Allotment sowing and jobs calendar
Draft: preview builds only.
Pick the region band that sounds most like your plot, then the crops you want to grow. The calendar shows when to sow under cover, sow outdoors, plant out and harvest each crop, month by month, and lists what's due this month. If you've made a plan in the plot planner, you can bring its crops across in one click.
Allotment sowing and jobs calendar
Worked example
For a cold plot growing broad beans, peas, runner beans, onions (sets), garlic, leeks, carrots, potatoes:
- Region band Cold: spring sowing and planting about 2 weeks later, autumn sowing and planting about 2 weeks earlier. That's our rule of thumb, not a measured figure
- March: Sow under cover: Broad beans, Peas, Onions (sets) (early March), Leeks
- March: Sow outdoors: Peas (late March), Onions (sets) (late March), Leeks (late March), Carrots
- March: Plant out: Peas (late March), Onions (sets) (late March), Garlic, Potatoes (late March)
- March: Harvest: Leeks
| Crop | Jan | Feb | Mar | Apr | May | Jun | Jul | Aug | Sep | Oct | Nov | Dec |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Broad beans | late C | C | early C late S late P | S P H | early S early P H | H | H | late S | S | early S | ||
| Peas awaiting check | late C | C late S late P | early C S P | S early P | S H | early S H | H | H | H | |||
| Runner beans | late C | C late S late P | early C S P | S P H | early S early P H | H | H | |||||
| Onions (sets) | late C | C | early C late S late P | S P | early S early P | H | late S H | S late P H | early S P H | P | early P | |
| Garlic | late P | P | early P | H | H | H | H | late P | P | P | early P | |
| Leeks | H | late C H | C late S H | early C S | S | S | early S | H | H | H | H | H |
| Carrots | late S | S | S | S H | S H | S H | early S H | H | H | H | ||
| Potatoes | late P | P | P | early P H | H | H | H | H |
C sow under cover · S sow outdoors · P plant out · H harvest. "early" or "late" means only that half of the month.
Based on: Met Office. Sowing, planting and harvest months from RHS grow-your-own guides.
How the calendar works
- Months. Sowing, planting and harvest months for each crop come from the RHS grow-your-own page for that crop. Each crop name in the calendar links to its page.
- Region bands. Frost risk varies from place to place and through the season. Rather than guess from a postcode, we ask you to pick a band: mild, average, cold or exposed. Average uses the months as published.
- Band shifts are our rule of thumb. For the mild band we bring spring sowing and planting about 2 weeks earlier. For cold we move them about 2 weeks later, and for exposed about 4 weeks later. Autumn sowing and planting move the other way, because the season ends sooner where it's colder. These shifts are our estimate, not a measured figure. If your plot neighbours sow at different times, follow them.
- Half months. A two-week shift can move a job into the second half of a month, so the grid says "late Mar" or "early May" where only half the month applies.
- Harvest isn't shifted. When you harvest depends on when you sowed and on the weather, so the calendar shows the published harvest months.
What it doesn't do
- It doesn't look up your postcode or the live weather. Watch the forecast before planting out anything tender.
- It doesn't replace the seed packet. Varieties differ, and the packet wins.
- It doesn't save anything to our servers. Your band and crops stay in your browser.
FAQs
Which region band should I pick?
Pick the one that sounds most like your plot. If frosts often carry on into late spring, or your plot sits low where cold air collects, pick cold. If you're not sure, pick average.
Can I use the crops from my plot plan?
Yes. If you've made a plan in the plot planner on this device, the calendar offers a "Use my plot plan's crops" button.
Why are some crops marked "awaiting check"?
We're checking every crop's months against its RHS source. Until a row has been checked, the calendar shows it but says so.
Sources
- Met Office: Met Office: what frost is, when it forms and how frost risk varies by place and season checked 24 Oct 2026