These jobs are taken from a selection of gardening books, online resources and my own experience of gardening in London.
Everything is sown to grow outside eventually (I don’t include dates for sowing things to grow in a greenhouse, because I don’t have one), apart from a few winter salad leaves in the cold frame.
Your dates for sowing, planting and harvesting will vary depending on where you are.
January
Jobs:
- mulch any bare soil with compost or manure
- cover some beds with cardboard or tarpaulin to warm them up early
- buy & start chitting potatoes
- make a sowing plan for the year and make sure you’ve got all the seeds you need
- prune apple and pear trees and grape vines
- order shallot and onion sets for planting in February and March
- plant bare-rooted fruit trees and bushes
- protect cauliflowers from frost by tying the leaves over the heads
- clean pots and seed trays ready for spring
- start forcing rhubarb
- turn the compost heap
- clear out and tidy up the shed
- add woodchips to pathways
- keep on top of weeding
Sow outside:
- broad beans if the ground isn’t frozen
- garlic if not done earlier and if the ground isn’t frozen hard
- rhubarb
Sow indoors:
- broad beans
- cabbage
- cauliflower
- lettuce
- onions (seeds)
- peas
- radishes
- spinach
- winter salad leaves
Harvest:
- brussels sprouts
- cabbages
- cauliflowers
- celeriac (protect with straw if very cold)
- chicory
- endive
- kale
- leeks
- winter salad leaves – corn salad, land cress, winter purslane
- parsnips
- winter radishes
- sprouts
- swedes
February
Jobs:
- chit seed potatoes
- plant bare root trees and bushes
- cover some beds to warm them up
- force rhubarb and chicory
- add compost or manure to any areas of bare soil
- rake surface manure and compost spread earlier to knock open any lumps
- cut down green manures and cover them with cardboard and a thick mulch of rotted manure or compost, to allow time for them to break down a bit before sowing and planting in March and April
- top up compost bins with manure and turn heaps of compost so they can rot down ready for use in summer
- prune gooseberries, currants and blueberries
- cut autumn raspberries to the ground and give summer raspberries a light trim
- mulch fruit trees and bushes
- net winter cabbages, cauliflowers and broccoli to protect them from pigeons
- apply smashed oyster shells and dried seaweed for calcium and ph regulation
Sow outside (after mid-month, if not too cold or wet):
- broad beans
- dill
- garlic
- jerusalem artichokes
- parsley
- parsnips
- shallot sets
Sow indoors:
- broad beans
- brussels sprouts
- cabbage
- cauliflower
- globe artichokes
- kohl rabi
- leeks
- lettuces
- onions
- parsley
- peas
- purple sprouting broccoli
- radishes
- rhubarb
- salad leaves
- spinach
- turnips
- early annuals that don’t mind the cold and / or need a longer season
Harvest:
- brussels sprouts
- cabbage
- cauliflowers
- celeriac
- chicory
- endive
- leeks
- kale
- parsnips
- purple sprouting broccoli
- swedes
- winter lettuce leaves
March
Jobs:
- continue spreading manure or compost on any areas of bare soil, cutting down and covering winter cover crops / green manures, and raking beds to prepare them for seed sowing and planting
- keep on top of any weeds that are starting to emerge – effort to nip them in the bud now will save loads of time later in the spring
- divide clumps of herbs
- protect brassicas from pigeons
Sow outside:
- broad beans
- cabbages (summer, autumn and red)
- calabrese
- carrots (with fleece cover)
- garlic
- leeks
- lettuces
- onions
- parsnips
- peas
- first early potatoes
- purple sprouting broccoli
- radishes
- shallots
- spinach
- spring onions
- summer purslane
- turnips (with cover)
- hardy annuals
Sow indoors:
- aubergines
- beetroot
- cabbages
- calabrese
- celeriac
- celery
- chillis
- kohl rabi
- melons
- peas
- peppers
- squashes
- tomatoes
Plant out:
- asparagus
- broad beans
- cauliflowers (summer)
- peas
- spinach
Harvest:
- over-wintered chard and kale
- brussels sprouts
- cauliflowers
- celeriac
- chard
- chicory
- corn salad
- endive
- kale
- leeks
- purple sprouting broccoli
- rhubarb
- spring onions
- swedes
- winter salad leave
