Sowing calendar 2026: when you sow which vegetable

Many gardeners buy a new sowing calendar every year – as a red thread through the garden year. There is an easier way.

With a free account as a garden helper, you use the GrowSimply sowing calendar 2026 at no cost, and it is always up to date. You always have it at hand on your phone, tablet or computer and don’t have to buy a new one every year. That saves you around €30 a year.

A sowing calendar is your “time window plan”: It shows you when to use pre-growing, sow directly, or transplant. This protects you from the two classics: too early (cold, stagnation) or too late (no maturity until harvest).

With pre-growing, you start protected (windowsill, cold frame, greenhouse) and transplant later. Direct sowing means: seeds directly into the bed. Both have their place – the only important thing is that you choose the right timing.

✅ Pre-growing

• Head start for warmth-loving plants
• Ideal for long crops
• Better harvests

✅ Direct sowing

• Less effort
• A good seedbed is crucial
• Keep evenly moist

This overview comes from the GrowSimply plant database and applies to vegetable growing in Central Europe. The earliest dates often only work with protection from fleece, a polytunnel or a greenhouse. Depending on your region and microclimate, things start a few weeks earlier or later for you.

January

• Pre-growing: Broccoli, Cauliflower, Chili, Kohlrabi, Lettuce, Pak choi, Pointed cabbage
• Direct sowing: Garden cress

February

• Pre-growing: Broccoli, Eggplant, Head cabbage, Lettuce, Onion, Pointed cabbage, Red cabbage, Sweet pepper
• Direct sowing: Carrot, Garden cress, Lamb's lettuce, Parsnip, Radish, Spinach, Winter purslane
• Transplanting: Cauliflower, Kohlrabi, Lettuce, Pak choi

March

• Pre-growing: Broccoli, Brussels sprout, Cauliflower, Celeriac, Celery, Fennel bulb, Leek, Okra, Onion, Pointed cabbage, Red cabbage, Tomato, Water spinach
• Direct sowing: Arugula, Asian greens, Black salsify, Broad bean, Carrot, Garden cress, Lamb's lettuce, Parsnip, Pea, Radish, Root parsley, Rutabaga, Spring onion, Spring turnip, Winter purslane
• Transplanting: Broccoli, Cauliflower, Head cabbage, Lettuce, Onion, Pointed cabbage
• Planting (tubers, cloves, young plants): Garlic

April

• Pre-growing: Broccoli, Butter cabbage, Cauliflower, Cucumber, Head cabbage, Kale, Kalettes, Kohlrabi, Lettuce, Melon, Okra, Ornamental kale, Pointed cabbage, Pumpkin, Radicchio, Red cabbage, Sugarloaf chicory, Sweet corn, Water spinach, Zucchini
• Direct sowing: Autumn turnip, Beetroot, Black salsify, Broad bean, Carrot, Chard, Chicory, Parsnip, Pea, Radish, Root parsley, Rutabaga, Salsify, Spring onion, Spring turnip
• Transplanting: Broccoli, Onion, Pointed cabbage, Red cabbage
• Planting (tubers, cloves, young plants): Garlic, Ginger, Potato, Skirret

May

• Pre-growing: Broccoli, Butter cabbage, Cauliflower, Chinese cabbage, Kohlrabi, Lettuce, Okra, Radicchio, Sugarloaf chicory, Water spinach, Zucchini
• Direct sowing: Asian greens, Autumn turnip, Beetroot, Bush bean, Carrot, Chard, Chicory, Garden cress, Nasturtium, Pole bean, Radish, Rutabaga, Salsify, Spinach, Spring onion, Spring turnip
• Transplanting: Broccoli, Brussels sprout, Butter cabbage, Cauliflower, Celeriac, Celery, Chili, Cucumber, Eggplant, Fennel bulb, Head cabbage, Kale, Kalettes, Kohlrabi, Leek, Lettuce, Melon, Okra, Ornamental kale, Pointed cabbage, Pumpkin, Radicchio, Red cabbage, Sugarloaf chicory, Sweet corn, Sweet pepper, Tomato, Water spinach, Zucchini
• Planting (tubers, cloves, young plants): Chayote, Ginger, Potato, Skirret, Sweet potato, Yacon

