Growing note 09 · Ireland & UK
A small-space sowing calendar for Ireland: month by month
A useful calendar tells you when to look at the conditions, not when to ignore them. A sheltered coastal patio and an exposed inland balcony will not be ready together.
How to use these windows
This is an editorial planning framework for a few common crops, informed by Teagasc and RHS guidance—not a nationwide prescription. Follow the seed packet’s cultivar-specific windows and local frost forecasts. “Under cover” still requires suitable temperatures and light; an unheated plastic cover does not make a February night warm.
| Month | A manageable small-space job |
|---|---|
| January | Plan pots and check seed stocks. With little natural light, waiting is a valid choice; do not start heat-loving crops just to fill a tray. |
| February | Consider a small protected sowing of salad leaves only if you can provide adequate light and suitable warmth. |
| March | As conditions improve, consider radishes or salad onions for direct sowing in suitable containers. For outdoor tomatoes, late March is the start of the RHS indoor sowing window. |
| April | Continue modest salad and radish sowings as temperatures allow. Early April remains within the RHS indoor window for outdoor tomatoes. |
| May | Repeat small salad sowings. Harden off tender plants gradually; do not plant tomatoes out solely because the calendar says May. |
| June | In suitable frost-free warmth, settle tender crops into their final containers. Sow another small salad batch rather than a whole packet. |
| July | Replace finished spring salads, using suitable varieties and light shade in hot spells. Plan where autumn leaves will fit. |
| August | Start suitable autumn salad leaves while light and warmth still support establishment; choose varieties labelled for the season. |
| September | Consider hardy lettuce or other suitable winter leaves under protection. Check packet timing; sheltered growing is not the same as an exposed railing box. |
| October | Only make late protected sowings where the variety and conditions support them. Prioritise established winter leaves, ventilation and drainage. |
| November | Harvest established leaves sparingly. Check overwintering pots; do not assume a new outdoor sowing will provide winter meals. |
| December | Review records and clean reusable equipment. Routine sowing can wait when light and temperatures are unsuitable. |
Three dates to record separately
Keep sowing date, first emergence and final planting-out date in separate columns. They are different stages. Note the variety and whether the plant was indoors, under cover or outside. This is more useful next year than writing “planted in April” without context.
Leave yourself somewhere to plant
Before a second sowing, count the spaces that will actually become available. Teagasc encourages small beginnings and using early crops followed by later ones. That is succession, not a reason to crowd two mature crops into a pot meant for one.
A modest kit, if you need it
A small module tray, labels and a notebook. A thermometer can help distinguish a warm afternoon from genuinely suitable growing conditions.
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Sources & scope
- Teagasc: A Guide to Vegetable Growing, 9th edition
- Teagasc: vegetable guide PDF, crop sowing tables and practical notes
- RHS: salad leaves, sowing and seasonal protection
- RHS: growing lettuce, including winter varieties
- RHS: tomatoes, varieties, feeding and pollination
Sources consulted 8 November 2026 (Europe/Dublin). This is research-based guidance, not a hands-on trial. Local weather, variety and product instructions matter; equipment types below are not paid endorsements.