It can be so tricky to know what to sow when. We developed this google spreadsheet a few years ago, based on a similar one we’d found for CSAs in America. Developed for the home gardener, this allows you to adjust both your last frost date as well as how many people you want to grow for so that you have a handy guide to see you through the season.

When we are planning what we are going to plant, we always think about 4 things:

1. What do we actually eat. For example, there’s no point in growing sprouts if you hate them.

2. What grows well in our climate? I have found that there is no point in growing aubergines as I simply don’t get the heat in our garden.

3. What can other people grow well? Things like potatoes, carrots and onions are all grown better locally than I can grow them in my small garden. Other than a few for special meals, I outsource to local farmers!

4. Pick heritage varieties and those grown for home gardeners. There is nothing worse than having a whole row of cauliflower or broccoli coming ripe on the same day. Varieties for home gardeners are usually more diverse and will ripen at intervals or hold well on the vine. We love Real Seeds and Vital Seeds here in the UK.

OUR SOWING CALENDAR

(or tell me you’re a virgo without telling me you are a virgo)

Over the last few years, we’ve been using a spreadsheet to calculate when and how much to sow for our family and events. Its based on an American CSA spreadsheet I found, which we adapted for our climate and needs. It has grown and developed over the last few years, adapting as our needs (and the weather) has changed.

What we have now is our all in one planner that allows me (and now you) to plann how much to grow and when to sow your veg. The quantities are based on what CSAs use to plan the amounts of veg they use to grow for veg boxes, with some tweaking for the home grower. You simply find your last frost date and add it to the grey box and add the number of people you are hoping to grow for in the blue and off you go.