Growing vegetables seasonal chart
12-Month Vegetable Planting Calendar – When To Plant Vegetables
Sally Coulthard talks us through how to grow vegetables at home on a veg patch or on an allotment. We explore how to make a raised vegetable bed, what vegetables to grow and which time of year, and how to make nourishing compost to help them thrive.
The thing that surprises me the most about vegetable gardening is that no two years are alike. Just a few days’ difference in weather – such as a late frost – can radically alter the timing and success of what grows, but that’s all part of its lucky dip appeal. What never fails, however, is the pleasure I get from harvesting, cooking and eating home-grown produce. To munch on a piquant salad leaf or juicy tomato that was, minutes before, basking in the sunshine is without compare, both in terms of taste and sustainable living. Once you get stuck into vegetable gardening, your challenge will be not how to make stuff grow but what to do with gluts. You’ll soon become adept at ‘50 things to do with rhubarb’ and sneakily leaving courgettes on neighbours’ doorsteps.
6 of the best easy-to-grow vegetables
- Beetroot – Sow direct in spring and you’ll be enjoying tiny, delicious salad leaves by June and earthy, sweet beetroots not long after.
- Lettuce – Look for ‘cut-and-come-again’ seed mixes. Rather than growing individual lettuce heads, these varieties are grown as a dense bed that you graze, taking leaves that’ll regrow in a matter of weeks.
- Rocket – A salad leaf that really lives up to its name; sow the seeds anytime from spring onwards and it will be ready to harvest in six weeks. If you’re impatient, you can eat the baby leaves after two or three.
- Carrots – Spring-sown Chantenay and Nantes will be ready for early summer but mix it up with multi-coloured, round and late-autumn bloomers such as Autumn King, or try Amsterdam Forcing under cover for a year-round crop.
- Radishes – There’s a surprising variety of radishes on offer – from the tiny, punchy Rosa to the sweet Pink Beauty. They’re fast-growing and are ready to harvest in about four weeks from sowing. Keep sowing every few weeks and you can still be nibbling them in November.
- Perpetual spinach – A spinach-flavoured leaf that’s actually a chard in disguise. It’s a vigorous grower – the more you pick it, the more it will keep coming. Use in salads and cooked.
What time of year should you plant different vegetables?
Follow this handy vegetable calendar to make sure you don't miss an opportunity.
August Lamm for Country Living
What's the best bed for planting and growing vegetables?
Raised beds take a lot of hassle out of growing vegetables. Being higher off the ground, they’re a doddle to weed, and garden pests such as pigeons and rabbits tend to leave them alone.
New sleepers come in three sizes – 1.
2m, 1.8m and 2.4m (try sure-green.com). For strength and cost-efficiency, design a bed that uses these measurements or involves minimal cuts. Give yourself at least a metre width between beds if you need to manoeuvre a wheelbarrow around or get a mower between them.
When they’re built, fill them with a good topsoil and compost mix to give yourself the ultimate head start. Every year, a thick layer of mulch will replenish the nutrients with very little digging.
How to get companion planting right
The savvy smallholder shouldn’t need to use harmful pesticides to help crops thrive. Companion planting is an effective and time-honoured way to create plant relationships that benefit each other, protect crops from pests and improve pollination. Here are a few rules of companion planting:
- Anything with an onion scent, including spring onions, garlic, leeks, chives and scallions, is thought to deter aphids and carrot fly.
- Nasturtiums lure pests away from French beans, runner beans and brassicas.
- Tomatoes can benefit from the presence of scented herbs such as basil, mint and chives.
- Courgettes should improve productivity if placed with pollinator-attracting flowers such as English marigolds.
- Climbers can also benefit each other – sweet peas, for example, attract pollinating insects, which pollinate French or runner bean flowers.
