No Dig and 2024 Sowing Calendar, both signed
No Dig
Nurture your soil to grow better veg with less effort
Published by Dorling Kindersley. Back cover description:
Stop digging and start to truly understand the needs of your soil, for bumper harvests of healthier crops. Charles Dowding has spent a lifetime perfecting his no dig system of growing. At its core is an awareness that soil vitality is a dynamic process, involving a web of organisms which we can easily feed and support, enabling our plants to grow strong and healthy, in a weed-free environment. With clear step-by-step instructions on how to set up a no dig plot, and detailed cultivation advice for over 80 crops, this book will revolutionise the way you grow.
The book is made up of four chapters. It's full of vegetable-growing advice, as well as my latest summary of no dig.
Chapter 1 – It all begins with the soil
Discover how no dig helps the soil, and you in the garden. I explain the fundamentals, the importance of compost, why weeds don’t grow, and the extensive other benefits of no dig beds.
Chapter 2 – Getting started
I give advice on deciding what to grow, planning your beds, controlling weeds, and the tools you may need.
I take you through the creation of a no dig bed using cardboard and compost, then planting it on the same day in spring. We revisit it through the year.
You see how I make compost, and I share many ways of doing this. It’s not difficult when you understand the few key principles and methods.
Chapter 3 – The principles of growing vegetables
The bigger picture behind growing success, and the reasons why these understandings work so well. Especially in a no dig garden where soil is lively, and weeds are few.
You learn about timings of sowings, succession planting, propagation, how to sow, caring for seedlings, transplanting, spacing, watering, using crop covers, controlling slugs and snails, growing under cover, harvesting, storage and saving seed.
Chapter 4 – Vegetable and herb directory
The largest section of the book. I give detailed information on growing over 80 of the main vegetables and herbs, categorised as follows:
- Pea and bean family (legumes)
- Cabbage family (brassicas)
- Onion family (alliums)
- Cucumber family (cucurbits)
- Carrot family (umbellifers)
- Beet family
- Leafy salad crops
- Solanums, basil, and sweetcorn
- Perennial vegetables
For each category, I give general information on choosing what to grow; sowing, growing and harvesting; and common problems.
Then, for each vegetable/herb within the categories, I explain in detail sowing and transplanting, care and protection, harvesting and storage, and finish with a useful summary of key growing information. I also share my recommended varieties.
The book is beautifully illustrated throughout with photographs by the excellent Jonathan Buckley. He visited Homeacres on 12 days over the course of 2021, capturing the growth and methods of each season, and the beauty of my vegetable garden.
———
Beautiful book, great quality, solid binding, clear pages and pictures. And that’s just the window dressing. Complete compendium of Charles’s wisdom in a single volume, it really is a treasure. First class.
chrcal14, October 2022
———
Calendar of Vegetable Sowing Dates 2024
My best sowing dates to hang on your wall. Each month of the growing season has my favourite sowing dates for each vegetable, to increase the likelihood of successful harvests. Every date is based on decades of fine-tuning from observations and learning.
- Use these dates to help you enjoy a regular supply of fresh produce through all four seasons.
In this year's calendar, I share my tips for successful sowing. Enjoy more success.
We have also created a yearly sowing overview table. An overview of all the year, to help you plan which vegetables are best to sow at different and carefully selected times.
As well as sowing dates, I give a brief vegetable growing summary for every month, to help you keep on track. The calendar is also illustrated with beautiful and informative photos from my garden at Homeacres.
The sowing dates are for a Zone 8b climate in southern UK. You can use this calendar in different climates, with a little adjustment to the dates. If your climate is cooler, sow later by one to four weeks in spring, then sow a week or two earlier in summer and autumn, from the solstice onwards.
My recommended dates are not always the same as you will read on the packet of seeds! For some reason, they pay little attention to flowering dates. For example, I do not recommend sowing spinach, as in true spinach not leaf beet, from late April through to late July. That way you avoid its flowering season. By sowing either very early in the year or in August, you are far more likely to enjoy a long season of harvest. For a monthly summary of which seeds are best to sow when, in a temperate climate, see my sowing timeline. There is also a version for the southern hemisphere.
