Master Vegetable Schedule

Master Vegetable Schedule

VegetableSow IndoorsSow OutdoorsHarvest Window
AsparagusFeb – Mar(Plant Crowns Mar-Apr)April – June
BeetsMarApr – JulyJuly – Oct
Broad BeansFebMar – May / NovJune – Aug
Broccoli (Sprouting)Mar – AprMay – JuneFeb – Apr (Next Year)
Brussels SproutsMar – AprApr – MayOct – Dec
Cabbage (Spring)July – AugApril – June (Next Year)
Cabbage (Summer)Feb – MarApril – MayJuly – Sept
CarrotsMar – JulyJune – Oct
CauliflowerMar – MayApr – JuneJuly – Nov
CourgettesApril – MayJuneJuly – Oct
CucumbersApril – MayJuneJuly – Sept
GarlicOct – JanJune – Aug
KaleMar – JuneMay – JulySept – Feb
LeeksFeb – MarApril – MayOct – Mar
LettuceFeb – AugMar – AugMay – Oct
Onions (Sets)Mar – AprilJuly – Sept
ParsnipsMar – MaySept – Jan
PeasFeb – MarMar – JuneJune – Sept
Potatoes (Early)(Chit in Feb)MarJune – July
Potatoes (Main)(Chit in Feb)AprilAug – Oct
RadishesMar – AugApril – Oct
Runner BeansApril – MayMay – JuneJuly – Oct
SpinachFeb – MayMar – June / SeptMay – Oct
SweetcornApril – MayJuneAug – Oct
TomatoesFeb – AprilJuly – Oct

Since it is March, you are in the perfect window to start these staggered plantings. Here are the best crops to sow multiple times:

High-Frequency Crops (Sow every 2–3 weeks)

These grow quickly and are best harvested young and tender.

  • Lettuce & Salad Leaves: Sow small amounts every 14 days. If you sow a whole packet at once, you’ll have 50 heads of lettuce rotting in the ground by July.
  • Radishes: These are the “sprinters.” They go from seed to plate in 4 weeks. Sow a small row every 2 weeks until August.
  • Spinach: It tends to “bolt” (go to seed) in the heat, so sowing every 3 weeks ensures you always have young leaves available.
  • Carrots: To have a continuous supply of “baby” carrots, sow a new row every 3 weeks until July.

Medium-Frequency Crops (Sow every 4–6 weeks)

These take a bit longer to mature but benefit from a second or third “wave.”

  • Peas: Most people sow a batch in March/April and a second batch in May/June. This extends your sweet pea season well into late summer.
  • Beets: Sow in April for summer salads, then again in June/July for those larger “storage” roots you’ll eat in winter.
  • Spring Onions: Sow every 4 weeks to keep a fresh supply for your salads throughout the summer.
  • French Beans (Dwarf): These produce a heavy crop all at once and then get tired. Sow a batch in May and another in late June to keep the harvest going until the first frost.

Late-Season “Second Chances” (Sow in July/August)

Fiona’s calendar often emphasizes “Second Cropping” or “Winter Prep.”

  • Kale: Sow in Spring for summer greens, and again in July for plants that will survive the winter frost.
  • Potatoes: You can plant “Second Cropping” potatoes in July to have fresh new potatoes for Christmas dinner!
  • Cabbage: Sow “Spring Cabbage” in August; they will sit in the ground all winter and be the first thing you eat next spring.