The answer isn't one date. It depends on the crop, your UK region, and whether you're sowing indoors or out.
Founder & Head Grower, SoilCommander · RHS Level 2 · 12+ years growing in Yorkshire
I've been growing vegetables on my Yorkshire allotment and raised beds since 2012. Everything I write is based on what I've actually grown, failed at, and eventually got right in a real UK climate.
❌ "Sow in spring" is not a planting schedule. It's the reason most UK gardeners miss their windows.
Get exact planting dates for every crop — built for UK conditions.
Get the UK Vegetable Planner — £19Why "When to Plant" Is More Complex Than It Looks
- UK last frost dates vary by 6+ weeks — Cornwall may be frost-free by March; Scotland can see frost into May.
- Indoor vs. outdoor sowing windows are different — tomatoes need 6–8 weeks indoors before transplanting. Miss the indoor window and you lose the season.
- Day length matters — onions and garlic are triggered by day length, not just temperature. Timing affects bulb formation.
- Succession sowing changes the schedule — lettuce and radishes need sowing every 2–3 weeks for continuous harvest, not once.
General UK Planting Windows (Simplified)
January–February: Sow onions, leeks, and early tomatoes indoors. Nothing outdoors yet.
March–April: Sow brassicas, lettuce, and peas indoors. Direct sow hardy crops like broad beans and spinach outdoors from mid-April in most regions.
May: Last frost risk passes for most of England and Wales. Transplant tomatoes, courgettes, and peppers outdoors after hardening off.
This is a starting point — not a complete schedule. For crop-by-crop dates, you need a full UK planting calendar or a structured planner.
A Schedule You Can Actually Follow
The problem isn't that you don't know roughly when to plant. It's that you don't have a week-by-week reference that tells you exactly what to do right now, for your specific crops.
The UK Vegetable Garden Planner gives you that — a printable, month-by-month schedule covering 30+ crops, mapped to UK growing conditions.
Rough Timing vs. Exact Schedule
| Rough Timing | UK Planner Schedule |
|---|---|
| "Sow in spring" | Exact week-by-week sowing dates |
| One crop at a time | 30+ crops mapped across the year |
| Miss indoor sowing windows | Indoor start dates flagged in advance |
| Gaps in harvest | Succession sowing schedule included |
Know exactly what to plant and when — all season long.
Get the UK Vegetable Planner — £19Also see: why seeds aren't germinating and the full UK planting calendar.
Stop searching. Start following a plan.
Download the UK Planner — £19Plan The Timing Before You Sow
Use the planting window with a planner, seed-starting setup, and the full calendar so dates stay practical for your garden.
Plan the next step
Use the printable UK Vegetable Garden Planner to turn this guide into sowing dates, bed layouts, and weekly garden tasks.