3 min read
Sowing French beans: wait for warm soil and choose a habit
French beans are tender. Check that the soil has warmed, then choose between dwarf beans for successive sowings and climbing beans that need support.
- Calendar
- Beans
- Sowing
The blog
Marmanda's notebook.
Long, sourced articles about the vegetable garden: what to plant and when, which pairings actually hold up, how to read a sowing calendar.
4 min read
Sowing leeks: nursery, transplanting and timing
Plan a leek crop from sowing through transplanting, with practical nursery, spacing and aftercare cues for the harvest season you want.
- Calendar
- Planting
- Leek
- Sowing
3 min read
Sowing beetroot: seed clusters and thinning
Learn why beet seedlings can emerge in clusters, then choose a direct-sowing or nursery method and manage spacing for the roots you want.
- Beetroot
- Calendar
- Sowing
3 min read
Sowing tomatoes: from seed to transplant-ready plant
Grow tomato seedlings from seed with a clear sequence for warmth, light, potting on and planting out.
- Calendar
- Planting
- Sowing
- Tomato
3 min read
Sowing garden peas: varieties, method and seasons
For UK gardens, sow peas outdoors from March once the soil reaches about 10°C. Match row layout and support to plant height, and use repeat sowings for a longer harvest.
- Autumn
- Calendar
- Peas
- Sowing
3 min read
When to plant onions: seed, sets and climate
For UK gardens, direct-sow onions in early to mid-spring as the soil warms, or plant sets in spring. Learn how the two methods differ and when overwintering varieties fit.
- Calendar
- Onion
- Planting
- Sowing
3 min read
When to plant shallots: types, timing and method
In a UK garden, plant most shallot sets in spring and reserve autumn or winter planting for suitable varieties and free-draining ground. Learn the spacing and planting method.
- Autumn
- Calendar
- Shallot
- Planting
3 min read
Sowing broad beans: spacing, depth and care
In the UK, sow broad beans outdoors in March, April or early May. Autumn or February sowing is for mild or sheltered sites with hardy varieties; follow the RHS depth and spacing for your method.
- Autumn
- Calendar
- Broad bean
- Sowing
3 min read
Sowing turnips: choose a season that suits the roots you want
Choose early roots or a later maincrop, then match sowing to local conditions and the water you can provide. A guide to season, thinning and root quality.
- Calendar
- Turnip
- Sowing
3 min read
Sowing radishes: spacing and successive crops
Learn how salad and winter radishes differ in sowing depth, spacing and harvest, then stagger small batches for a steadier supply.
- Calendar
- Radish
- Sowing
3 min read
Sowing spinach: germination and successive harvests
In the UK, sow spinach in cool weather in mid to late spring or late summer to early autumn. Choose a hardy variety for an overwintering crop, then thin seedlings and pick leaves in succession.
- Autumn
- Calendar
- Spinach
- Sowing
3 min read
Sowing rocket: identify the species and keep soil moist
Identify the rocket species on your seed packet, then use practical sowing and harvest cues suited to its growth habit.
- Calendar
- Rocket
- Sowing
3 min read
Sowing carrots: germination and thinning
Learn to sow carrots in a prepared bed, keep the seedbed moist while seeds emerge and thin seedlings without disturbing the roots.
- Calendar
- Carrot
- Sowing
5 min read
Vegetable sowing and planting calendar, month by month
A useful calendar is more than twelve lists. It separates protected sowing, direct sowing and planting out, then adjusts each window for climate, soil and crop.
- Calendar
- Planning
- Sowing
6 min read
What to Grow in a Small Vegetable Garden: The Right Test Is Not the Obvious One
On two square metres, the question is not "what do I like eating?" but "what earns its space and its months of occupation?". Here is what passes that test, what fails it, and why.
- Companion planting
- Calendar
- Small garden
8 min read
What to plant in October: sowing, planting and garden jobs
Garlic, shallots, lamb's lettuce, spinach or green manure: what you can plant and sow in October, with the limits imposed by climate and soil.
- Calendar
- October
- Soil
4 min read
When to plant tomatoes: the date is not a date
"After the last frost" is not a method. Here are the three signals that actually determine planting time, and how to read them where you live.
- Calendar
- Sowing
- Tomato
4 min read
What to plant in September
September is not the end of the season. It is the month that decides what your garden looks like in March, provided you sow quickly.
- Calendar
- Sowing
- September
Turn the reading into a garden.
Marmanda turns this advice into a dated, placed plan for your own plot.