Spring Planting Guide – March to June

Spring is really the prime time for planting fruit and vegetables. As the temperatures begin to creep higher, your options for planting become more varied. This guide will help you organise your planting between March and June. Showing you the fantastic choice of vegetables, fruits and herbs you can sow through the Spring.

Tools and equipment 

Before we get into the growing, you might want to check your equipment and tools to ensure you’ve got everything you need. 

If you’re new to gardening, don’t worry! You don’t need lots of equipment to get started. 

Tools and equipment for beginners

Firstly, a pair of gardening gloves is a must to protect your hands. There are many options, but a standard, multi-purpose pair is all you need to begin with. 

Next, some hand tools will come in very handy. A trowel and hand fork can be used for weeding, planting, and potting. If you have a large garden and have plans to work outdoors, it’s worth buying a spade and full-sized fork to cover more ground. A pair of secateurs is an incredibly useful tool. Ideal for pruning and tidying up plants and flowers. They are easy to hold in one hand and a worthwhile investment for your gardening plans. 

If you don’t already have one, a watering can is essential in spring and summer when rainfall is less frequent. 

For growing the vegetables, fruit and herbs in this guide, getting some good quality topsoil for a solid, fertile base for your plants to grow and thrive is a good idea. 

For the more experienced gardener… 

If you’re an experienced gardener or want to upgrade your setup, you might want to consider some garden machinery like a mower, tool rack, cart or wheelbarrow to help you transport plants around the garden. Then you’ll need a shed or a greenhouse (or both!) to store everything! 

March

Vegetables

In March, you can plant a huge range of vegetables indoors and outdoors. 

Indoor: Asparagus, aubergine, broccoli, brussel sprouts, cabbage, cauliflower, celery, cucumber, lettuce, onion, pepper, and tomatoes.

Outdoor: Broad beans, beetroot, carrot, kale, leek, parsnip, peas, radish, rocket, spinach, and turnip. 

Fruit

In terms of fruit, March is a good month for planting cane fruits: cranberries, raspberries, blackberries and hybrid berry plants. In the garden, March is the time to start thinking about planting fruit trees. Apple trees are a popular choice thanks to the versatility of the fruit. 

You can start potting strawberry plugs indoors, and grapes can be grown in indoor hanging baskets. You could even grow a fig or olive tree. 

Herbs

Some of the best herbs to start growing in March are basil, coriander, parsley, dill and chervil.

April

Vegetables

Indoor: Celeriac, climbing bean, courgette, dwarf bean, marrow, pumpkin, squash and sweetcorn. 

Outdoor: Artichoke, chard, chicory, kohl rabi, samphire, and spring onion. 

Fruit

April is about caretaking with plenty of feeding and covering. You might find it useful to write down the feed, feeding and pruning dates and attach this to the plant, so it’s easier to keep track throughout the year. April is a good time to cover strawberry plants with cloche or fleece. This encourages them to fruit earlier. 

Herbs

By April, the risk of frost has decreased, so you can begin planting herbs outdoors. Why not try growing some classics like lavender and chamomile? Or, opt for salad herbs like rocket and parsley. 

May

Vegetables

With Spring in full swing, you can grow anything from March and April’s lists with the addition of climbing bean, runner bean and pak choi. If you planted peas, rocket or spinach in March, you can start thinking about harvesting. 

Fruit

As Spring progresses, fruit will grow really well, so it’s time to watch it closely. Any over-zealous trees can be lightly pruned to encourage them to fruit. Later in the month, you can start uncovering any protected plants. Be sure to check any strawberry and raspberry plants for runners and remove them immediately. Otherwise, there is too much competition for water and light. 

Herbs

Basil is a great herb to grow in May. Particularly in a greenhouse or a patio that gets a lot of sun. You could also sow perennial herbs like rosemary, sage, thyme and lemon balm. 

June 

Vegetables

If June has crept up on you, fear not! There is still time to sow. Runner and French beans can be sown directly into the ground, along with beetroot, carrots, courgette and squash. You could also check if any previously planted veg is ready to harvest. 

Fruit

June is the time when fruit needs more attention. If the weather is dry, you’ll need to water fruit plants once a week. To ensure water gets to the roots, you might want to push a tube, funnel, or empty bottle into the soil, then pour in the water. In terms of planting, melon plugs can be sown in a sunny spot. They need rich soil and grow well in polytunnels and greenhouses. 

Herbs

Similarly to fruit, you’ll need to make sure herbs are kept watered as the weather heats up and rain is less frequent. The good thing is that you can now sow herb seeds directly into the ground. Some good options for this are rocket, calendula and nasturtiums. 

Hopefully, you are feeling prepared for the Spring, with a trowel at the ready and plenty of seeds to sow! If you want to upgrade your growing space, look at our range of planters, greenhouses and greenhouse shelves and accessories.