Spring Gardening UK
March to May — the busiest and most important season in the UK vegetable garden. What to sow, plant, and do each month.
Sowing dates and growing advice verified against RHS guidance by the SoilCommander Growing Team.
March
First tomatoes indoors; potatoes chitting; outdoor sowing begins
April
Peak indoor sowing; maincrop potatoes; courgettes and squash started
May
Tender crops harden off; asparagus harvest; last frost risk receding
Spring Month Guides
Spring Priorities
- Start tomatoes, peppers, and aubergines indoors in March in a heated propagator
- Chit seed potatoes from February; plant first earlies from mid-March in the south
- Begin outdoor sowing (carrots, parsnips, peas, beetroot, lettuce) from April
- Sow courgettes and squash indoors in April; harden off and plant out in late May
- Net brassica transplants immediately against cabbage white butterflies
- Apply slug controls now — slug activity peaks in April
Regional note: Spring arrives 2–4 weeks later in Scotland and northern England. Adjust all outdoor sowing dates accordingly and keep fleece handy for late frost events into May.
Plan Your Spring Sowing
Complete month-by-month sowing schedules for every spring crop.
Get the UK Garden Planner →
Relevant next steps
Match The Season To The Work
Seasonal jobs usually come down to watering, soil care, and keeping a simple record of what needs doing next.
Plan the next step
Use the printable UK Vegetable Garden Planner to turn this guide into sowing dates, bed layouts, and weekly garden tasks.