Francesco Vaninetti PhotoGetty Images
How to make compost to feed your veg
There are two things a compost heap needs – nitrogen-rich and carbon-rich ingredients. Nitrogen-rich materials are usually lush, green or wet, like grass clippings, green leaves or vegetable peelings. Carbon-rich materials tend to be dry and brown, such as cardboard, dead leaves or woody stems, and keep the compost nicely aerated. The ratio of green:brown ingredients should be 50:50.
You can make a compost heap in a pile, in bays or boxes or in a bin, whichever works for your garden. The wider the mix of materials the better – don’t let one or two ingredients dominate.
Most people like to turn their compost regularly – ie. once a month – to speed up decomposition. If you have an open compost heap, consider that there may be creatures using it as a nesting site. In this instance, it’s best to turn your compost just once a year in April. Some people don’t turn it at all. You’ll still end up with compost – it will just take longer.
Soil health and earthworms
Earthworms are mini eco heroes. They play a crucial role in breaking down organic matter – such as dead leaves and flowers – and putting that goodness back into the soil. Thanks to their constant eating and pooing, the wriggly wonders release the nutrients in organic matter by digesting it into tiny pieces, making it available for use by plants, fungi and bacteria.
The secret to a successful smallholding is ‘feeding’ the earthworms with a healthy layer of organic matter every year. Whether it’s compost, mushroom mulch, well-rotted manure, spent coffee grounds or leaf mould, they all add nutrients to the soil.
Apply organic material in spring, before the growing season starts, and aim for at least 5cm deep – but even just a generous sprinkling will help. The earthworms will put it down into the ground by themselves.
How to support homegrown vegetables
One of the joys of planning a fruit and vegetable plot is thinking in three dimensions. Gardening should never be just in one plane; plants grow in such different forms – from the vigorous climber to the ground creeper – that you can create a space where food grows upwards, across, tumbles down or climbs over a structure.
Many beans and peas, for example, will grow happily over an arch and so don’t need to take up space on the ground. Tomatoes come in tumbling varieties, and so can be hung up in baskets overhead or placed in a tall pot. Ditto for cucumbers.
Planning with plant supports in mind means that you can create visual layers – obelisks of mangetout peas underplanted with lettuce, for instance, or a trellis walkway of runner beans.
Many climbing plants, such as squashes, also tend to be thugs, so this is a canny way to keep them from bullying the rest of the vegetable garden.
How to grow vegetable under cover
The only way to extend the growing season is to cover over your crops. If you buy a polytunnel, choose the best quality you can afford – a manufacturer should offer a five-year guarantee on the cover and longer on the frame. Take advice about where to site it – ideally on a north/south orientation so both sides of the polytunnel get equal amounts of sunlight – but if you have a strong prevailing wind, that will also need to be taken into account.
Regulations-wise, domestic polytunnels don’t tend to need planning permission, but if you want to use one that is more than 3m high, sits within 2m of a boundary, covers more than half of the garden or sits in front of the house, check first with your planning department.
They’re not the prettiest structures, so if you live within an AONB, conservation area or National Park, you will also need to consult the planners.
And, if you want to put a polytunnel on an allotment, you will need to pass it by the allotment committee first.
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Vegetable Planting Calendar By Season
CC flickr photo courtesy of Stevie RoccoMany gardeners are unsure of what to grow and – more importantly – when to grow it. While the spring is when garden centers are full of seeds and seedlings fresh from the greenhouse, it’s not the only season of the year for planting.
Although not every zone allows year-round gardening, most allow at least three seasons’ worth and some allow part of a fourth. To take advantage of this, you’ll need to spread out your planting of some crops (planting new seeds every couple of weeks), while other crops you will plant once in the spring and then replant again in mid-season.
Let’s take a look at each season and what you can plant. Be aware that the dates below are for planting in Zone 6 in the Midwestern U.S., so you’ll need to adjust for your own gardening zone. You can find your gardening zone by ZIP code at the National Gardening Association web site.