We also offer an advice newsletter, a weekly reminder of what best to sow, transplant, harvest and other jobs, for the week ahead. It's £5 monthly from February to October, and includes contributions from new grower Anna, who helped with this calendar, and from other no dig gardeners who are enjoying success around the world – see also our International page.
Climate plus natural growth cycles
My sowing dates are based on the season, the climate, and the natural growth cycle of each vegetable. For example, your peas will succeed much better when you sow in spring rather than summer. That's because peas grow most healthily and abundantly during months when the days are getting longer. Sow at the best time of year for each different vegetable.
Dates are based secondarily on moon phases. Within the best seasonal times, the moon cycles sometimes give even better times!
Solar and lunar
I combine two aspects of moon movements for calculating top sowing dates:
One is the phases of root-flower-leaf-fruit, based on whether the moon is passing through an astrological sign with earth-air-water-fire qualities.
The other is waxing and waning. Where possible, sow on a waxing moon for faster emergence and stronger growth, especially just before full moon.
Sun and moon give a framework of action, rather than a rigid rulebook. Many dates have sowing possibilities – there are few dates when all of the good aspects are present.
I have your calendar and I use a new one every year. It is the best one out there! It keeps me on track and motivates me to keep planting all year long. I am weeks ahead of all my neighbours using your techniques. David Donegal, 2023
The calendar is 36 pages and is A4, opening to A3. It is hole-punched, for hanging on a wall.
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit. Suspendisse varius enim in eros elementum tristique. Duis cursus, mi quis viverra ornare, eros dolor interdum nulla, ut commodo diam libero vitae erat. Aenean faucibus nibh et justo cursus id rutrum lorem imperdiet. Nunc ut sem vitae risus tristique posuere.
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit. Suspendisse varius enim in eros elementum tristique. Duis cursus, mi quis viverra ornare, eros dolor interdum nulla, ut commodo diam libero vitae erat. Aenean faucibus nibh et justo cursus id rutrum lorem imperdiet. Nunc ut sem vitae risus tristique posuere.
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No Dig and 2024 Sowing Calendar, both signed
More information
No Dig
Nurture your soil to grow better veg with less effort
Published by Dorling Kindersley. Back cover description:
Stop digging and start to truly understand the needs of your soil, for bumper harvests of healthier crops. Charles Dowding has spent a lifetime perfecting his no dig system of growing. At its core is an awareness that soil vitality is a dynamic process, involving a web of organisms which we can easily feed and support, enabling our plants to grow strong and healthy, in a weed-free environment. With clear step-by-step instructions on how to set up a no dig plot, and detailed cultivation advice for over 80 crops, this book will revolutionise the way you grow.
The book is made up of four chapters. It's full of vegetable-growing advice, as well as my latest summary of no dig.
Chapter 1 – It all begins with the soil
Discover how no dig helps the soil, and you in the garden. I explain the fundamentals, the importance of compost, why weeds don’t grow, and the extensive other benefits of no dig beds.
Chapter 2 – Getting started
I give advice on deciding what to grow, planning your beds, controlling weeds, and the tools you may need.
I take you through the creation of a no dig bed using cardboard and compost, then planting it on the same day in spring. We revisit it through the year.
You see how I make compost, and I share many ways of doing this. It’s not difficult when you understand the few key principles and methods.
Chapter 3 – The principles of growing vegetables
The bigger picture behind growing success, and the reasons why these understandings work so well. Especially in a no dig garden where soil is lively, and weeds are few.
You learn about timings of sowings, succession planting, propagation, how to sow, caring for seedlings, transplanting, spacing, watering, using crop covers, controlling slugs and snails, growing under cover, harvesting, storage and saving seed.
Chapter 4 – Vegetable and herb directory
The largest section of the book. I give detailed information on growing over 80 of the main vegetables and herbs, categorised as follows:
- Pea and bean family (legumes)
- Cabbage family (brassicas)
- Onion family (alliums)
- Cucumber family (cucurbits)
- Carrot family (umbellifers)
- Beet family
- Leafy salad crops
- Solanums, basil, and sweetcorn
- Perennial vegetables
For each category, I give general information on choosing what to grow; sowing, growing and harvesting; and common problems.
