When to plant
basil in the UK

Pinch out the growing tips once the first pods form to discourage blackfly. They

Sow every 3 weeks for a continuous harvest. Pick regularly to keep them producin

Sow a short row every 2 weeks and you'll never buy a supermarket bag again. Pick

Bolts the moment it gets hot. Best in spring and autumn. Pick little and often —

The quickest crop you can grow — seed to plate in 4 weeks. Sow between slower cr

Sow thinly to avoid thinning — the smell of crushed leaves is a dinner bell for

Each seed cluster produces several seedlings — thin to the strongest. Don't chuc

Push sets into the soil with the tip just showing. Easiest way to grow onions —

Plant a few weeks after earlies. Earth up as haulms grow. Harvest when foliage d

Chit (sprout) seed potatoes on a windowsill before planting. Earth up as they gr

Gets sweeter after a frost. One of the hardiest crops — can harvest all winter.

Very slow to germinate (2-4 weeks). Use fresh seed every year. Sow radishes alon

Sow a pinch every few weeks and you'll have spring onions all season. Dead easy

Beautiful and productive. Pick outer leaves and it keeps going for months. Rainb

Harvest when golf-ball sized for the sweetest flavour. Leave them too long and t

Drop seedlings into deep holes and just water in — no need to fill the hole. The

Cut the main head first and you'll get side shoots for weeks. Purple sprouting i

Different varieties for each season — spring, summer, autumn, and winter types.

Fold outer leaves over the curd to keep it white. Cauliflower leaves are delicio

Grow through summer, harvest from autumn through winter. Flavour improves after

Plant individual cloves Oct-Nov, pointed end up, 2.5cm deep. Garlic needs a cold

Slow to germinate (3-4 weeks) — don't give up on it. Soak seeds overnight in war

Plant in a block, not a row — they're wind-pollinated and need neighbours. Each

You only need 2-3 plants. Seriously. Pick them small (15cm) or they turn into ma

Dwarf varieties need no support. Pick every few days — once they start producing

Big hungry plants — give them space and feed them well. Leave to cure in the sun

Limit each plant to 2-3 fruits for bigger pumpkins. Sit them on a tile or slate

Bolts at the slightest excuse. Sow every 3-4 weeks, pick frequently, and choose

Dead easy and fast. Gets spicier in hot weather — which is either a feature or a

Sow early spring or after midsummer — it'll bolt faster than you can blink in th

Sow after midsummer for best bulbs — earlier sowings often bolt. Don't transplan

Sow seeds on the surface — they need light to germinate. Start early in a propag

Sow direct — dill absolutely hates being transplanted. Short rows every few week

Plant runners in spring or late summer and you will be picking fruit the followi

Plant bare-root canes in winter for the cheapest option. Summer varieties fruit

Cultivated blackberries produce bigger, sweeter fruit than wild ones and are tho

One of the easiest fruit bushes for UK allotments. Plant a bare-root bush in win

Blackcurrants are packed with vitamin C and make the best jam and cordial. Plant

Beautiful jewel-like berries that hang in trusses. They tolerate more shade than

Plant a crown in winter, do not harvest the first year, and it will reward you w