MONTH-BY-MONTH GUIDE

Combine the below with some common sense and you’re away

Don’t panic if your crops aren’t ready according to the timetable. Sowing and harvesting times may vary a couple of weeks either way depending on where you live, soil type, exposure, the nature of spring and summer that year. Use your common sense and refer to the seed packet for guidance.

JANUARY

Do: Plan; buy seeds and plants.

FEBRUARY

Start off undercover: Chillies, tomatoes, aubergines, broad beans, peas, celeriac.

Sow: If the ground isn’t frozen, broad beans, garlic. Do: Chit potatoes ahead of planting out.

MARCH

Start off undercover: Every three weeks until mid-June sow all beans and peas. Every three weeks until end of Sept, start these for a continuous supply: lettuce, rocket and other salad leaves, chard, spinach. Celeriac, cucumbers, leeks, sprouting broccoli.

Sow: Jerusalem artichoke, onion/shallot sets, garlic, radish, lettuce, beetroot, broad beans, brussels sprouts, leeks, parsnips, spinach, carrots.

Plant: Asparagus, rhubarb, globe artichokes.

Harvest: Radishes.

Do: Watch out for slugs.

APRIL

Start off undercover: Brassicas, courgettes, squash, cucumbers, leeks, sprouting broccoli, squash, sweetcorn, annual herbs including basil, coriander and chervil.

Sow: Jerusalem artichokes, chitted potatoes, onion/ shallot sets, salsify, radish, lettuce, beetroot, broad beans, parsnips, spinach, chard, rocket/salad leaves.

Plant out: Strawberries, plus any other seedlings that are ready to go out. Harvest: Radishes, salad leaves, spring onions. Do: Keep on top of weeding, water through dry spells from now until September.

MAY

Start off undercover: Sweetcorn, courgettes, cucumbers, squash, annual herbs (as April).

Sow: Every three weeks from now direct-sow all the beans, peas, lettuces, salad leaves, spinach, radishes, spring onions. Beetroot, salsify, broccoli, chicory, kale, Florence fennel.

Plant out: Aubergines, chillies, tomatoes, cucumbers, plus any seedlings that are ready.

Harvest: Broad beans, peas, baby carrots, radishes, rocket, other leaves, spring onions, onions.

Do: Earth up potatoes as they grow. Pests may multiply – aphids on broad beans, caterpillars on brassicas and so on. Support peas and climbers as they grow with hazel sticks, canes or similar.

JUNE

Sow: Sow beetroot, broccoli, chicory, courgettes, kale.

Plant out: Any seedlings that are ready.

Harvest: Broad beans, peas, baby carrots, Florence fennel, radishes, salad leaves, spring onions, onions, runner beans, spinach, chard, turnips, annual herbs.

Do: Support peas and other climbers. Cut back perennial herbs. Liquid feed chillies, tomatoes, aubergines, courgettes, cucumbers and anything growing in containers fortnightly until mid-Sept.

JULY

Sow: Last chance to sow for autumn harvest – spring and Chinese cabbage, lettuce, peas, French beans, beetroot, carrots, radishes, turnips, spinach, oriental greens. Plant out: Any seedlings that are ready.

Harvest: Sweetcorn, tomatoes, beetroot, cucumbers, courgettes, Florence fennel, garlic, broad beans, peas, chard, carrots, radishes, salad leaves, spring onions, onions, runner beans, spinach, shallots, turnips, potatoes, annual herbs.

Do: Be vigilant about watering and feeding container plants until Sept. Keep an eye out for aphids: act early. Pinch out sideshoots on tomatoes.

AUGUST

Sow: Spring onions, radishes, spinach, beetroot. Plant out: Overwintering brassicas and any seedlings that are ready.

Harvest: Aubergines, chillies, tomatoes, cucumbers, courgettes, garlic, Florence fennel, sweetcorn, beetroot, all the beans, calabrese, peas, carrots, radishes, salad leaves, shallots, spring onions, onions, chard, runner beans, spinach, turnips, kale, potatoes, herbs.

Do: Keep weeding and watering. Watch out for pests such as aphids.

SEPTEMBER

Sow: Early onion sets, overwintering green manures, oriental leaves, winter lettuces.

Harvest: Sweetcorn, tomatoes, chillies, aubergine, cucumbers, courgettes, Florence fennel, garlic, all the beans, peas, beetroot, carrots, radishes, rocket and other salad leaves, spring onions, onions, chard, shallots, runner beans, spinach, turnips, kale, potatoes, annual herbs.

Do: Pull up spent plants and compost them. Dig over any clear space and add compost, manure or sow a green manure. Remove leaves around squash to allow the sun to ripen them.

OCTOBER

Sow: Broad beans, early onion sets, green manures.

Harvest: Tomatoes, chillies, aubergine, cucumbers, courgettes, Florence fennel, broad beans, peas, carrots, radishes, salad leaves, spring onions, onions, runner beans, spinach, turnips, chard, salsify, celeriac, squash, many brassicas, Jerusalem artichokes, potatoes.

See September.

Do:

NOVEMBER

Sow: Garlic, overwintering broad beans.

Plant: Fruit trees and bushes, rhubarb.

Harvest: Carrots, radishes, salad leaves, Florence fennel, spring onions, onions, runner beans, spinach, salsify, turnips, chard, celeriac, squash, many brassicas, Jerusalem artichokes.

Do: Net brassicas if birds are a nuisance. Clear any ground not being used for crops or green manures and add a layer of compost/well-rotted manure.

DECEMBER

Sow: Garlic, overwintering broad beans.

Plant: Fruit trees and bushes, rhubarb. Harvest: Many brassicas, leeks, carrots, chard, chicory, any root veg not yet lifted.

Do: Take stock of the year and make plans for next.