Then, for each vegetable/herb within the categories, I explain in detail sowing and transplanting, care and protection, harvesting and storage, and finish with a useful summary of key growing information. I also share my recommended varieties.
The book is beautifully illustrated throughout with photographs by the excellent Jonathan Buckley. He visited Homeacres on 12 days over the course of 2021, capturing the growth and methods of each season, and the beauty of my vegetable garden.
———
Beautiful book, great quality, solid binding, clear pages and pictures. And that’s just the window dressing. Complete compendium of Charles’s wisdom in a single volume, it really is a treasure. First class.
chrcal14, October 2022
———
Calendar of Vegetable Sowing Dates 2024
My best sowing dates to hang on your wall. Each month of the growing season has my favourite sowing dates for each vegetable, to increase the likelihood of successful harvests. Every date is based on decades of fine-tuning from observations and learning.
- Use these dates to help you enjoy a regular supply of fresh produce through all four seasons.
In this year's calendar, I share my tips for successful sowing. Enjoy more success.
We have also created a yearly sowing overview table. An overview of all the year, to help you plan which vegetables are best to sow at different and carefully selected times.
As well as sowing dates, I give a brief vegetable growing summary for every month, to help you keep on track. The calendar is also illustrated with beautiful and informative photos from my garden at Homeacres.
The sowing dates are for a Zone 8b climate in southern UK. You can use this calendar in different climates, with a little adjustment to the dates. If your climate is cooler, sow later by one to four weeks in spring, then sow a week or two earlier in summer and autumn, from the solstice onwards.
My recommended dates are not always the same as you will read on the packet of seeds! For some reason, they pay little attention to flowering dates. For example, I do not recommend sowing spinach, as in true spinach not leaf beet, from late April through to late July. That way you avoid its flowering season. By sowing either very early in the year or in August, you are far more likely to enjoy a long season of harvest. For a monthly summary of which seeds are best to sow when, in a temperate climate, see my sowing timeline. There is also a version for the southern hemisphere.
We also offer an advice newsletter, a weekly reminder of what best to sow, transplant, harvest and other jobs, for the week ahead. It's £5 monthly from February to October, and includes contributions from new grower Anna, who helped with this calendar, and from other no dig gardeners who are enjoying success around the world – see also our International page.
Climate plus natural growth cycles
My sowing dates are based on the season, the climate, and the natural growth cycle of each vegetable. For example, your peas will succeed much better when you sow in spring rather than summer. That's because peas grow most healthily and abundantly during months when the days are getting longer. Sow at the best time of year for each different vegetable.
Dates are based secondarily on moon phases. Within the best seasonal times, the moon cycles sometimes give even better times!
Solar and lunar
I combine two aspects of moon movements for calculating top sowing dates:
One is the phases of root-flower-leaf-fruit, based on whether the moon is passing through an astrological sign with earth-air-water-fire qualities.
The other is waxing and waning. Where possible, sow on a waxing moon for faster emergence and stronger growth, especially just before full moon.
Sun and moon give a framework of action, rather than a rigid rulebook. Many dates have sowing possibilities – there are few dates when all of the good aspects are present.
I have your calendar and I use a new one every year. It is the best one out there! It keeps me on track and motivates me to keep planting all year long. I am weeks ahead of all my neighbours using your techniques. David Donegal, 2023
The calendar is 36 pages and is A4, opening to A3. It is hole-punched, for hanging on a wall.
No Dig
Nurture your soil to grow better veg with less effort
Published by Dorling Kindersley. Back cover description:
Stop digging and start to truly understand the needs of your soil, for bumper harvests of healthier crops. Charles Dowding has spent a lifetime perfecting his no dig system of growing. At its core is an awareness that soil vitality is a dynamic process, involving a web of organisms which we can easily feed and support, enabling our plants to grow strong and healthy, in a weed-free environment. With clear step-by-step instructions on how to set up a no dig plot, and detailed cultivation advice for over 80 crops, this book will revolutionise the way you grow.