April
Jobs:
- remove winter plant stalks (cabbage and sprouts) and trim leeks
- keep on top of weeds
- apply compost after clearing any winter veggies away
- prune cherries and plums once the leaf buds have opened
- harden off young plants
- earth up new potatoes
- protect brassicas from pigeons
Sow outside:
- beetroot
- broad beans
- broccoli
- cabbages
- carrots
- cauliflowers – summer and autumn
- corn salad
- leeks
- lettuces
- onion seeds
- potatoes
- purple sprouting broccoli
- salad leaves
- sweetcorn
- turnips
- hardy annuals
Sow indoors:
- aubergines
- basil
- celery
- chicory
- chillis
- courgettes
- cucumbers
- endive
- florence fennel
- french beans
- herbs
- melons
- peas
- peppers
- runner beans
- squashes
Plant out:
- asparagus
- beetroot
- broad beans
- calabrese
- cauliflowers
- herbs
- jerusalem artichokes
- kohl rabi
- lettuces
- onions – seedlings or sets
- peas
- potatoes – second early and maincrop
- purple sprouting broccoli
- radishes
- salad leaves
- spinach
- sweet peas
- hardy annuals
Harvest:
- asparagus
- savoy cabbages
- spring cauliflowers
- over-wintered chard
- kale
- the last leeks
- lettuces
- purple sprouting broccoli
- rhubarb
- salad leaves
- spinach
- spring onions
- winter salad leaves
May
Jobs:
- clear overwintered kale, PSB, chard, spinach and winter salad leaves
- keep on top of weeds
- earth up potatoes
- stake early peas and broad beans
- water new plants
- harden off seedlings
- pot on growing plants
- mulch fruit bushes
- thin out raspberry canes
- protect brassicas from pigeons
- pinch out broad bean as soon as pods start to form
Sow outside:
- beans (french and runner), if the weather is warm
- beetroot
- brussels sprouts
- autumn cabbages
- carrots
- chard
- florence fennel
- herbs
- kale
- kohl rabi
- lettuces
- peas
- salad leaves
- sweetcorn
Sow indoors:
- beetroot
- cabbages (summer, winter, autumn and red)
- chillis
- chicory
- corn salad
- courgettes
- cucumbers
- endive
- french beans
- kale
- melons
- runner beans
- peppers
- purple sprouting broccoli
- squashes
- sweetcorn
Plant out (after last frost):
- aubergines
- brussels sprouts
- cabbages
- cauliflowers
- celery
- celeriac
- chillies
- courgettes
- cucumbers
- fennel
- globe artichokes
- herbs
- kohl rabi
- leeks
- lettuces
- peas
- peppers
- potatoes
- purple sprouting broccoli
- rhubarb grown from seed
- strawberries
- squashes
- sweetcorn
- sweet potatoes
- tomatoes
Harvest:
- asparagus
- over-wintered cabbage
- cauliflowers
- chard
- green garlic
- lettuces
- radishes
- rhubarb
- salad leaves
- spinach
- spring onions
- turnips
June
Jobs:
- keep on top of weeds
- net peas, cabbages and fruit bushes
- mulch any exposed areas of soil
- earth up potatoes
- cut down broad bean and pea plants
- prune herbs to remove old leaves and stimulate growth
- pot up strawberry runners
- summer-prune gooseberries, redcurrants and whitecurrants
- remove raspberry suckers
- net cherries, currants and blueberries
Sow outside:
- beetroot
- calabrese (autumn)
- carrots
- chard
- chicory
- courgettes
- cucumbers
- endive
- florence fennel
- french beans
- herbs
- kale
- kohl rabi lettuce
- lettuces
- oriental leaves
- peas
- PSB
- radishes
- runner beans
- salad leaves
- savoy cabbage
- spring onions
- squashes
- swedes
- turnips
- biennials
Sow indoors:
- broccoli
- kale
- lettuce for autumn
Plant out:
- aubergines
- beans including runner beans
- brussels sprouts
- cabbages
- cauliflowers
- celeriac
- celery
- chicory
- chillies
- courgettes
- cucumbers
- endive
- french beans
- herbs
- kale
- leeks
- melons
- peppers
- PSB
- runner beans
- squashes
- sweet potatoes
- swedes
- tomatoes
- turnips
Harvest:
- asparagus
- beetroot
- broad beans
- broccoli
- beetroot
- calabrese
- carrots
- cauliflowers
- chard
- cherries
- courgettes
- cucumbers
- florence fennel
- garlic
- globe artichokes
- gooseberries
- kohl rabi
- lettuce hearts
- onions
- peas
- potatoes (first earlies)
- radishes
- rhubarb
- salad leaves
- spinach
- spring onions
- strawberries
- sweet peas
- turnips
July
Jobs:
- spread 1cm of compost on any areas where soil is exposed, ideally after some rain
- water leafy and flowering plants
- thin out apples and pears if needed