Spring Vegetables
March, April and May
This time of year the weather is warming and things are beginning to look like spring. Many cold-tolerant vegetables can be planted in March, including cabbage, broccoli, endive, cauliflower, head lettuce, potatoes, radishes, onions, peas, spinach, turnips and beets.
In April, more can be planted like collard, chard, carrots, leaf lettuce, salsify, and onion sets. Some of the things planted in mid-March may also be ready for harvest, such as lettuces and radishes, which are fast-growing.
In May, things really heat up and spring is definitely on. This month, most traditional gardening begins and things like snap and lima beans, cucumbers, eggplants, melons, peppers, okra, pumpkins, sweet potatoes, sweet corn, summer and winter squash, and tomatoes are ready to go in.
Some of the things planted in March and April will now be ready for harvest, such as leaf lettuce, collard, lettuce heads, green onions, peas, and spinach.
Summer Vegetables
June, July and August
With summer comes the mid-season gardener’s nightmare: bugs and pests. Still, planting and harvesting continues. In June, harvest is the name of the game with early crops like snap beans, cabbage, collards, chard, carrots, broccoli, endives, cauliflower, lettuce (head/leaf, depending on how you staggered them), green onions, peas, late spinach, turnips, and beets all being ready. If you have the space, keep sowing more cucumbers, snap beans and sweet corn to lengthen your harvest.
In July, the harvest continues, but more planting for fall crops is in order. Cabbages, carrots, turnips, cauliflower and broccoli are all finishing up production. Potatoes, snap beans, cucumbers, and summer squash are in full swing. Melons, peppers, sweet corn and tomatoes start to come in.
Replant cabbage, carrots, broccoli and cauliflower for fall harvest.
For August, you’re mostly harvesting with just a few things being planted. Beans and cucumbers usually appear in abundance this month. Eggplants may start to come in and watermelons are likely ripening now as well. Peppers, okra, onions, sweet corn, summer squash, and tomatoes are also overwhelming your bushel baskets this month. You can replant radishes, lettuce, kale, spinach, turnips and beets.
Fall Vegetables
September and October
As the leaves begin to turn and the weather gets less predictable, fall is in. The traditional harvest time, everything that didn’t finish in August will be finishing in September and October. You’ll be continuing to harvest lima beans, cucumbers, eggplant, peppers, sweet corn, squash and tomatoes. Winter squash and pumpkins will come in as well. If you planted a second round of crops for fall harvest, you’ll also be enjoying cabbages, carrots, beets, broccoli, cauliflower, lettuce, radishes, spinach and turnips.
A few winter veggies can be planted this month, depending on your local climate. Leaf lettuce, spinach, and turnips can be tried.
Winter Vegetables
November
Anything that didn’t finish in October will finish now. A few of the early varieties planted in October may be ready at the end of the November or beginning of December, especially if the frost is late coming. Baby spinach is a favorite this time of year and many potatoes and beets that were left in the ground can now be dug up.
Other Vegetable Planting Calendar Resources:
Colorado State University – Vegetable Planting Guide
University of Delaware – Planning a Vegetable Garden Calendar
Did we miss anything? Leave a comment and let us know!
Vegetable planting calendar
To get a good result in the garden, it is important to observe the timing of sowing seeds. Some crops are sown when there is still snow on the street. Others - when the soil warms up in the beds.
By observing the planting calendar, it is possible to get large yields of vegetables, herbs and berries even in the conditions of a short summer.
Seasonal vegetables are the most numerous category of dacha crops. Among them there are heat-loving and cold-resistant, long-ripening and early ripening. They are sown at different times. The vegetable planting calendar will help you not to miss anything. It has both popular and rare crops. All of them are suitable for amateur cultivation. nine0003
What vegetables to sow in March
Solanaceae are favorites of any garden. Tomatoes, sweet and hot peppers, eggplants have a long growing season and are therefore grown through seedlings. When to plant vegetables from the nightshade family? Their seeds are dipped into the soil long before the onset of heat - in March-April. Two-month-old seedlings are transported to the garden in May-June, and the exact timing of sowing for seedlings is determined based on the precocity of the varieties.