The book is made up of four chapters. It's full of vegetable-growing advice, as well as my latest summary of no dig.
Chapter 1 – It all begins with the soil
Discover how no dig helps the soil, and you in the garden. I explain the fundamentals, the importance of compost, why weeds don’t grow, and the extensive other benefits of no dig beds.
Chapter 2 – Getting started
I give advice on deciding what to grow, planning your beds, controlling weeds, and the tools you may need.
I take you through the creation of a no dig bed using cardboard and compost, then planting it on the same day in spring. We revisit it through the year.
You see how I make compost, and I share many ways of doing this. It’s not difficult when you understand the few key principles and methods.
Chapter 3 – The principles of growing vegetables
The bigger picture behind growing success, and the reasons why these understandings work so well. Especially in a no dig garden where soil is lively, and weeds are few.
You learn about timings of sowings, succession planting, propagation, how to sow, caring for seedlings, transplanting, spacing, watering, using crop covers, controlling slugs and snails, growing under cover, harvesting, storage and saving seed.
Chapter 4 – Vegetable and herb directory
The largest section of the book. I give detailed information on growing over 80 of the main vegetables and herbs, categorised as follows:
- Pea and bean family (legumes)
- Cabbage family (brassicas)
- Onion family (alliums)
- Cucumber family (cucurbits)
- Carrot family (umbellifers)
- Beet family
- Leafy salad crops
- Solanums, basil, and sweetcorn
- Perennial vegetables
For each category, I give general information on choosing what to grow; sowing, growing and harvesting; and common problems.
Then, for each vegetable/herb within the categories, I explain in detail sowing and transplanting, care and protection, harvesting and storage, and finish with a useful summary of key growing information. I also share my recommended varieties.
The book is beautifully illustrated throughout with photographs by the excellent Jonathan Buckley. He visited Homeacres on 12 days over the course of 2021, capturing the growth and methods of each season, and the beauty of my vegetable garden.
———
Beautiful book, great quality, solid binding, clear pages and pictures. And that’s just the window dressing. Complete compendium of Charles’s wisdom in a single volume, it really is a treasure. First class.
chrcal14, October 2022
———
Calendar of Vegetable Sowing Dates 2024
My best sowing dates to hang on your wall. Each month of the growing season has my favourite sowing dates for each vegetable, to increase the likelihood of successful harvests. Every date is based on decades of fine-tuning from observations and learning.
- Use these dates to help you enjoy a regular supply of fresh produce through all four seasons.
In this year's calendar, I share my tips for successful sowing. Enjoy more success.
We have also created a yearly sowing overview table. An overview of all the year, to help you plan which vegetables are best to sow at different and carefully selected times.
As well as sowing dates, I give a brief vegetable growing summary for every month, to help you keep on track. The calendar is also illustrated with beautiful and informative photos from my garden at Homeacres.
The sowing dates are for a Zone 8b climate in southern UK. You can use this calendar in different climates, with a little adjustment to the dates. If your climate is cooler, sow later by one to four weeks in spring, then sow a week or two earlier in summer and autumn, from the solstice onwards.
My recommended dates are not always the same as you will read on the packet of seeds! For some reason, they pay little attention to flowering dates. For example, I do not recommend sowing spinach, as in true spinach not leaf beet, from late April through to late July. That way you avoid its flowering season. By sowing either very early in the year or in August, you are far more likely to enjoy a long season of harvest. For a monthly summary of which seeds are best to sow when, in a temperate climate, see my sowing timeline. There is also a version for the southern hemisphere.
We also offer an advice newsletter, a weekly reminder of what best to sow, transplant, harvest and other jobs, for the week ahead. It's £5 monthly from February to October, and includes contributions from new grower Anna, who helped with this calendar, and from other no dig gardeners who are enjoying success around the world – see also our International page.
Climate plus natural growth cycles
My sowing dates are based on the season, the climate, and the natural growth cycle of each vegetable. For example, your peas will succeed much better when you sow in spring rather than summer. That's because peas grow most healthily and abundantly during months when the days are getting longer. Sow at the best time of year for each different vegetable.
