Annual sowing calendar: what to sow each month

Sowing at the wrong time is the most common cause of failure in the veg garden: seeds that rot because the soil is cold, or plants that bolt because the heat arrived early. This sowing calendar is designed for a temperate-Mediterranean climate; if you live in a cold inland area, push everything back 3-4 weeks, and if it's warm on the southern coast, bring it forward.

Winter

• January: warm seed tray (indoors or heat mat): tomato, pepper, aubergine for transplanting in April. Direct: broad beans, peas, garlic, short-day onions.
• February: seed tray: lettuce, onion, leek, celery, early brassicas. Direct: radish, spinach, early carrot, pea. Flowers: sweet pea.

Spring

• March: seed tray: courgette, cucumber, melon, watermelon, basil. Direct: chard, beetroot, rocket, parsley. Flowers: marigold, cornflower, California poppy.
• April: transplant tomato and pepper outdoors once the frost risk has passed. Direct: bean, sweetcorn, sunflower, zinnia, cosmos, tagetes.
• May: last sowing of squash, watermelon and climbing bean. Direct sowing of herbs: basil, coriander, dill. Summer flowers in general.

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Summer

• June: seed tray of endive, cabbage, broccoli and cauliflower for the autumn crop. Direct: second-crop bean, autumn carrot and beetroot.
• July: seed tray: heat-resistant lettuce, chard, late leek, fennel. A good time to plan the whole autumn-winter.
• August: direct: spinach, lamb's lettuce, rocket, turnip, radish, first broad beans in mild areas. Transplant winter brassicas.

Autumn

• September: direct: broad beans, peas, garlic, onion, spinach, chard. New lawn. Spring-flowering bulbs.
• October: direct: broad bean, pea, winter chard, garlic. Plant strawberries, perennial herbs and perennials.
• November: garlic and onions if the autumn is mild. Sow wildflower meadows for pollinators.

December

A rest month for sowing. Check the packet of stored seeds, throw away the ones more than 3 years old (they germinate badly and erratically) and place the order for the following year. Prepare the seed trays, clean the trays and have the growing medium ready to start in January.

Germination tips

• Large seeds (bean, squash, pea): direct sowing, at a depth of 2-3 times their size.
• Fine seeds (lettuce, carrot, herbs): barely cover with a veil of soil and keep moist with a spray bottle until they come up.
• Tomato and pepper need 22-28 °C to germinate well: a seed tray indoors or with a heat mat.
• Some seeds germinate better with a 12-24 h presoak (broad bean, pea, parsley, beetroot).
• Label everything on the spot. In two weeks you won't remember what you sowed in each cell.

From the seed tray to the veg garden

1. Transplant when the seedling has 3-4 true leaves and roots that hold the root ball.
2. Harden it off first: put it outside for a few hours a day for 4-5 days before the final transplant.
3. Transplant at dusk or on a cloudy day, water on the spot and don't feed until a week has passed.

Frequently asked questions

When are tomatoes sown?

In a protected seed tray between January and March (depending on the area), and out to the veg garden in April-May when there's no longer any frost risk and the night temperature is above 10-12 °C.

How long do stored seeds last?

It depends on the species: tomato, pepper and squash, 4-5 years; lettuce and carrot, 2-3; onion, leek and parsley, only 1 year. Keep them in a paper envelope, somewhere dry and cool.

Direct sowing or seed tray?

Direct for roots (carrot, radish, turnip) and for the ones that don't take transplanting (bean, pea, squash). Seed tray for the long-cycle ones or those that need heat (tomato, pepper, aubergine, leek, cabbage).

Can I sow at full moon or waning moon?

The real influence of the moon on germination is not scientifically proven. If it works as a calendar for you and motivates you, go ahead; what really matters is the soil temperature and the moisture.