Seed onions in an annual crop are also grown in seedlings. Seeds are sown in March. Harvested in August-September. Sowing depth - about 1.5 cm.
Leek grows slowly. It is grown only through seedlings, sowing as early as possible - in March. Seedlings are planted when the soil warms up. The crop is harvested from the second half of summer. For leeks, good lighting is important, otherwise the heavy stems will fall and twist.
Root celery is grown from seedlings, which are sown at the end of March. Seeds of celery are small, they are only lightly sprinkled with soil. Scheme of planting in the ground 25x25 cm.
What vegetables to sow in April
Another seedling crop familiar to gardeners is white cabbage. Early sown in March, medium-late and late - in April. Cabbage loves coolness, so in warm spring, seeds for seedlings can be sown immediately in an outdoor greenhouse. nine0003
Broccoli and cauliflower are sown for seedlings in batches from April to June.
This allows you to collect the maximum yield in a limited area. Sowing depth 2 cm. The crop is harvested in July-October.
Seeds of rutabagas, which are gradually regaining their lost popularity, can be sown from April to June. At the beginning of spring - for seedlings for early harvests, with the arrival of stable heat - directly into the ground. Late-ripening varieties are harvested in October.
Brussels sprouts, which have a very long growing season, are grown only through seedlings, which are sown in an outdoor greenhouse in March-April. The sowing depth is 2 cm. In order to harvest a large crop of delicious mini cabbages in the fall, cabbage must be regularly fed: with nitrogen at the beginning of the growing season, with potassium and phosphorus - starting in August. nine0003
Heat-loving cucumbers are sown for seedlings in April. At the beginning of summer, you can sow the seeds directly in the garden. The harvest begins in July and continues until the first cold weather.
The sowing depth is 2.5 cm. Do not forget to put trellises for cucumbers; when grown in spreading, the yield decreases.
Radishes are sown in open beds from the end of April. Sowing can be repeated every 2 weeks. From mid-June to early August, you need to take a break, because plants sown with a long daylight hours will quickly bloom and become unsuitable for food. In August, sowing radishes can be continued. The harvest is from April to September. nine0003
Lettuce lovers grow it both from seedlings and direct seeding in the ground, sowing from April to July. The harvest is from June to September. Sowing depth 1 cm.
Extremely useful, but still unfamiliar to many, spinach is sown in the garden in spring and again in early summer. It is convenient to do this every 2 weeks, starting in April. The crop is harvested after 3-5 weeks. Seeding depth 2 cm. Depending on the region, it is sown on beds in April-May. Harvested from June to October. Carrots are sown in rows every 15-20 cm, and then thinned out in a row by 8-10 cm.
The seeding depth is 1.5 cm.
Zucchini and pumpkins are sown in the ground in May and covered with agrofibre to protect against possible recurrent frosts. Seeds are buried to a depth of 3 cm according to the scheme 90 by 90 cm. They are sown in early May immediately to a permanent place.
Sweet corn seeds are sown in May, when the danger of frost has passed. Planting depth 3 cm, row spacing 35 cm, in a row 45 cm. Harvesting takes place from July to September. nine0003
Seasonal greens - dill, parsley, cilantro, leaf celery - are sown in batches from May to August. Row spacing 30 cm, planting depth 1.5 cm.
Potatoes are a separate story. Learn the Eight Secrets of Growing Potatoes - You Won't Regret It!
What vegetables to sow in June
Table beet is thermophilic, it is sown in the garden when even the slightest threat of frost has passed. But you can harvest even with the onset of cold October. Beets are grown with row spacings of 30 cm, about 10 cm are left in the row between plants.
After thinning, extra seedlings can be transplanted to an adjacent bed - beets easily tolerate such a procedure. nine0003
What vegetables to sow in August
In the last month of summer, it is not too late to sow early-ripening leafy vegetables. They will have time to grow leaf and watercress, spinach, dill, parsley, arugula, onions on a feather.