- keep protecting brassicas from birds
- dry out garlic, onions and shallots
- pinch out climbing beans
- pinch out tomato side shoots and growing tip once 6 trusses have formed
- cover cauliflower heads with leaves
- blanch celery and endives
- earth up brassicas and potatoes
- take cuttings of herbs
- summer-prune plum trees, cherry trees, gooseberries, blackcurrants, redcurrants, raspberries (cutting summer-fruiting canes down to the ground) and whitecurrants
- keep weeding
- water salad leaves, brassicas and florence fennel to prevent bolting
Sow outside:
- autumn lettuce and other salads like endives, chicory and parsley
- beetroot
- cabbages (spring)
- calabrese
- chard
- florence fennel
- french beans
- kohl rabi
- oriental leaves
- peas
- PSB
- radishes (winter)
- rocket
- turnips
Sow indoors:
- endive
Plant out:
- beetroot
- brussels sprouts
- calabrese
- cabbages – winter
- cauliflowers
- endive
- florence fennel
- french beans
- kale
- leeks
- peas
- PSB
- savoy cabbages
- swede
Harvest:
- beetroot
- broad beans
- carrots
- celery
- chard
- chicory
- chillies
- courgettes
- cucumbers
- florence fennel
- french beans
- fruit – cherries, blackcurrants, blueberries, gooseberries, strawberries, blackberries, raspberries, melons
- garlic
- globe artichokes
- kohl rabi
- lettuces
- onions
- peas
- peppers
- potatoes
- radishes
- rhubarb
- runner beans
- salad leaves
- shallots
- spinach
- spring onions
- sweet peas
- tomatoes
- turnips
- edible hardy annuals – calendula, borage, chives, nasturtium, viola, lavender, french marigold
August
Jobs:
- Weeding
- Apply compost or manure before planting out second crops, ideally after rain
- pinch out climbing beans
- pinch out tomatoes
- earth up potatoes, celery and brassicas
Sow outside:
- overwintering cabbage
- carrots
- chard to overwinter
- chicory
- coriander
- chervil
- lamb’s lettuce
- land cress
- winter lettuce
- japanese onions
- oriental leaves
- radishes (winter)
- rocket
- spinach to overwinter
- spring onions
- turnips
- winter purslane
- green manures for autumn (crimson clover, buckwheat, mustard) or over-wintering (alfalfa, field beans, grazing rye, phacelia)
- hardy annuals for over-wintering
Sow indoors:
- cabbage
Planting out:
- cauliflowers (winter and spring)
- chard
- chicory
- coriander
- endive
- kale
- oriental leaves
- PSB
- rocket
- spinach
Harvest:
- aubergines
- beans – broad, french, runner
- beetroot
- cabbages
- calabrese
- carrots
- cauliflowers
- celery
- chard
- chicory
- chillies
- courgettes
- cucumbers
- florence fennel
- fruit – apples, blueberries, plums, pears, figs, strawberries, redcurrants, whitecurrants, cherries, raspberries, peaches, nectarines, blackberries, blackcurrants, garlic
- globe artichokes
- kale
- kohl rabi
- lettuces
- melons
- onions
- pak choi
- peas
- peppers
- potatoes
- radishes
- salad leaves
- shallots
- spinach
- spring onions
- summer squashes
- sweetcorn
- tomatoes
- turnips
September
Jobs:
- clear any harvested areas and apply manure or compost or sow oriental leaves for autumn
- weeding
- water bulking up roots like celeriac and leeks
Sow outside:
- winter leaves
- green manures
Sow indoors:
Plant out:
- cabbage
- autumn salads
- cabbage
- onions
Harvest:
- tomatoes
- salad leaves
- beetroot
- fennel
- courgettes
- summer squashes
- beans
- peas
- radishes
October
Jobs:
- remove harvested veggie stems and leaves
- spread compost or manure on bare ground
Sow outside:
- green manures
- garlic
- broad beans
Sow indoors:
Harvest:
- fennel
- salad leaves
- parsnips
- squashes
- celeriac
- leeks
- brussels sprouts
- cabbage
November
Jobs:
- make sure all the soil is covered with either leaves or compost for the winter
- order next year’s seeds
Sow outside:
- broad beans
- garlic
Sow indoors:
Harvest:
- cabbage
- kale
- parsnips
- celeriac
- beetroot
- salad leaves
- carrots
- spinach
- chard
- calabrese
- leeks
- turnip
December
Jobs:
- Order seeds
- Keep on top of weeds if it’s mild
- Keep adding manure to any bare areas
Sow outside:
- Broad beans
Sow indoors:
Harvest:
- savoy cabbage
- brussels sprouts
- parsnips
- leeks
- kale
- lamb’s lettuce
- winter purslane
Keeping the Plot 