*** Shipping 3rd September ***

My recommended sowing dates for each month of the growing season, illustrated with beautiful and informative photos from my garden at Homeacres.

Every date is based on decades of fine-tuning from observations and learning, helping you to enjoy a regular supply of fresh produce through all four seasons.

As well as sowing dates, I give brief growing advice for every month and share my tips for successful sowing. I also include a yearly sowing overview table, to help you plan which vegetables you are going to grow, and when.

The sowing dates are for a Zone 8b climate in southern UK. You can use this calendar in different climates with just a little adjustment to the dates, explained in the introduction.

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.

Climate plus natural growth cycles

My 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.

Solar and lunar

Dates are based secondarily on moon phases. Within the best seasonal times, the moon cycles sometimes give even better times.

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.

This is the 3rd time of buying Charles’ no dig calendar and, as always, I can’t wait for February to start sowing. That’s how good it is! The photos are so inspiring and the information gives you complete confidence to not only give it a go, but succeed! The layout means you’re unlikely to miss anything and I especially value the overview at the back which allows you to go straight to the vegetable you’re interested in and see which months you can sow and how many times during the year you can sow. In this way there is always something ready to plant. There is a wealth of other really useful information besides when to sow. I would highly recommend the calendar for anyone who wants to grow no dig veg on any scale. Susan B, 30th October 2025

The calendar is 36 pages and is A4, opening to A3. It is hole-punched, for hanging on a wall.

Where to buy internationally

Saxo – Denmark (ships worldwide)

The Farm Dream – Netherlands (ships within Europe)

Bountiful harvests from August 2026, grow using the sowing dates in the calendar