What vegetables to plant in September
According to the vegetable harvest calendar, mass harvesting takes place in September: potatoes and root crops are dug up, the last fruits of nightshade and pumpkin are harvested. But do not forget about sowing. In early September, you can sow early varieties of lettuce, Chinese cabbage, arugula, spinach, salad mustard, radish and, of course, green manure. By mid-October they will be ready for harvest. nine0003
By knowing when to plant vegetables in your garden, you will always have a good harvest. Tell us in the comments if our calendar was useful to you.
Find a few minutes for a short master class from our specialist - you will find out what flowers can be sown before winter so as not to waste precious spring days on laying flower beds.
Published: 10 Mar 2022
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Planting dates, vegetable crops for the Middle lane and the North-West region of Russia and the CIS
- All articles on the topic "Sowing, seedlings, planting"
Here, in 4 tables, the terms of sowing and planting of the main vegetable crops for seedlings and in open ground for the Central Strip and the North-West region of Russia are presented, based on many years of practice in growing vegetables.
Heat-loving crops are sown only when warm weather sets in, without returning frosts. When they are threatened, seedlings are covered with spunbond, lutrasil, which is removed with the onset of warm weather.
Please note - solar overheating of a covered bed can adversely affect seedlings and young seedlings. nine0003
The given sowing dates by region are indicative, so the main criterion for starting sowing in open ground, especially in regions with a short warm period, is soil temperature and the establishment of a frost-free period.
Table 1. Terms of sowing vegetable crops for seedlings for Central Russia
Source: https://www.botanichka.ru/article/sroki-poseva-osnovnyih-ogorodnyih-kultur-v-otkryityiy-grunt/#sroki-poseva1
Culture Sowing seeds for seedlings, date Emergence of seedlings, days Age of seedlings (from germination to planting), days Landing in open ground, date Note Early tomatoes March 10 - April 15 5-7 45-50 1 – 10 June Medium and late tomatoes 11 – 20 March 5-7 65-70 5 – 15 June Bell pepper 11 – 20 March 12-14 65-75 5 – 10 June Until June 5 in the greenhouse Eggplant 21 – 31 March 10-12 60-65 5 – 15 June Until June 5 in the greenhouse Head lettuce 21 – 30 April 3-5 35-45 11 – 20 June Celery February 12 – 20, 12-20 75-85 21 – 30 May Zucchini, squash, 11 – 20 April 3-5 25-30 21 – 31 May 10 – 15 May June 10, Cucumbers 25 – 30 April 2-4 25-30 25 – 30 May Greenhouse without technical heating 1 – 10 May 1 – 10 June Cauliflower 15 – 25 March 4-6 45-50 21 – 30 May White cabbage, early 15 – 25 March 4-6 45-50 21 – 30 May White cabbage, medium 25 – 30 April 4-6 35-40 Planting after early cabbage
| Culture | Early spring sowing in open ground (March 15 - April 15) | Medium spring sowing in open ground (April 15 - May 20) | Late spring sowing in open ground (May 20 - June 15) |
|---|---|---|---|
| Dill, fennel, parsley, celery | - | nine0119 May 1-10; (celery May 10-20)15-30 May | |
| Leaf lettuce | - | 5-10 May | 20-30 May |
| Feather onion, turnip onion | - | 10-20 May | 11-20 May |
| Cucumbers | - | May 10-20 (under shelter) | May 20 - June 15 (under cover) |
| Spring garlic | - | 10-20 May | 11-20 May |
| Potato | - | 10-20 May | 15-25 May |
| Carrot | - | 5-10 May | May 20 - June 10 |
