Skip to main content
Spring sowing guide

What to sow inMarch

Based on UK average frost date (mid-April). Enter your postcode on the homepage for personalised dates.

Sow indoors

Peas

Sow every 3 weeks for a continuous harvest. Pick regularly to keep them producing — leave one pod on and the whole plant slows down.

Lettuce

Sow a short row every 2 weeks and you'll never buy a supermarket bag again. Pick outer leaves to keep it going.

Beetroot

Each seed cluster produces several seedlings — thin to the strongest. Don't chuck the leaves, they're delicious wilted with butter.

Kale

Gets sweeter after a frost. One of the hardiest crops — can harvest all winter.

Swiss chard

Beautiful and productive. Pick outer leaves and it keeps going for months. Rainbow chard looks stunning.

Broccoli

Cut the main head first and you'll get side shoots for weeks. Purple sprouting is the real star — worth the long wait.

Cabbage

Different varieties for each season — spring, summer, autumn, and winter types. Red cabbage is less bothered by caterpillars.

Cauliflower

Fold outer leaves over the curd to keep it white. Cauliflower leaves are delicious too — don't throw them away.

Parsley

Slow to germinate (3-4 weeks) — don't give up on it. Soak seeds overnight in warm water to speed things up. Flat-leaf has the stronger flavour.

Sweetcorn

Plant in a block, not a row — they're wind-pollinated and need neighbours. Each plant gives you 1-2 cobs, so don't be stingy with numbers.

Courgettes

You only need 2-3 plants. Seriously. Pick them small (15cm) or they turn into marrows overnight.

French beans

Dwarf varieties need no support. Pick every few days — once they start producing, they don't stop (unless you let pods go to seed).

Squash

Big hungry plants — give them space and feed them well. Leave to cure in the sun before storing and they'll keep for months.

Pumpkins

Limit each plant to 2-3 fruits for bigger pumpkins. Sit them on a tile or slate to stop rot from underneath.

Coriander

Bolts at the slightest excuse. Sow every 3-4 weeks, pick frequently, and choose slow-bolt varieties. It's a race you can win if you stay on top of it.

Rocket

Dead easy and fast. Gets spicier in hot weather — which is either a feature or a bug depending on your taste. Pick leaves small for salads.

Pak choi

Sow early spring or after midsummer — it'll bolt faster than you can blink in the heat. Worth it though. Fast-growing and very rewarding.

Fennel

Sow after midsummer for best bulbs — earlier sowings often bolt. Don't transplant bare-root, it hates root disturbance. Use modules.

Tomatoes

Pinch out side shoots on cordon types. Feed weekly with tomato feed once the first truss sets. Don't overwater — flavour comes from a bit of stress.

Cucumbers

Outdoor varieties are tougher and easier than greenhouse ones. Keep picking and they keep producing — ignore them and they swell to marrow size.

Runner beans

Build a strong frame — they get seriously heavy. Pick every 2-3 days or they go stringy and the plant stops producing.

Basil

Pinch out flower buds to keep leaves coming. Harvest from the top to encourage bushy growth. Loves heat — don't even think about putting it outside before June.

Direct sow outdoors

Broad beans

Pinch out the growing tips once the first pods form to discourage blackfly. They'll also ripen faster.

Peas

Sow every 3 weeks for a continuous harvest. Pick regularly to keep them producing — leave one pod on and the whole plant slows down.

Lettuce

Sow a short row every 2 weeks and you'll never buy a supermarket bag again. Pick outer leaves to keep it going.

Spinach

Bolts the moment it gets hot. Best in spring and autumn. Pick little and often — a whole plant cooks down to about two mouthfuls.

Radishes

The quickest crop you can grow — seed to plate in 4 weeks. Sow between slower crops to use the space while you wait.

Carrots

Sow thinly to avoid thinning — the smell of crushed leaves is a dinner bell for carrot fly. Cover with fleece to be safe.

Onion sets

Push sets into the soil with the tip just showing. Easiest way to grow onions — skip seed unless you enjoy waiting.

Potatoes (early)

Chit (sprout) seed potatoes on a windowsill before planting. Earth up as they grow — if you see green skin, it's toxic.

Kale

Gets sweeter after a frost. One of the hardiest crops — can harvest all winter.

Parsnips

Very slow to germinate (2-4 weeks). Use fresh seed every year. Sow radishes alongside to mark the row.

Spring onions

Sow a pinch every few weeks and you'll have spring onions all season. Dead easy — one of the best crops for beginners.

Turnips

Harvest when golf-ball sized for the sweetest flavour. Leave them too long and they go woody. Quick-growing gap filler.

Broccoli

Cut the main head first and you'll get side shoots for weeks. Purple sprouting is the real star — worth the long wait.

Parsley

Slow to germinate (3-4 weeks) — don't give up on it. Soak seeds overnight in warm water to speed things up. Flat-leaf has the stronger flavour.

Plant out