Dates are based secondarily on moon phases. Within the best seasonal times, the moon cycles sometimes give even better times!
Solar and lunar
I combine two aspects of moon movements for calculating top sowing dates:
One is the phases of root-flower-leaf-fruit, based on whether the moon is passing through an astrological sign with earth-air-water-fire qualities.
The other is waxing and waning. Where possible, sow on a waxing moon for faster emergence and stronger growth, especially just before full moon.
Sun and moon give a framework of action, rather than a rigid rulebook. Many dates have sowing possibilities – there are few dates when all of the good aspects are present.
I have your calendar and I use a new one every year. It is the best one out there! It keeps me on track and motivates me to keep planting all year long. I am weeks ahead of all my neighbours using your techniques. David Donegal, 2023
The calendar is 36 pages and is A4, opening to A3. It is hole-punched, for hanging on a wall.
No Dig and 2024 Sowing Calendar, both signed
No Dig
Nurture your soil to grow better veg with less effort
Published by Dorling Kindersley. Back cover description:
Stop digging and start to truly understand the needs of your soil, for bumper harvests of healthier crops. Charles Dowding has spent a lifetime perfecting his no dig system of growing. At its core is an awareness that soil vitality is a dynamic process, involving a web of organisms which we can easily feed and support, enabling our plants to grow strong and healthy, in a weed-free environment. With clear step-by-step instructions on how to set up a no dig plot, and detailed cultivation advice for over 80 crops, this book will revolutionise the way you grow.
The book is made up of four chapters. It's full of vegetable-growing advice, as well as my latest summary of no dig.
Chapter 1 – It all begins with the soil
Discover how no dig helps the soil, and you in the garden. I explain the fundamentals, the importance of compost, why weeds don’t grow, and the extensive other benefits of no dig beds.
Chapter 2 – Getting started
I give advice on deciding what to grow, planning your beds, controlling weeds, and the tools you may need.
I take you through the creation of a no dig bed using cardboard and compost, then planting it on the same day in spring. We revisit it through the year.
You see how I make compost, and I share many ways of doing this. It’s not difficult when you understand the few key principles and methods.
Chapter 3 – The principles of growing vegetables
The bigger picture behind growing success, and the reasons why these understandings work so well. Especially in a no dig garden where soil is lively, and weeds are few.
You learn about timings of sowings, succession planting, propagation, how to sow, caring for seedlings, transplanting, spacing, watering, using crop covers, controlling slugs and snails, growing under cover, harvesting, storage and saving seed.
Chapter 4 – Vegetable and herb directory
The largest section of the book. I give detailed information on growing over 80 of the main vegetables and herbs, categorised as follows:
- Pea and bean family (legumes)
- Cabbage family (brassicas)
- Onion family (alliums)
- Cucumber family (cucurbits)
- Carrot family (umbellifers)
- Beet family
- Leafy salad crops
- Solanums, basil, and sweetcorn
- Perennial vegetables
For each category, I give general information on choosing what to grow; sowing, growing and harvesting; and common problems.
Then, for each vegetable/herb within the categories, I explain in detail sowing and transplanting, care and protection, harvesting and storage, and finish with a useful summary of key growing information. I also share my recommended varieties.
The book is beautifully illustrated throughout with photographs by the excellent Jonathan Buckley. He visited Homeacres on 12 days over the course of 2021, capturing the growth and methods of each season, and the beauty of my vegetable garden.
———
Beautiful book, great quality, solid binding, clear pages and pictures. And that’s just the window dressing. Complete compendium of Charles’s wisdom in a single volume, it really is a treasure. First class.
chrcal14, October 2022
———
Calendar of Vegetable Sowing Dates 2024
My best sowing dates to hang on your wall. Each month of the growing season has my favourite sowing dates for each vegetable, to increase the likelihood of successful harvests. Every date is based on decades of fine-tuning from observations and learning.
- Use these dates to help you enjoy a regular supply of fresh produce through all four seasons.
In this year's calendar, I share my tips for successful sowing. Enjoy more success.
We have also created a yearly sowing overview table. An overview of all the year, to help you plan which vegetables are best to sow at different and carefully selected times.
