Managing a veg plot is a year-round task, but if you’re new to growing your own or want to start a new home patch, our vegetable planting guide by month will ensure you don’t put a foot (or a fork!) wrong.
We’ll start with the current month and work through a shortlist of what you should plant, what’s ready to harvest, and the tools we’d recommend you have in your shed.
Vegetable Planting Guide by Month: June
Summer has finally arrived, along with warmer weather, so June is a busy period.
You won’t need to spend much time indoors because the only seeds we’d suggest you sow inside are pumpkins – everything else can go outside.
- What to plant: beans, cauliflower, kohlrabi, radish and spring onion.
- What to pick: asparagus, beetroot, broccoli, garlic, peas, potato, rocket and turnip.
This month you’ll want to have plenty of mulch for your greenhouse beds, pots for your new seeds, and some decent secateurs to deadhead any plants growing ambitiously!
Month: July
Now you start to see the rewards of your busy months of planting and preparation! July means a lot of outdoor sowing and an equally rich harvest to keep your veg drawer well stocked.
- What to plant: beans, beetroot, cabbage, radish, spring onion and swede.
- What to pick: cucumber, garlic, radish, spinach and tomatoes.
We’d suggest you remove any annuals (like sweet peas) that have run their course, make sure you’ve got a sturdy watering can, keep your pots and greenhouse fresh, and stake taller plants before they droop.
Order your Stakes and Canes in larger pack sizes than you think you’ll need – you can always save any leftovers for next year!
Month: August
In August, you’ll need to work on harvesting more than anything – the heat will make veggies ripen fast, so try not to leave it too long as you don’t want anything going to seed.
- What to plant: everything outside – cabbage, kale, pak choi, rocket, radish and spinach.
- What to pick: beans, sprouts, celery, garlic, leeks, spring onions, rocket and sweetcorn.
During the summer, your main jobs are potting and planting out biennials as you harvest crops, keeping a close eye on pests in your greenhouse, and don’t forget the watering.
Month: September
After a glorious summer, September is often still warm, but it’s time to begin thinking about winter prep and sowing your lettuces indoors.
- What to plant: lettuce inside and radish and spring onion outside.
- What to pick: beans, beetroot, broccoli, cabbage, garlic, kale, peas, pepper, potatoes and squash.
Pay attention to weeding and deadheading, taking cuttings as you go for next season.
Month: October
As the ground gets colder and harder, the autumn season is primarily about harvesting. However, you can start planning for the crops you’d like to grow next summer (and perhaps experimenting with some different fruits and vegetables).
- What to plant: beans and peas outside, and perhaps lettuce inside if you have more to sow.
- What to pick: sprouts, cauliflower, courgette, marrow, pepper, spinach, swede and tomatoes.
In October, you’ll be labelling any plants before it gets frosty, planting your hardy annuals while it’s still warm, and spending lots of time mulching.
Top tip – use a permanent marker on your Plant Labels so they won’t wash off in the rain.
Month: November
The days start getting darker, so there’s less to grow outdoors in November – make sure to stay on top of harvesting because more tender veggies could begin to struggle on the colder nights.
- What to plant: beans and peas, lettuce and onion outdoors.
- What to pick: artichoke, cabbage, chard, pumpkin and swede.
You can continue planting spring bulbs in November, but otherwise, the main focus is cleaning up, drying out more delicate plants in your greenhouse and cutting back flowering bushes to avoid wind rock.
Month: December
Our favourite veg plot activity for December is picking all those hardy plants that have been growing busily and starting sowing indoors – onions for the greenhouse and broad beans for the ground.
- What to plant: just beans outdoors, onion outside.
- What to pick: celeriac, lettuce, parsnips, and potatoes.
Hopefully, you’ll spend some of the Christmas period celebrating. Still, there’s likely a fair bit of project work when you’re in the veg plot – repairing fencing, more mulching, weeding, planting seedlings in the greenhouse, and laying straw.
Month: January
With a fresh chill in the air, most veggies you sow in January need to be kept indoors, with just a few hardy plants that can cope with the cold and tough ground conditions.
- What to plant: peas and broad beans outdoors, aubergine, cabbage, lettuce and leek inside.
- What to pick: cauliflower, kale, parsnips, swede, carrot and sprouts if you’ve not eaten them all over the festive season!
Our top job for January is checking your tools and kit for the season ahead – things like stakes, compost, seeds, labels and netting. Older tools can often do with a bit of sharpening when there isn’t quite as much to sow or harvest.
We have a comprehensive Compost range and can deliver heavier sacks right to your door.
Month: February
This month we’re at a higher risk of frost than before in the winter, so the best way to keep pace with your veg garden is to focus on indoor seed sowing and prepare for the spring.
- What to plant: carrots, parsnips, peas and radish outdoors, broccoli, cabbage, cucumber, lettuce, onions, pepper and tomatoes inside.
- What to pick: broccoli, chicory, parsnips, cabbage and swede.
In February, you can begin planning new planting positions, prune back bushes, and order any new seeds or bulbs well in advance of the summer.
Month: March
Although we start thinking of spring in March, the reality is we’re more likely to see snow! However, with a few lighter evenings when the clocks go forward, you should be able to fit in some weeding and maintenance tasks.
- What to plant: beetroot, parsnips, leek, broad beans and spinach outdoors, plus celery, cucumber, onion and pepper inside.
- What to pick: cabbage, carrot, leek, kale and cauliflower.
This month the main jobs are weeding and hoeing, hardening-off young plants ready for planting outdoors, and topping up on your sowing (lots of it).
If you need any new kit, please visit our Tools catalogue with everything from wheelbarrows to forks, hoes and hoses.
Month: April
The April showers can be a gardener’s best friend, and with warmer air, this is a great month to start working harder on your veg patch, planting your indoor seeds in the ground and harvesting the final winter veggies.
- What to plant: asparagus, celeriac, kale, chard, chicory, marrow, peas and shallots.
- What to pick: broccoli, lettuce, radish and spring onion.
April is a great time to plant out your sweet peas – making up new wigwams if you haven’t done so yet. Lay any pest control you need, keep up to speed with your weeding, and start watering pots and greenhouse veggies if the weather is drier than usual.
Month: May
May is all about making the most of the outdoors – make sure you know what you’re planting and where so in the hive of activity, you don’t forget which vegetables and herbs are in which area of your plot.
- What to plant: beans, broccoli, courgette, cucumber, lettuce, pak choi, peas, rocket and sweetcorn.
- What to pick: garlic, cabbage, rocket, samphire and asparagus.
Much of the work on a veg garden in May is emptying your spring pots, battling the pests, watering, sowing and staking.
We hope this brief guide has given you a great idea of what to plant and pick each month of the year and the big jobs we focus on according to the season.
If you need any other advice about planning or managing your veg plot, please contact the AK Kin team for more pointers.