What to sow in autumn & winter in the UK
Most growers down tools in September, and that's the mistake. The back half of the year quietly sets up the front half of the next — there are quick crops to eat before the cold, and hardy ones to tuck in now for a harvest weeks ahead of everyone else come spring.
“Autumn” arrives at different times across the country, so let your own weather lead — enter your postcode for dates tuned to your first frost.
Quick crops — sow now, eat before winter
From late summer into early autumn there's still time for fast, cool-loving crops. They actually prefer the gentler light and are far less likely to bolt than a summer sowing. A cloche or a sheet of fleece keeps them going as the nights draw in.
The fastest of all — roots in about four weeks. Sneak a sowing into any gap into early autumn.
Quick, peppery and happiest in cooler weather — perfect for autumn salad bowls.
Hardy cut-and-come-again leaves to keep a salad going through the cold under a cloche.
Sow now for autumn picking, and again for a crop that overwinters into spring.
Grows fast and tastes better in cool weather — far less likely to bolt than a summer sowing.
A quick autumn root from an early-autumn sowing; the young leaves are good eating too.
Hardy crops — sow now for an early spring harvest
This is the clever bit. A handful of tough crops go in during autumn, sit quietly through the cold, and romp away the moment spring arrives — giving you broad beans, garlic and onions weeks before anything you could sow in March. They ask almost nothing of you over winter.
Plant individual cloves in autumn — they need a cold spell to split into bulbs. The easiest win of the whole year.
Go in now and look after themselves over winter for a harvest weeks ahead of spring-planted ones.
Sow a hardy variety like Aquadulce Claudia in autumn for beans a month earlier than spring sowings. Fleece in hard frosts.
Winter-hardy types (Douce Provence, Meteor) sown in autumn give the earliest peas of next year under a cloche.
Hardy varieties sown in autumn stand through winter for an early pull.
Tough, beautiful and forgiving — often stands right through a mild winter for fresh leaves.
How to arrange an autumn bed
The trick with autumn beds is to plant things that suit each other's timing: crops that go in together and come out together, so you can clear a whole bed at once and follow it with something else. A few simple principles:
- Group by harvest time— put the overwintering staples (garlic, onions, broad beans) in one bed; they all clear by midsummer, freeing the whole bed for a summer crop.
- Tall things to one side— broad beans get tall, so keep them to the back or a long edge where they won't shade the lower rows as the light returns.
- Cover the soil— bare winter soil is wasted soil. Fill gaps with quick salad under a cloche, or sow a green manure to protect and feed the ground until spring.
The overwintering staples bed
Garlic, onions and broad beans all go in during autumn and clear by midsummer — plant them together and you free the whole bed at once. Broad beans down one long edge so they don't shade the rest.
Winter salad under a cloche
Dense rows of hardy cut-and-come-again leaves, kept snug under a cloche or in a cold frame. Pick a little from each row and they'll keep giving through the cold.
Once the overwintering bed is cleared in summer, it's the perfect spot for hungry follow-on crops like courgettes or squash — the beans will have left a little nitrogen behind for them.
Giving them a fighting chance
A little protection turns “might survive” into “thrives”. None of it is dear, and it all comes out again year after year:
- Horticultural fleece— the cheapest few degrees of frost protection there is. Drape it over hardy crops on cold nights. On Amazon →
- Cloches— little tunnels or bell covers that keep salad and seedlings snug and the worst of the rain off. On Amazon →
- A cold frame or small greenhouse— the proper upgrade, for hardening off and overwintering tender things. See our cold frames & greenhouses guide.
- A polytunnel— the biggest leap of all, if you've the room: a whole growing space that keeps you cropping right through winter. See our polytunnels guide.
Autumn & winter jobs that pay off in spring
The growing slows, but a few hours now save you weeks later. Spread a layer of compost or well-rotted muck over the beds and let the worms work it in — the no-dig way. Clear away spent crops and the slugs' winter hideouts. Sort and store your seeds somewhere cool and dry. And put the plot to bed knowing the garlic and broad beans are already away.
Common questions
What vegetables can I sow in autumn in the UK?
Two kinds: quick crops to eat before winter — radishes, oriental leaves, winter salad, rocket, spinach and turnips — and hardy crops to overwinter for an early spring harvest, like garlic, autumn onion sets, broad beans, hardy peas and spring onions.
Is it too late to plant vegetables in autumn?
Rarely. Early autumn still suits quick salads and leaves under cover, and right through autumn you can plant garlic, autumn onion sets, broad beans and hardy peas to overwinter. Once the soil drops below about 5°C in late autumn, growth more or less stops until spring — so you're then planting for spring rather than for now.
How do I protect winter vegetables from frost?
Fleece, cloches and a cold frame are the workhorses. Fleece adds a few degrees on frosty nights, cloches keep salad going, and a cold frame gives tender things a snug spot. Good drainage matters as much as warmth — most winter losses are from sitting wet, not cold alone.