As well as sowing dates, I give a brief vegetable growing summary for every month, to help you keep on track. The calendar is also illustrated with beautiful and informative photos from my garden at Homeacres.
The sowing dates are for a Zone 8b climate in southern UK. You can use this calendar in different climates, with a little adjustment to the dates. If your climate is cooler, sow later by one to four weeks in spring, then sow a week or two earlier in summer and autumn, from the solstice onwards.
My recommended dates are not always the same as you will read on the packet of seeds! For some reason, they pay little attention to flowering dates. For example, I do not recommend sowing spinach, as in true spinach not leaf beet, from late April through to late July. That way you avoid its flowering season. By sowing either very early in the year or in August, you are far more likely to enjoy a long season of harvest. For a monthly summary of which seeds are best to sow when, in a temperate climate, see my sowing timeline. There is also a version for the southern hemisphere.
We also offer an advice newsletter, a weekly reminder of what best to sow, transplant, harvest and other jobs, for the week ahead. It's £5 monthly from February to October, and includes contributions from new grower Anna, who helped with this calendar, and from other no dig gardeners who are enjoying success around the world – see also our International page.
Climate plus natural growth cycles
My sowing dates are based on the season, the climate, and the natural growth cycle of each vegetable. For example, your peas will succeed much better when you sow in spring rather than summer. That's because peas grow most healthily and abundantly during months when the days are getting longer. Sow at the best time of year for each different vegetable.
Dates are based secondarily on moon phases. Within the best seasonal times, the moon cycles sometimes give even better times!
Solar and lunar
I combine two aspects of moon movements for calculating top sowing dates:
One is the phases of root-flower-leaf-fruit, based on whether the moon is passing through an astrological sign with earth-air-water-fire qualities.
The other is waxing and waning. Where possible, sow on a waxing moon for faster emergence and stronger growth, especially just before full moon.
Sun and moon give a framework of action, rather than a rigid rulebook. Many dates have sowing possibilities – there are few dates when all of the good aspects are present.
I have your calendar and I use a new one every year. It is the best one out there! It keeps me on track and motivates me to keep planting all year long. I am weeks ahead of all my neighbours using your techniques. David Donegal, 2023
The calendar is 36 pages and is A4, opening to A3. It is hole-punched, for hanging on a wall.
No Dig and 2024 Sowing Calendar, both signed
No Dig
Nurture your soil to grow better veg with less effort
Published by Dorling Kindersley. Back cover description:
Stop digging and start to truly understand the needs of your soil, for bumper harvests of healthier crops. Charles Dowding has spent a lifetime perfecting his no dig system of growing. At its core is an awareness that soil vitality is a dynamic process, involving a web of organisms which we can easily feed and support, enabling our plants to grow strong and healthy, in a weed-free environment. With clear step-by-step instructions on how to set up a no dig plot, and detailed cultivation advice for over 80 crops, this book will revolutionise the way you grow.
The book is made up of four chapters. It's full of vegetable-growing advice, as well as my latest summary of no dig.
Chapter 1 – It all begins with the soil
Discover how no dig helps the soil, and you in the garden. I explain the fundamentals, the importance of compost, why weeds don’t grow, and the extensive other benefits of no dig beds.
Chapter 2 – Getting started
I give advice on deciding what to grow, planning your beds, controlling weeds, and the tools you may need.
I take you through the creation of a no dig bed using cardboard and compost, then planting it on the same day in spring. We revisit it through the year.
You see how I make compost, and I share many ways of doing this. It’s not difficult when you understand the few key principles and methods.
Chapter 3 – The principles of growing vegetables
The bigger picture behind growing success, and the reasons why these understandings work so well. Especially in a no dig garden where soil is lively, and weeds are few.
You learn about timings of sowings, succession planting, propagation, how to sow, caring for seedlings, transplanting, spacing, watering, using crop covers, controlling slugs and snails, growing under cover, harvesting, storage and saving seed.