| Radish | - | 1-10 May | from May 25 (under shelter) |
| Pasternak | - | 5-10 May | - |
| Peas | - | 5-10 May | from 10 June |
| Sweet corn | - | 8-15 May | - |
| Beans | - | 8-15 May | from 10 June |
| Beetroot | nine0119 -5-10 May | 15-30 May | |
| Tomatoes | - | April 15 - May 5 (under cover) | - |
| Eggplant, sweet and bitter peppers | - | - | - |
| White cabbage | - | May 1-10 (early maturing varieties under cover) | - | nine0117
| Courgettes, squash | - | May 15-20 (under shelter) | May 20-30 - June 5-10 |
| Watermelons, melons | - | - | - |
| culture | nine0489 Seedling ageSowing seeds | Time for planting seedlings in the ground | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Deadline | Location | |||
| Early tomatoes when planted under film | 60 — 70 | March 1 - 5, | Room - windowsill | 10 - 15 May |
| Planting tomatoes without cover | 60 — 65 | 15 – 20 March | Warm greenhouse, Room - windowsill | May 20 - June 1 |
| Late ripening tomatoes | 50 | March 25 - April 1 | Double foil bed | 1 – 5 June |
| Cucumbers when planting seedlings under film | 20 | 15 April | Room - windowsill | 10 – 15 May |
| Cucumbers when planting seedlings without shelter | 20 | 1 – 5 May | Room - windowsill | 7 – 10 June |
| Cucumbers when sowing seeds: dry - 1 term swollen - 2nd term without shelter | 25 May - 1 June June 1 - 5, | nine0002 For a permanent place - for a garden bed | ||
| Culture | Seedling age (days) | Sowing seeds | Time for planting seedlings in the ground | |
| Deadline | Location | |||
| Cauliflower, broccoli: 1st term - with and without film | 45- 50 nine0120 | March 10 - 15, | Room, warm greenhouse | 20 April - 5 May |
| 2nd term | 25 – 30 | 1 – 5 June | On the bed under the film | 1 - 5 July |
| 3rd term | 25 – 30 | 15 – 20 June | Same | nine0119 15 – 20 July|
| Early carrots | 15 – 20 April | In the garden | ||
| Late carrot | April 25 - May 10 | |||
| Beets - planting seedlings | 25 | 9 April | Double foil bed | 9 – 15 May |
| Beet - by seed sowing | May 9 – 12, | In the garden | ||
| Leafy parsley | 20 – 25 April | Same | ||
| Root parsley for obtaining roots, from which greens are grown on the windowsill in winter | April 25-May 5 | |||
| Sowing root parsley before winter - to obtain early greenery in April - May | 1 – 10 June | In the garden | ||
| Planting parsley roots | On the windowsill, in pots, boxes | 1st term - October 1 - 10, 2nd term - November 1 - 10, 3rd term - December 1 - 10, 4th term - January 1 - 10, 5th term - February 1 - 10, | ||
| Sowing with seeds of leaf and petiole celery | – May 10, | In the garden | ||
| Zucchini, squash, pumpkin: | ||||
| seedling planting with cover | 25 | 15 – 20 April | In a warm greenhouse, window sill room, bed under the film | 15 – 20 May |
| sowing seeds with cover | 25 | 15 – 20 April | In the garden | |
| seed sowing without cover | 1 – 10 June | In the garden | ||
| planting seedlings without shelter | 5 – 10 June | |||
| Radish - sowing under film | 9 April | Bed under double foil | 22 – 24 April | |
| Radishes - by sowing seeds without cover: | ||||
| 1st term | 25 April | In the garden | ||
| 2nd term | 10 May | The same | ||
| 3rd term | 25 May | Same | ||
| 4th term | June 10, | Same | ||
| 5th term | July 25, | In the garden | ||
| 6th term | August 10, | Same | nine0129||
| Dill - early seeding | April 10, | |||
| Dill sowing without cover: | ||||
| 1st term | 25 April | |||
| 2nd term | June 5, | |||
| 3rd term | nine0129July 15 | |||
| 4th term | August 20, | |||