June

• Pre-growing: Butter cabbage, Chinese cabbage, Lettuce, Radicchio, Water spinach, Winter endive
• Direct sowing: Asian greens, Beetroot, Bush bean, Carrot, Chard, Garden cress, Lamb's lettuce, Nasturtium, Pole bean, Radish, Spinach, Spring onion
• Transplanting: Broccoli, Butter cabbage, Cauliflower, Chinese cabbage, Kohlrabi, Lettuce, Okra, Pointed cabbage, Radicchio, Red cabbage, Sugarloaf chicory, Water spinach, Zucchini
• Planting (tubers, cloves, young plants): Yacon

July

• Pre-growing: Chinese cabbage, Kohlrabi, Radicchio, Sugarloaf chicory, Winter endive
• Direct sowing: Asian greens, Beetroot, Bush bean, Carrot, Chard, Garden cress, Lamb's lettuce, Pole bean, Radish, Spinach, Spring onion
• Transplanting: Broccoli, Butter cabbage, Cauliflower, Chinese cabbage, Lettuce, Okra, Radicchio, Water spinach, Winter endive

August

• Pre-growing: Kohlrabi, Lettuce, Pak choi, Sugarloaf chicory
• Direct sowing: Arugula, Asian greens, Autumn turnip, Beetroot, Broad bean, Chard, Garden cress, Lamb's lettuce, Pea, Radish, Rutabaga, Spinach, Spring onion, Winter purslane
• Transplanting: Chinese cabbage, Kohlrabi, Radicchio, Sugarloaf chicory, Water spinach, Winter endive

September

• Pre-growing: Kohlrabi, Lettuce, Pak choi
• Direct sowing: Arugula, Asian greens, Autumn turnip, Broad bean, Garden cress, Lamb's lettuce, Pea, Radish, Rutabaga, Spinach, Winter purslane
• Transplanting: Kohlrabi, Lettuce, Pak choi, Sugarloaf chicory
• Planting (tubers, cloves, young plants): Garlic

October

• Pre-growing: Pak choi
• Direct sowing: Arugula, Asian greens, Lamb's lettuce, Radish, Spinach, Winter purslane
• Transplanting: Kohlrabi, Lettuce, Pak choi
• Planting (tubers, cloves, young plants): Garlic

November

• Direct sowing: Winter purslane
• Transplanting: Pak choi

December

• Pre-growing: Cauliflower

Many wait with sensitive crops until after Ice Saints in mid-May because late night frosts are possible. For you, this means: warmth lovers (e.g. tomato, cucumber) are better planted safely rather than stressed too early.

A raised bed often warms up faster than a flat bed. A greenhouse starts earlier than the open ground. And a shady garden starts later than a sheltered courtyard. Use the sowing calendar as a base and adapt it to your individual needs.

A sowing calendar is your guiding thread through the garden year. It gives you confidence in timing and makes sowing, planting and harvest much less stressful. If you use it digitally, it becomes a real companion instead of a “note”.

What can I sow in February?

In February you mainly pre-grow indoors: sweet peppers and eggplants need a long head start, plus cabbages such as broccoli, head cabbage, red cabbage and pointed cabbage, as well as lettuce and onions. Only hardy crops such as spinach, lamb’s lettuce, winter purslane, radishes, carrots and parsnips go directly into the bed – and only when the soil is no longer frozen. A fleece helps with germination.

When do I pre-grow tomatoes and sweet peppers?

You pre-grow sweet peppers in February and tomatoes in March. Both need a lot of warmth to germinate and only go into the bed after the Ice Saints in mid-May, because they cannot tolerate frost.

Why are my seedlings long and thin?

Long, thin and pale seedlings get too little light for the warmth they are standing in. Put the seed trays at the brightest window and not directly above the radiator. In February and March, daylight is often not enough; then a grow light or a slightly later start helps.

What do I sow in late summer and autumn?

From August, the second sowing season for winter vegetables begins: you now sow lamb’s lettuce, spinach, winter purslane, arugula and Asian greens directly into the bed, plus radishes for a last harvest. You plant garlic in September and October.

Is the sowing calendar also available as a PDF?

You have to get a printed calendar or a PDF again every year. With a free account as a garden helper, the GrowSimply digital sowing calendar is always set to the current year and at hand on your phone, tablet and computer.