Chapter 4 – Vegetable and herb directory
The largest section of the book. I give detailed information on growing over 80 of the main vegetables and herbs, categorised as follows:
- Pea and bean family (legumes)
- Cabbage family (brassicas)
- Onion family (alliums)
- Cucumber family (cucurbits)
- Carrot family (umbellifers)
- Beet family
- Leafy salad crops
- Solanums, basil, and sweetcorn
- Perennial vegetables
For each category, I give general information on choosing what to grow; sowing, growing and harvesting; and common problems.
Then, for each vegetable/herb within the categories, I explain in detail sowing and transplanting, care and protection, harvesting and storage, and finish with a useful summary of key growing information. I also share my recommended varieties.
The book is beautifully illustrated throughout with photographs by the excellent Jonathan Buckley. He visited Homeacres on 12 days over the course of 2021, capturing the growth and methods of each season, and the beauty of my vegetable garden.
———
Beautiful book, great quality, solid binding, clear pages and pictures. And that’s just the window dressing. Complete compendium of Charles’s wisdom in a single volume, it really is a treasure. First class.
chrcal14, October 2022
———
Calendar of Vegetable Sowing Dates 2024
My best sowing dates to hang on your wall. Each month of the growing season has my favourite sowing dates for each vegetable, to increase the likelihood of successful harvests. Every date is based on decades of fine-tuning from observations and learning.
- Use these dates to help you enjoy a regular supply of fresh produce through all four seasons.
In this year's calendar, I share my tips for successful sowing. Enjoy more success.
We have also created a yearly sowing overview table. An overview of all the year, to help you plan which vegetables are best to sow at different and carefully selected times.
As well as sowing dates, I give a brief vegetable growing summary for every month, to help you keep on track. The calendar is also illustrated with beautiful and informative photos from my garden at Homeacres.
The sowing dates are for a Zone 8b climate in southern UK. You can use this calendar in different climates, with a little adjustment to the dates. If your climate is cooler, sow later by one to four weeks in spring, then sow a week or two earlier in summer and autumn, from the solstice onwards.
My recommended dates are not always the same as you will read on the packet of seeds! For some reason, they pay little attention to flowering dates. For example, I do not recommend sowing spinach, as in true spinach not leaf beet, from late April through to late July. That way you avoid its flowering season. By sowing either very early in the year or in August, you are far more likely to enjoy a long season of harvest. For a monthly summary of which seeds are best to sow when, in a temperate climate, see my sowing timeline. There is also a version for the southern hemisphere.
We also offer an advice newsletter, a weekly reminder of what best to sow, transplant, harvest and other jobs, for the week ahead. It's £5 monthly from February to October, and includes contributions from new grower Anna, who helped with this calendar, and from other no dig gardeners who are enjoying success around the world – see also our International page.
Climate plus natural growth cycles
My sowing dates are based on the season, the climate, and the natural growth cycle of each vegetable. For example, your peas will succeed much better when you sow in spring rather than summer. That's because peas grow most healthily and abundantly during months when the days are getting longer. Sow at the best time of year for each different vegetable.
Dates are based secondarily on moon phases. Within the best seasonal times, the moon cycles sometimes give even better times!
Solar and lunar
I combine two aspects of moon movements for calculating top sowing dates:
One is the phases of root-flower-leaf-fruit, based on whether the moon is passing through an astrological sign with earth-air-water-fire qualities.
The other is waxing and waning. Where possible, sow on a waxing moon for faster emergence and stronger growth, especially just before full moon.
Sun and moon give a framework of action, rather than a rigid rulebook. Many dates have sowing possibilities – there are few dates when all of the good aspects are present.
I have your calendar and I use a new one every year. It is the best one out there! It keeps me on track and motivates me to keep planting all year long. I am weeks ahead of all my neighbours using your techniques. David Donegal, 2023
The calendar is 36 pages and is A4, opening to A3. It is hole-punched, for hanging on a wall.
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit. Suspendisse varius enim in eros elementum tristique. Duis cursus, mi quis viverra ornare, eros dolor interdum nulla, ut commodo diam libero vitae erat.
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit. Suspendisse varius enim in eros elementum tristique. Duis cursus, mi quis viverra ornare, eros dolor interdum nulla, ut commodo diam libero vitae erat.
