A mass of lovage foliage — “Innerstädtischer Erwerbsgartenbau in Bamberg - Pflanzen im Garten des Gärtner- und Häckermuseums 07” by Kritzolina is licensed under CC BY-SA 4.0. Source: Wikimedia Commons
“Innerstädtischer Erwerbsgartenbau in Bamberg - Pflanzen im Garten des Gärtner- und Häckermuseums 07” by Kritzolina is licensed under CC BY-SA 4.0. Source: Wikimedia Commons.
Stage BBCH Notes
Propagation 0 Propagate by seed or division in spring (RHS).
Spring leaf flush 3 Produces a flush of edible, celery-scented leaves in spring (RHS).
Flowering 6 Sends up flower stalks reaching up to 2m tall by mid- to late summer, with yellow-green flowers (RHS).
Die-back and dormancy 9 Dies down in late autumn and resprouts the following spring (RHS).

Harvest & Storage

Close-up of celery-scented lovage leaves — “Liebstöckel (Levisticum officinale) mit einem Echten Mehltau (Erysiphe heraclei) Befall., Schlaghecken” by Schlaghecken Josef is licensed under CC BY 4.0. Source: Wikimedia Commons
“Liebstöckel (Levisticum officinale) mit einem Echten Mehltau (Erysiphe heraclei) Befall., Schlaghecken” by Schlaghecken Josef is licensed under CC BY 4.0. Source: Wikimedia Commons.

When to pick: RHS: from seed, "you can start harvesting a few leaves in their second year"; "newly-bought young plants can usually be lightly cropped in their first summer"; harvest "young leaves regularly in spring and summer"; "stop picking the leaves once plants start to flower in late summer, as they turn bitter".

Storage

Best used fresh; can be dried

Diseases

Close-up of celery-scented lovage leaves — “Liebstöckel (Levisticum officinale) mit einem Echten Mehltau (Erysiphe heraclei) Befall., Schlaghecken” by Schlaghecken Josef is licensed under CC BY 4.0. Source: Wikimedia Commons
“Liebstöckel (Levisticum officinale) mit einem Echten Mehltau (Erysiphe heraclei) Befall., Schlaghecken” by Schlaghecken Josef is licensed under CC BY 4.0. Source: Wikimedia Commons.
Celery leaf spot

Septoria apiicola

Pests

A mass of lovage foliage — “Innerstädtischer Erwerbsgartenbau in Bamberg - Pflanzen im Garten des Gärtner- und Häckermuseums 07” by Kritzolina is licensed under CC BY-SA 4.0. Source: Wikimedia Commons
“Innerstädtischer Erwerbsgartenbau in Bamberg - Pflanzen im Garten des Gärtner- und Häckermuseums 07” by Kritzolina is licensed under CC BY-SA 4.0. Source: Wikimedia Commons.
Slugs

Gastropoda (slugs, various spp.)

Snails

Gastropoda (snails, various spp.)

Celery leaf miner (celery fly)

Euleia heraclei

References

  1. country=UK

  2. country=INTL

  3. country=INTL

  4. country=UK

  5. country=UK

  6. country=UK

  7. Directly fetched and verified (canonical URL differs from requested URL /biodiversity/slugs -> redirects to /biodiversity/slugs-and-snails). RHS explicitly advises against slug pellets (even organic) due to wildlife harm, and cites RHS's own controlled trial finding no damage reduction from physical barriers (copper tape, bark mulch, eggshell, grit, wool) -- while also noting some other studies have shown copper barriers to repel slugs, a preserved disagreement rather than a silently resolved one. Details Nemaslug (Phasmarhabditis hermaphrodita) biological control including application temperature range and its lack of effect on snails specifically.

7 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 lovages 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 lovages?

Sow early March to early April.

What soil pH do lovages need?

A pH of about 6–7. 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 lovages?

Our data links 1 disease and 3 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 2026-08-29

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